Desta Damtew [SEP] father
Desta Damtew
"Ras" Desta Damtew (Amharic: ደስታ ዳምጠው ; "ca." 1892 – 24 February 1937) was an Ethiopian noble, an army commander, and a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie I.
Biography.
Born at the village of Maskan (in the contemporary Gurage Zone), Desta Damtew was the second son of "Fitawrari" Damtew Ketena. His older brother was Abebe Damtew. In 1896, "Fitawrari" Damtew Ketena was killed at the Battle of Adwa.
As boys, "Lij" Desta Damtew and his brother "Lij" Abebe Damtew served at the Imperial Palace in Addis Ababa as pages to Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taitu Bitul. Desta Damtew went on to serve in the Dowager Empress Taitu's household at the Palace on Mt. Entoto after the death of Menelik II.
In 1916, Desta Damtew supported Tafari Makonnen against "Lij" Iyasu. Tafari Makonnen was the future Emperor Haile Selassie I. "Lij" Iyasu was deposed but escaped. In 1920, Desta Damtew was