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Jimmy Durham

1883–1910

United Kingdom

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Biography

James Francis Durham (c. 1883 – 8 August 1910), originally named Mustapha (Arabic: مصطفي), was a Sudanese child found and adopted by the Durham Light Infantry after the Battle of Ginnis in 1885 during the Mahdist War. He is likely the first African soldier in the British Army.

Sources & collection details

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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