J. E. S. de Graft-Hayford
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| John Ebenezer Samuel, de Graft-Hayford | |
|---|---|
| 1912–2002 | |
| Nickname | Chocolate Kid or Johnnie |
| Place of birth |  United Kingdom |
| Place of death | London |
| Allegiance |  Ghana |
| Service/branch |  Ghana Air Force |
| Rank | Chief of the Air Staff |
John Ebenezer Samuel, de Graft-Hayford (1912–2002) was a Ghanaian born in the United Kingdom. Apart from being of Ghanaian origin, he had Dutch and German maternal blood lines.
As Ghana's first Ghanaian Chief of the Air Staff, Johnnie, de Graft-Hayford became the first indigenous Air Force Commander in Ghana and Black Sub-Saharan Africa[1] He was also acting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for a brief period in 1962 after Ghana's first indigenous CDS Major General Stephen J.A. Otu.
Amongst a host of other earlier achievements he showed excellence in sport and particularly, the art of boxing.
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[edit] Education
Born in the UK in 1912, he returned back to Ghana with his parents and his newly born sister Mary in 1914, commencing formal education in 1916 at the Baptist School in Accra.
Between 1916-1922, he studied at the Paedagogium in Godesberg, Germany.
He attended the Bellahouston Academy and Ibrox Public School in Glasgow, Scotland between 1925-1928.
From 1929-1930 he attended the Baptist Collegiate School, Accra.
Between 1931-1939, he passed several courses in: Infantry and Army Signals Training, Short-hand, Typing and short Story Writing, qualifying through the 'Regent Institute of Journalism'.
In 1941, he passed the Royal Air Force RAF medical examination after treatment for a broken jaw sustained in the sport of boxing.
In 1943, he passed the Non-Commissioned Officers courses.
In 1944, he qualified in the issuing and handling of Supplies; Accounting; Inspection of Food Stuffs; Warehousing; Disinfestation; Baking; Butchery; Vehicle Mechanics and Operational Driving.
In 1945, he studied course subjects as an external student of the London University as well as military matters such as Leadership Potential and all basic Infantry subjects. He matriculated in September 1945.
In 1946, he passed all Transport and Service subjects with high grades and passed his inter-B.Sc. Economics Degree from the London University in November, 1947.
In 1951, he received his Diploma in Public Administration from the London University by private study and was awarded the title of 'Fellow of the Economic Society' of Ghana in 1958.
On 7 February 1964, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Economic Society.
In 1966, he gained his B.Sc in Economics.
[edit] Career
Between 1931-1939, John Ebenezer Samuel was actively involved in various careers such as literary works and the sport of boxing, but nevertheless, he passed his Civil Service Examination and was employed as a Second Division Clerk then Assistant Officer Gazeteer and was also a broadcast announcer with a station called ZOY.
From June 1937 to December 1938 Mr. J.E.S. de Graft-Hayford together with the British Assistant Colonial Secretary Mr. Harold Cooper and with the assistance of Dr. Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, organised and established the Gold Coast Broadcasting Service, which were the beginnings of what is now the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation GBC.
He enlisted with the 3rd Battalion Gold Coast Regiment otherwise known as the Gold Coast Territorial Force on 1 May 1939 specialising in Infantry and Army Signals Training.
On 26 August 1939, he was mobilized with the 5th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF).
In 1940, he was promoted Sergeant and posted to command pay office.
In 1941, he passed an interview for training as Fighter Pilot with the Royal Air Force (RAF).
In 1942, he was a staff sergeant in command of the Pay Office in the Gambia as well as having part time attachment duties with the RAF. He was also on war office circular cancelling inter-service transfers and remained in the RWAFF.
In 1943 he was posted to the 6th battalion Gold Coast Regiment for training with a view to a commission in the infantry.
1944 saw him as an instructor for the Unit NCO,s Cadre specialising in battle drills, small arms and organisation in the field of war. However he was debarred from commission in infantry by reason of notified age limit and continued with the 821 Company, West African Service Corps training, still with the aim of a commission in the Royal Service Corp.
In 1945, J.E.S. de Graft-Hayford as a sergeant in 13 I.T.C. & Queen's Own Regiment in Maidstone, Kent, UK; was recommended for training at a Royal Army Service Officer Cadet Training Unit. He was subsequently interviewed on 3 August 1945 by the War Office Selection Board at Golders Green, UK, and was found suitable for training as an Oficer at an Officer Training unit in Britain. He was now cadet,148 Pre-OCTU, Wrothram, Kent, UK.
In 1946, he was Officer/Cadet at the Royal Army Service Corps Officer Training Centre, Aldershot, UK.
J.E.S.de Graft-Hayford was only the third African to be commissioned Lieutenant as a British Officer in the Royal Army Service Corps Land Forces in 1946.
He served in North Africa and the UK rising to the rank of Captain until demobilisation from the armed forces in the United Kingdom on 14 June 1948. He continued working in the UK as Assistant Welfare and Scholarships Officer at the Colonial Office in London for a while then returned back to Ghana.
Between 1948-1953, he was with the Gold Coast Cocoa Marketing Board. He initially worked as Secretary/Accountant rising to the position of Acting General Manager, He was also during this period Chairman of the Ghana Legion and a member of the Constitutional Assembly.
In 1960, he was recalled back to the Ghana Armed Forces with the offer of the position as Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion of Infantry, Ghana Army Volunteer Force which he gladly accepted.
In 1961, JES de Graft-Hayford was seconded to the 3rd Green Jackets Rifle Brigade, British Army of Occupation of Germany (for Senior Officers) Battle Training. He soon after gained promotion to lieutenant Colonel and in 1962 to Brigadier General, re-designated Air Commodore and subsequently appointed Chief of Air Staff CAS re-designated Chief of the Air Staff taking over from Air Commodore John Whitworth.
In 1962, under Kwame Nkrumah's initiative the first 'National school of Gliding' was successfully set up jointly by Hanna Reitsch once Adolf Hitler's top personal pilot and Air Commodore, J.E.S de Graft-Hayford who during this period held two positions Aide de Camp, to Kwame Nkrumah, the President of Ghana, the first Black African Nation to become independent and at the same time, the first Air Chief of the Air Staff and CDS.
Air Commodore, JES de Graft-Hayford was posted by Nkrumah to the Ghana High Commission in the UK as Ghana's first Military Attache in 1963 and was actively involved in intelligence work.
He retired from the Ghana Armed Forces on 28 February 1965.
Other activities after this period, included an espionage assignment in Algeria, and by self admission was 'coup planner; overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah' (see auto-biography).
It was purported in the media at that time that he may have been one of, if not the ultimate mastermind of the coup that eventually toppled Nkrumah. However, this truth would alter history {see auto-biography). The UK tabloid newspaper The Sun, in its front page photo spread at the time reported a Mr. Amyhia as the coup plotter and 'de Graft Hayford' as only possibly being involved by association.
However, in 1966, still residing in the UK, he occupied himself as a sales consultant for Encyclopædia Britannica and as the secretary of the British Legion Club situated in Fulham, London, UK.
Soon after the downfall of Kwame Nkrumah and during the regime of Lieutenant General Joseph Ankrah, he was expediently invited back to Ghana from the UK and offered senior appointments within the Government. He chose the position as 'National Organiser' of the Ghana Workers Brigade (GWB) on 21 December 1966.
He stayed with the Workers Brigade until 1971 and performed exceedingly in reversing massive debts. The GWB was an Agricultural Industrial and Construction Organisation made up of civilians and military logistics personnel of approximately 35,000 workers.
On 10 September 1968, JES de Graft-Hayford was also Chairman of the 'National Emergency Food Supply Committee'.
On 11 January 1972, he was Head of the Investigation Branch, Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board; then re-designated Chief Security Officer.
He was the first Chairman of the Ghana branch of Amnesty International between 1972-1974 and whose secretary was the lawyer, writer and famous Ghanaian historian, Dr. I.S. Ephson born 1923.
Between 1974-1979 he held various portfolios such as, Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Trade. Special Assistant (Security) to the Commissioner, Cocoa Affairs and Co-ordinator at the Ministry of Cocoa Affairs, responsible solely to the Commissioner. His Ministry of Cocoa Affairs contract of service ended in 1979.
In 1980, JES de Graft-Hayford was Chairman of the Ghana Legion and Advisor to President Linmann at the Cabinet Secretary's request.
From 1981-1984, he continued as Chairman of the Ghana Legion having been appointed by the Peoples National Democratic Convention PNDC then led by Jerry John Rawlings.
In 1984, JES de Graft-Hayford retired from the Chairmanship of the Ghana Legion and Boxing authority returning to the UK.
Between 1984-1994 in the UK, he served in the Voluntary Sector of National and Local Charities as Treasurer, Fund Raiser and Administrator as well as Council Member. He also was Organist for the Lake Victoria Lodge, EC; from 10 February 1986 and Worshipful Master of the Acturus Lodge, EC; from 1993-1994.
He remained in the UK semi retired always occupying himself with his literary works, and part time social work.
His achievements were exemplary as the record shows, particularly as he passed through a racial divide merituously, peacefully and passively somewhat. Truly, JES de Graft-Hayford was a quiet but powerful achiever and nationalist, as his forebears such as J.E. Casely Hayford. He passed through the volatile changes of all rebellious and democratic Ghanaian governments since independence from white colonial rule.
His Military awards include the Territorial Decoration Medal, the 1939-1945 Star, the Coronation 1953, the Republic Medal 1960 and many others.
His interests being many, they included, sports, in particular boxing (see below}. He was a keen pianist and a prolific writer and his many articles, short stories and poems have been published by the likes of Readers Digest. Other literary works include a 1410 page autobiography.
A legend in achievement, he served Ghana and Great Britain meritoriously in broad spheres.
[edit] Boxing
J.E.S de Graft-Hayford during the 1930s was a professional boxer under the pseudonym of The Chocolate Kid.
He became Welter and Middle-Weight Boxing Champion of Ghana and West Africa respectively retiring as an Undefeated Champion in 1941, a precedence in those years.
From humble beginnings of bare-fist boxing on the beaches of Accra, Chocolate Kid would swim way out into the ocean with no fears, run marathons and even won the Queen's Coronation Cycling Championship Trophy in the early thirties.
As a welter-weight boxer, 'Chocolate Kid' claimed the Welter-Weight championship and the Sir Arnold Hudson Trophy in 1935.
In 1939, in the 2nd round of a friendly non-title bout, he knocked out one Jack Pullan the Far Eastern Command Welterweight Champion on board the troop ship [New Northland http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/clarkei.htm]
In 1941, Chocolate Kid won the Middle-Weight title and the George R. Benest Championship Silver Bowl donated by Nestle-Switzerland retiring from Boxing as undefeated Champion.
Between 1974-1978, JES de Graft-Hayford established the first Ghana Boxing Board of Control and as chairman was instrumental in Ghana acquiring her first world boxing champion named D.K. Poison.
He was later to become Vice President of the African Boxing Union and Member of the World Boxing Council.
[edit] Family
John Ebenezer Samuel, had two siblings, Doctor Mark Davy-Hayford and Mary Edmundson OBE.
His mother, Matilda Goy, was German and came from West Fallen. His father was the Reverend, Mark Christian Hayford M.A.,D.D,F.R.C.S [2]</ref> whose father was the Reverend, Joseph De Graft Hayford, the son of the Reverend. James Hayford (1840-1919), although his authentic ethnic name was Kwamina Afua.
The Hayford (Afua) family or Clan of Cape Coast and Accra, includes relations with the surname's for example: Casely Hayford, Davy Hayford, ,degraft-Johnson, Yankah, Wilson, Welsing, Hutchful, Wilberforce, Graves and Brew amongst others. See [3] for more family background.</ref>.
J.E.S. de Graft-Hayford was from a Royal Ethnic Fanti family composed of political nationalists and veritable Christian reverend's and who was first in line to follow his fathers foot-steps as a reverend or be installed as the Chief of the Fanti stool or throne.
He instead chose to become a civil servant, a champion fighter, a military man of esteem and most of all like his fore fathers, a true believer in nationalism and human rights.
His wife was Phyllis de Graft-Hayford (1919-2001), who co-established the first Child Care Centre in Ghana.
[edit] Notes
Interestingly, The true indigenous surnames of many Ghanaians were corrupted during colonisation, such as 'Afua' to the name Hayford this tended to be the norm of the day for metaphore and phonetic simplicity for the European missionaries and in this case the British missionaries.
It is therefore important not to connect the Hayford name with its roots from Ghana with that of the U.K. in historical and genelogical context.
[edit] References
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by J N H Whitworth |
Chief of the Air Staff 1961–1963 |
Succeeded by Michael Otu |
