Brian Wolfe

That's my collection for now, if anyone would like to add to this post please, as always, feel free to do so. That's how we all learn.

While some look down on these medals as unworthy I see them as representing many of the problem spots in India today and a part of the Nation's history.

Regards

Brian

ANd last but not least,

Manipur

Tripura

Now for,

Punjab

Meghalya

Here is,

Nagaland

W.Bengal (West Bengal)

We're half way with,

Gujarat

Jammu & Kashmir

This would be a good time to mention that there is a bar J & K which also stands for Jammu & Kashmir though I don't have one (yet).

Assam

Mizoram

Chandigarh

Sikkim

Next up,

Uttar Pradesh

Rajasthan

These two are , left to right,

Himachal Pradesh

N.E.F.A.

I find these to be interesting medals in that they seem to be official/unofficial medals awarded to the police by the police for duty in harsh conditions. The quality varies quite a bit as they are produced in several different areas with the bars themselves showing a vast range of quality. As to the number of bars, it is hard to say. My collection has 16 different medal bars and there seems to be a few more ("a few more" may be an understatment). The ribbons vary a lot as well with three different variations displayed in my collection. The different ribbons are due to the different manufacturers and the differences do not indicate different conditions or police services etc. The stripes on the ribbon should be displayed/worn with the red stripe to the viewers left. However this too varies even in wear with some seen with the red stripe to the viewers right. The medal show here issued for service in Gujarat being one such medal ribbon. I have not corrected this error as the medal arrived with the ribbon fixed in this position (as worn).

The obverse shows the state emblem and the reverse shows the high Himalays. The mountain is labeled as Gangotri which probably refers to the Gangotri Glacier located in the Uttarashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. The Gangotri Glacier is the source for the Ganga (Ganges) River which is considered holy by Hindus and worshiped as the Goddess Ganga in Hinduism. [see Wikipedia, Gangotri Glacier for more information].

While these medals are issued unnamed some may be found named, however, these were done by the individual officer and are not an official naming. The recipients are published in the Gazette of India by name and number as per legisation.

Portions of my research for this post is taken from, Medals and Decorations of Independent India, Edward S. Haynes and Rana T.S. Chhina, published by Manohar, 2008.

I have photographed my collection in pairs to save some space. I hope you enjoy looking at my collection of Police (Special Duty) medals

Regards

Brian

The first photo shows the obverse and reverse of these medals.

Sorry , Brian - I wasn't trying to 'trick' you - I realised at once that you also wanted others to write. There is just so much knowledge within the membership, but, people seem nervous to post ''in case they have it wrong'' - or, their English is not perfect , my German and French will be much worse ! So what if they aren't always correct - we can all add constructive comment - I'm always pleased if I make a mistake and someone points it out - I certainly don't get upset - we can't know everything. ( Just try to give the impression we do......)

No Problem. My wife and kids are all fairly well versed in history and like to "hook" me when they can. For example when we are all together one mught use, "Just like in the Boer War of 1914-18", as an example of the point they are trying to make. The bait has been tossed and now they wait...little beads of sweat are starting to break out on my forehaed as I try not to fall into their trap. But I can only stand it for so long and then I will correct them as to the date. Of course they all knew the date and we just messing with the old guy's mind. They are a sick and evil bunch but what can you do?

Actually I just posted my Bahawalpur collection and some errors were pointed out by a fellow member. This is like being paid to post as where else can you improve your knowledge, display and notes simply by showing off your collection.

Keep up the trickery Mervyn...say, you'd fit in quite well at our place as you seem to have an sick evil streak of your own. Oh yes, you were a police officer, that explains everything.

Cheers

Brian

You're right - of course ! I really only 'threw' the Enfield bit in to see what others would say...

When it had the short ejector lever, wasn't that for the Carbine ?

So you threw Enfield in to see who would "bite" and of course it would have to be me. Good one all the same, Mervyn.

Correct. the short ejector is on the carbine.

Regards

Brian

Hold down alt key and hit keypad numbers 0233 - é.

Quite an odd looking gun!

Thanks Rick.

I'm going to print the post regarding forum language so I have all of these tools at hand.

Regards

Brian

Here is a closeup. The clip has been removed in the photo.

Now that I have posted this closeup I see that it is the same size as the original. Oops, oh well I guess it is pretty clear as it is.

Hello Everyone,

I have this photo postcard of a group of machine gun instructors from the First World War period but I could not identify the machine gun in the foreground. I don't like to simply post a photo or item asking for an identification without first exhausting all of my sources of research. I finally found the information so I am posting it for you to see.

The weapon is an Automatic Machine Rifle Cal. .30 M1909, a light Hotchkiss Gun known as the Benet-Mercie (spelled with an accent over the last "e", I don't know how to do that). It was superseded by the BAR or Browning Automatic Rifle.

Regards

Brian

Thanks for the great posts. I've always been fasinated by the Boer War as it was the first war that Canada, as a nation, was involved in. I'm not counting the war of 1812 as we were not a nation until 1867.

Regards

Brian

A very interesting story, Hugh, thanks for sharing it.

Regards

Brian

Here's that 1947 Alliance with Pakistan Medal again, this time with the ribbon the correct way around.

Thanks again James.

Regards

Brian

Hi Mervyn,

I do think it is a Martini-Henry looking at the the ejection lever and the area on the top of the breech where the bullet was manually inserted into the weapon. I've owned two Martini-Henrys when I used to collect firearms, one looked like the one in the photo and the other was a .303 cal carbine. I've included a photo of this area to show what I am talking about. The one in my photo has a shorter lever, mine had the same length lever as in the photo of the police officer.

A local fellow was getting out of medals and into firearms as I was doing the opposite so there was a flurry of trading for a while. Now I own no firearms...I do miss them from time to time.

Regards

Brian

Hello James,

I shall make the change on the ribbon right away and check my tags against the links you have provided. Much of my information did come from such sources as the OMSA and others. Research material is rather thin and that makes a forum such as this a valuable research tool indeed.

I was not suggesting that the "Camel Corps" was the correct name, only that is is sometimes called such. As an after thought it would probably have been best not to have included that information. It only serves to cloud the facts.

Thanks again for the information.

Regards

Brian

All three of these pictures have interesting features. With the first two, the truncheon is suspended by a leather holder - the early Br.Police used to carry the truncheon outside of the uniform, in a leather holster.

The rifle looks like either a Lee Enfield or, the earlier Lee Metford - both of which would be logical in India. However, the bayonet looks like it has a ring mounting ? Perhaps a firearms expert could give an opinion?

Hi Mervyn,

I was just looking through some older posts and noticed the photo of the Indian Police Office with a rifle. I do believe it to be the Martini-Henry. Note the loading lever along the rifle's butt. The Lee-Metford was a lot like the later Lee-Enfield in looks. I can't tell the actual "mark" but I'm pretty sure it is the Martini-Henry. If this were a photo of a soldier in the British Army then I would date it as before 1888 as the Martini-Henry was replaced by the Lee-Metford in 1888. However, the Martini-Henry may have continued in use in India well after that date. Perhaps breathing "life" into this post will bring out some more comments regarding this.

Oh yes, the bayonet is not for the Lee-Metford but would be the type found with the Martini-Henry. It looks a lot like the socket bayonets found on older "muskets".

Regards

Brian

Lastly the reverse of the badge showing the loops which are either soldered or spot welded in place. I'm not sure when spot welding started to be used, I have operated one years ago but that was in the 1960's long after this was made.

Regards

Brian

Here's a closeup of the badge. As I stated with the last photo the belt is actually the colour shown in this photo.

Here's the latest Special COnstabulary brassard to find a home in my collection.

The badge itself measures 50mm wide (not including the loops) and 75mm in height. It is stamped from a non-ferrous metal with no makers marks evident. Under the King's Crown there seems to be a good deal of space before the words SPECIAL CONSTABLE as if the manufacturer could modify the die to include the name of a municipality. In this case, if the space was there for a purpose, the brassard is generic. The length of the strap is 12cm on the buckle side of the badge and 39cm on the other side. The colour of the strap is more accurately shown in the second photo (the closeup of the badge).

Regards

Brian

To wrap up this session I have posted the 1947 Alliance with Pakistan medal.

The other medal is actually the Pakistan Independence Medal but I have included it with this part of my collection as it is named to a member of the Bahawalpur Regiment. Since this is the Independence Medal Sepoy Mohd Inayat would have been serving in the Bahawalpur forces at the time of Independence. I think it also wraps up the history of this Princely State quite well.

I offer this not by way of a defence for putting this medal in this part of my collection but rather to explain my thinking.

I like my collection to show a progression of history rather than just row after row of gongs.

Thanks for looking.

Regards

Brian