Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM)

[jkalirai]

My great-grandfather received this medal (Indian Distinguished Service Medal, IDSM) while fighting in Mesopotamia during World War I with the 76th Punjabis (Gulzara Singh). I'm trying to locate a copy or replica of the medal. Does anyone have any ideas?

Jason

[Michael Johnson]

Although everything seems to be reproduced these days, I'm not sure I've ever seen an I.D.S.M.

For display purposes you could obtain a first issue George V Indian Army Long Service or Meritorious Service Medal and put an I.D.S.M. ribbon on it. The obverses are identical. You want the issue that says "Kaiser-i-Hind" on the obverse.

Edited December 6, 2007 by Michael Johnson

[Ed_Haynes]

Simply for display, if you must have full-size, Michael's suggestion is fine. A miniature group would also be a good commemorative display. Making the fakers and other makers of garbage rich(er) seems to me a bad idea although, happily, the IDSM is still a fake-free zone, so far as I know.

Determining his entitlemenet will, of course, not be easy. More an exercise in fiction than in history? I have outlined elsewhere what I have been able (so far) to find of his career and we are looking (at least) at: IDSM; 1914-15 Star; BWM; Victory with MiD.

Edited December 6, 2007 by Ed_Haynes