Alhaji Grunshi
Alhaji Grunshi was the soldier who fired the first shot in WWI, who was part of the Gold Coast Regiment. He made that historic shot on 4th August 1914 in Togoland (Then a German Colony in West Africa)
Grunshi was later awarded the military medal in 1918 for bravery. However, the first shot was accredited to his British white colleague Ernest Edward Thomas.
Read his story in the book “Pilots and Soldiers of the Caribbean; Fighting Men of the Caribbean”.
http://www.pilotsandsoldiersofthecaribbeans.com
Pilots and Soldiers of the Caribbean 