Joseph Edward Michel
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Brigadier Joseph Edward Michel (1917-1961) was a
Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
. He was one of the early
commissioned officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
in the
Ghana Army The Ghana Army (GA) is the main ground warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast obtained independence as Ghana, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal Wes ...
.


Early life and education

Michel was the son of Alexander Michel, a French Trader at
Tarkwa Tarkwa is a town and is the capital of Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal district, a district in the Western Region southwest of South Ghana. Tarkwa has a 2013 settlement population of 34,941 people. Economy Mining Tarkwa is noted as a centre of gold ...
and Afua his wife who hailed from Atikpui near Ho. He received his education at the Ewe Presbyterian Boarding School at Amedzofe and continued at the Presbyterian Training College at Akropong where he qualified as a teacher.


Career

Joseph Michel initially taught at the Kpando Presbyterian Senior School. On 4 August 1943, he joined the colonial army at Ho in the Volta Region via the school teachers' special enlistment programme. He started as a"local"
sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
. He was initially a schoolmaster / instructor in the army. He was appointed full sergeant in January 1945. Michel was commissioned as a
Second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in April 1947. He was promoted a
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
in with effect from 27 November 1947. He was appointed
Platoon Commander {{unreferenced, date=February 2013 A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or firs ...
at
Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...
. He attended a Platoon Commander's Tactical course at
Warminster Warminster () is an ancient market town with a nearby garrison, and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south west Wiltshire, England, on the western edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish had a population of about 17,000 in 2011. The 11th-c ...
in the United Kingdom in relation to his appointment. Between 1948 and 1950, he was the second-in-charge of the Gold Coast Regiment Training Centre (GCR Training Centre) at Kumasi. In 1950, he attended the Company Commanders' Course 67/50 at the
School of Infantry A School of Infantry provides training in weapons and infantry tactics to infantrymen of a nation's military forces. Schools of infantry include: Australia *Australian Army – School of Infantry, Lone Pine Barracks at Singleton, NSW. France ...
, Warminster. He returned to the GCR Training Centre where he was promoted to rank of
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. He was made the Company Commander of the GCR Training Centre in April 1951. He was transferred in July 1951 to the 3rd Battalion of the GRC. In August 1952, he was transferred again to the First Battalion of the RTC at Kumasi. In January 1953, he was transferred again to the Boys' Company as the Commanding Officer. Michel was promoted to the rank of
Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
in May 1953. Brigadier Alexander G. V. Paley, who was then Head of the Gold Coast Army, in a response to a report recommending his promotion wrote:
"He is loyal to his immediate superiors and is obedient both to orders and to the wishes they express. I agree that he should be fit for promotion - though not yet."
In February 1956, Michel was posted to the Second Gold Coast Regiment in Accra. He was cleared by the Medical Board in July 1956 and he was nominated for Staff College which he attended during 1957 at
Camberley Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Cambe ...
, United Kingdom. His final report mentioned that he was:
"An intelligent and shrewd officer with a pleasant personality who has entered fully into staff college life and made many friends. He is most conscientious and works well in a team. Although he has been prone to listen and learn rather than put forward his own views, he has shown that he possesses much sound common sense and a very fair military background. He should make a useful reliable staff officer in his own country."
In February 1958, he was posted to the Second Ghana Regiment and later moved to the Headquarters of the Ghana Army. In 1959, he was promoted to
Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
along with Major S. J. A. Otu and Major J. A. Ankrah. He then assumed command of the Second Ghana Regiment in November 1959. Lt. Colonel Gilmour, the Chief of General Staff at the Ghana Army Headquarters rated his work at Army headquarters very highly. Brigadier G. H. Tadman, Commanding Officer of the Infantry Brigade at the time rated him as the "beset Ghanaian officer of his rank in the army." Major General Paley, now General Officer Commanding the Ghana Army agreed with the assessment. Following the April 1960 plebiscite on a republican constitution, Michel was selected to become the Aide-de-camp of President Kwame Nkrumah. He and Brigadier S. J. A. Otu were the most senior African Officers in the Ghana Army at the time.


Duties outside Ghana

Michel was selected as part of the military contingent from the Gold Coast to attend the coronation of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
in London in 1962.


Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II

In 1959, Michel was selected to be
Equerry An equerry (; from French ' stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually up ...
to Queen Elizabeth II. He was based at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
and accompanied the queen and
Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
on her 17 days tour of
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
,
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
and
The Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
.


United Nations Operation in the Congo The United Nations Operation in the Congo (french: Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, abbreviated to ONUC) was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in the Republic of the Congo in 1960 in response to the Congo Crisis. ONUC was the ...

Following the request of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
for Ghanaian troops in the Congo (Leopoldville), Michel was chosen to lead the Ghanaian contingent. In July 1960, he was appointed the A - Brigade Commander in
Léopoldville Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...
. He was posted to Brigade Headquarters in Léopoldville in August 1960. Major General H. T. Alexander was impressed with his smooth transition from commanding a battalion in Ghana to commanding a brigade within the
United Nations Operation in the Congo The United Nations Operation in the Congo (french: Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, abbreviated to ONUC) was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in the Republic of the Congo in 1960 in response to the Congo Crisis. ONUC was the ...
with such success. In June 1961, it was announced that President Nkrumah had agreed to second Michel to the United Nations as the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Forces in Congo.Ghana Gazette No. 30; Accra; 6 June 1961 This was opposed by Major General Alexander who felt that with only a few Ghanaian senior army officers available, it was better to keep Michel within the army command than to release him for staff work with the United Nations. He suggested sending Colonel Ankrah or Lt. Colonel Aferi instead. He lobbied Mr Dadzie, Head of the Ghana Mission at the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The Force Commander of the UNOC was also keen for him to start and a compromise was reached for a start date of 20 September 1961. Unfortunately, he did not live to take up this appointment.


Diabetes

He also developed diabetes in 1951 and this raised questions about his fitness to continue in the military. Brigadier Paley raised these concerns in discussion with other officers in 1953 when his progress in the army was discussed.


Death

On 3 September 1961, Michel died following injuries he sustained in an air crash at Kumasi, Ghana. He was buried at the Christiansborg military cemetery at
Osu, Accra Located about east of the central business district, Osu is a neighborhood in central Accra, Ghana. It is locally known as the "West End" of Accra. Bounded to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, Osu's western boundary is the Independence Aven ...
on 5 September 1961. He was survived by his wife, a biological daughter (Georgina) and two other adopted children.


Honours

The
Michel Camp Michel Camp is the base of the First Battalion of Infantry of the Ghana Army. It is located at Tema in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The First Battalion together with the Second and Fifth Battalions of Infantry make up the Southern Command o ...
of the Ghana Armed Forces near
Tema Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most populo ...
is named after him in honour of his achievements during his short life in the Ghana military.


See also

*
Nathan Apea Aferi Major General Nathan Apea Aferi (September 1923 – 8 April 2003) was a soldier and politician in Ghana. He was a former Chief of the Defence Staff of Ghana. He also served briefly as Foreign Minister of Ghana. Career Congo Aferi served with ...
*
Joseph Arthur Ankrah Joseph Arthur Ankrah Born (18 August 1915 – 25 November 1992) was a Ghanaian army general who was the head of state of Ghana from 1966 to 1969 in the position of Chairman of the National Liberation Council. Before becoming head of state, Ank ...
* Stephen Otu


References


External source

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Michel, Joseph Edward 1917 births 1961 deaths Ghana Army personnel Ewe people People from Volta Region People of the Congo Crisis United Nations military personnel Royal West African Frontier Force officers