Air Marshal Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie (4 June 1938 - 20 December 2002), often known as Harry Dumashie, was a Ghanaian soldier. He served as Chief of Air Staff and as Ghanaian Chief of Defence Staff from 1992 to 1996.

Early life and education

Dumashie was born at

Dzelukope Dzelukope is a town located near Keta in the Volta Region of Ghana. Victoria Agbotui, mother of Jerry John Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (born Jerry Rawlings John; 22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator, and p ...

in the

Volta Region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi- ...

of Ghana. His secondary school education was at

Mawuli School Mawuli School is a co-educational, boarding school, boarding senior high school located in Ho, Ghana, Ho in the Ho Municipal, Ho Municipal district in the Volta Region of Ghana. History The school was founded in 1950 by the Evangelical Presbyteria ...

at Ho which he attended between 1955 and 1959. He proceeded to the Ghana Military Academy where he received his military training. He also trained as a pilot at the Pilot Training School at the Accra Air Force Station.

Career and politics

He received his commission into the

Ghana Armed Forces The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the state military organisation of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is the president of Ghana, who is also the supreme military ...

on 30 September 1961. He joined the

Ghana Air Force The Ghana Air Force (GHF) is the aerial warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The GHF, along with the Ghana army, Ghanaian army (GA) and Ghana Navy, Ghanaian navy (GN), make up the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghanaia ...

, rising through the ranks to become the Chief of Air Staff in June 1988. Following the death of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Major General Winston Mensa-Wood in March 1992, Dumashie was appointed as his replacement on 22 March 1992. He also succeeded him as a member of the

Provisional National Defence Council The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, in a coup ...

(PNDC), which was the military government ruling Ghana at the time in his capacity as Chief of Defence Staff. He held this position until the PNDC handed over power to a civilian

Rawlings government This is a listing of the ministers who served in Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress government during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. This started on January 7, 1993, after 11 years of military rule by Rawlings. He retired from the Ghana ...

following the

1992 Ghanaian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Ghana on 3 November 1992. They were the first contested elections held in the country since 1979, and only the fourth contested elections of any sort since the country gained independence in 1957. Jerry Rawli ...

. He however continued as the CDS until 1 October 1996 when he was succeeded by Lieutenant General Akafia.

Death

Duamashie died at the

37 Military Hospital The 37 Military Hospital is a specialist hospital located in Accra, on the main road between the Kotoka International Airport and central Accra. It is the largest military hospital in the Republic of Ghana after the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. It ...

in Accra after a short illness.

Family

Dumashie was survived by a wife and six children.

Honours

In October 2012, President John Mahama commissioned equipment including a simulator, three surveillance aircraft and two hangars at the

Takoradi Sekondi-Takoradi ( ) is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan District and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city as well as ...

Air Force Station. One of the hangars was named the "AVM Achiles Harry Kwame Dumashie Hangar".

References

1938 births 2002 deaths Ghana Air Force air marshals Mawuli School alumni Ewe people People from Volta Region {{ghana-mil-bio-stub