John Amadu Bangura - Early Life

Early Life

Brigadier John Amadu Bangura was born at Kalangba, Karene Chiefdom, Bombali District on Tuesday 8th, March 1930. He was educated at Binkolo and Rogbaneh American Wesleyan Mission Schools, and Koyeima and Bo Government Secondary Schools.

He left school in 1949 and joined the Army in 1950 as an ordinary soldier. While in the other ranks he served and attended courses in both Ghana and Nigeria. In one such course, the Platoon Commanders’ course in Burma Camp, Teshie, Ghana, he graduated first in a group of sixteen Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers.

The impressive qualities of leadership manifested in his keen sense of duty, intelligence, and fitness recommended him to face the Special Selection Board at which the late General Sir Lashmer Whistler, C.M.G., D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., then Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal West African Frontier Force was Chairman.

His performance at Teshie Camp necessitated his transfer to Eaton Hall, Mons Officer Cadet School in 1952. At Mons Officers’ Cadet School he was recommended by British Army authorities to go to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He graduated at Sandhurst in August 1954 with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

After a successful Young Officers’ Course at Hythe and Warminster he was posted on secondment to the British Army on the Rhine in Germany. While on secondment he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He returned to Sierra Leone in 1955 and was appointed Commander or a Rifle Company’s Platoon in the First Battalion, Royal Sierra Leone Regiment.

In 1958 he was promoted to the rank of Captain. In 1962 he served with the First Sierra Leone Contingent on the Congo Operations of the United Nations Organization (U.N.O.C.). On his return home that year he was promoted to the rank of Major.

Brigadier John Amadu Bangura became Commander of the First Battalion Royal Sierra Leone Regiment in 1964 when he attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. These promotions were preceded or followed by several successful courses in various Military Centers in the United Kingdom. One such course was the All Arms Division Course for substantive Majors in the British Army. In 1966 he was posted to attend the Joint Services Staff College (J.S.S.C.) in Latimer, Buckinghamshire.

He was a fellow of the College. In the same year he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

After a period of successful military career, he was arrested and detained at Pademba Road Prisons prior to the March 1967 General Elections. He was however released in March that year and appointed Counsellor and Head of the Chancery at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington D.C. He mysteriously disappeared from his post to become Chairman of the National Interim Council (N.I.C.) which brought back Civilian Rule after a successful take over by the Other Ranks from the Military Junta, the National Reformation Council (N.R.C.) in 1968. He became Commander of the First Battalion, Royal Sierra Leone Regiment and of the Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces after this operation.

On May 1, 1969 he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and honoured in the 1970 New Year’s Honours with the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) (Military Division).

Brigadier John Amadu Bangura’s thorough military training and great experience made him what he was a rare soldier.

He was married and had eight children.