Naik Mohinder Singh, I.E.M.E.

[Ed_Haynes]

Just in (literally):

1939-45 Star - ME-102050 NK. MOHINDER SINGH I.E.M.E.

Africa Star - ME-102050 NK. MOHINDER SINGH I.E.M.E.

Italy Star - ME-102050 NK. MOHINDER SINGH I.E.M.E.

France and Germany Star - ME-102050 NK. MOHINDER SINGH I.E.M.E.

Defence Medal - unnamed

War Medal 1939-45 - unnamed

I hope some can appreciate the extent of my glee?? :jumping:

Edited June 28, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Riley1965]

Ed,

WOW!!! What a GREAT grouping What does I.E.M.E. mean?

Doc

[Guest Rick Research]

Venturing out into the big scary open and guessing--

is that I ndian E lectrical and M echanical E ngineers?

Italy, I knew there were Indian forces... but... in France?

[Ed_Haynes]

Venturing out into the big scary open and guessing--

is that I ndian E lectrical and M echanical E ngineers?

Yes.

Italy, I knew there were Indian forces... but... in France?

Yes, so far as I know this is the ONLY Indian F&G Star (and named and a full group at that!) in captivity. (Est. a total of 3,100 F&G Stars to Indians.)

What he (and they) were doing there is the puzzle. There were mule troops at Dunkirk (some captured), but the F&G Star is for post-6 June 1944 services.

[668NextDoor]

Venturing out into the big scary open and guessing--

is that I ndian E lectrical and M echanical E ngineers?

Italy, I knew there were Indian forces... but... in France?

There was an Indian Mule Company with the BEF in France. They were evacuated to Britain in 1940 and, as far as I know, spent the rest of the war doing mountain training, much alongside the Norwegians and the 52nd (Lowland) Division - Britains only mountain trained division that first went into action in a flooded and flat Holland.

Maybe this man got the F & G for 1940 and later joined the Indian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers? I think that the British REME was not formed before about 1942, so the IEME would not have been formed earlier than that.

My fathers cousin was in the IEME in Burma towards the end of the war. They had European officers and some European NCOs, he was a Sgt.

Edited June 28, 2008 by 668NextDoor

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks "668..." need to check details on IEME. Groups to the Dunkirk Mule Guys are not uncommon; a friend has one of their IDSMs. In any case, the F&G Star was only for post-D-Day actions, NOT for Dunkirk (Churchill felt those at Dunkirk deserved NO medals, not believing in medals for defeats).

[Laurence Strong]

Very nice medal bar Ed. :cheers:

[Brian Wolfe]

Great bar Ed.

Thanks for showing it.

Cheers

Brian

[Michael Johnson]

Given that the I.E.M.E. was a fairly late creation (I have a Pacific Star group to an I.E.M.E. British officer, R.A.S.C.->I.M.T.->I.A.S.C.-> I.A.O.C.->I.E.M.E.-> P.E.M.E) I might surmise that he was sent on course to the U.K. for specialized training, and attached to a British unit for experience.

But definitely up there with hen's teeth and rocking horse poop.

[coldstream]

The Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers were formed on 1st May 1943 and adopted the Regimental motto Omnia fascimus meaning We can do anything.

On September 15th 1944 Lt General Clarence Bird was appointed as Colonel Commandant. After formation the unit grew rapidly and culminated in 632 units including 12 training centres and 113 station workshops.