British Raj India General Service Medals

[Nelson1805]

Hi all,

Interestingly I found little on this site regarding IGS medals and thought I'd post a pic of my very modest IGS collection. Still new to collecting so I was pleased to at least have these four on display. Not terribly interesting although the guy who won the 'Relief of Chitral' medal is also entitled to KSA, QSA (Paardeberg, Driefontein, Wittebergen, Cape Colony, Transvaal), Sudan Medal (Atbara Campaign & Expedition to Khartoum). I guess he's also entitled to Khedive's Sudan Medal. Also I found it quite difficult to find IGS 1936 to British Infantry Regiments - lots of Sepoys though. So went for Corps of Signals instead .... for now. Thanks.

[paul wood]

Nice medals, though in many ways the Indian recipients can be quite interesting especially the VCOs Jemedars, Subadars, Rissaldars etc. all who appear in the Indian army lists and the War Services, remember they were the majority of the army and ended up doing most of the fighting and many a junior British Officer relied on his Indian Viceroy commissioned officers to educate him in the niceties of frontier warfare.

Paul

[Brian Wolfe]

Very nice start, and with that the obsession started.

Well done and thanks for posting them.

Regards

Brian

[peter monahan]

I agree with both Paul and Brian. For many years my obsession was IGS medals - to Indians. The VCOs were and are researchable, but one can also build up a fine collection of bars and campaigns using the more economically priced medals to ordinary sepoys, sowars and followers. In fact, followers are a field unto themselves, with numerous fascinating ranks and stories.

Sadly, my collecting days were all BC - before children - but I've kept the interest and in fact just this week opened up an exhibit at a Canadian museum on the Indian Army in WWI. One of the medals on display is a BWM to a Sepoy of the 52nd Sikhs who is also entitled to and AGS, bar 'Somaliland', the WWI trio and a 1908 IGS.

Thanks for posting, Nelson.

[Michael Johnson]

British medal rolls exist for the Indian Army for some campaigns - those where the medals were issued from Britain. They include:

The Africa General Service Medal (the Indian Army was heavily involved in the Somaliland campaigns)

The General Service Medal, clasps Kurdistan, Iraq, NW Persia, S. Persia

Even where the rolls don't exist because the medals were named in India, there are some breakdowns of numbers per Indian regiment and number of clasps - a case in point is the Egypt Medal.

Anthony Farrington also did two casualty rolls including Indian Regiments: The Second Afghan and IGS 1895.

Michael

[King-Emperor]

Hi 'Nelson',

Nice medals. I'm surprised though that you had difficulty finding an IGS36 to a British Army chap. Of course you are right, medals to the Indian Army are more common, but the British Army stuff is out there. Like Paul I also collect Indian Army, and while I limit myself to researchable singles/groups, as pointed out there are many sub-themes for IA collecting; Regiments, Mountain Batteries, followers, interesting ranks, particular medals, casualties.

Peter,

Not to steal this thread, but what museum did you set up in, and do you have any pics/links?

Thanks,

Chris

[peter monahan]

Chris

I work very part time for the Museums of Mississauga. Mississauga is a city of 800,000 contiguous to the city of Toronto on the west, so in Ontario, Canada, and there are about 200,000 South Asians in the city and region around it. I proposed a display on the British Indian Army's role in France in 1914-15 and my superiors allowed me to design and put on the exhibit. It features about 30 large panels of photos and text plus a few medals and shoulder titles, a kukri, a copy of a kurta which I made and some original illustrations contributed by the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada. The latter is a small group of enthusiastic Sikh Canadians who are just this month actually opening a physical location not too far from my museum.

The exhibit covers some basic information on the IA, their arrival in France, the 'new style' of warfare, rereference to some of the bravery awards and bits about life behind the lines and in a new culture. Here is a link to the poster, the only bit so far accessible on line: http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/discover/exhibits

The exhibit has received a lot of coverage in the South Asian press in the area and, the curator hopes, will be the first in an ongoing series of exhibits by various ethnic and cultural groups in Mississauga. All three of our museum sites are former 'pioneer' homes - built in the period 1810-1840 by English settlers to Canada - and don't reflect the more recent history of the city.

[King-Emperor]

Hi Peter,

Thanks very much. I've sent you a PM...

[Rusty Greaves]

The latest catalogue of Liverpool Medals includes an India General Service Medal 1854, bar Chin Hills 1892-93, 2169 Private Harry Foster, 1st Bn Norfolk Regiment (https://www.liverpoolmedals.com/product/igs-chin-hills-norfolk-regt-very-rare?mc_cid=10e30d2511&mc_eid=eb61970ca6). Liverpool medals states it is extremely rare, 200 issued to the Norfolks, the only British Regiment there.

 

 

The text describing the listing (already purchased) reads: "India General Service Medal 1854, bar Chin Hills 1892-93, 2169 Private Harry Foster, 1st Bn Norfolk Regiment. Extremely Rare, 200 issued to the Norfolks, the only British Regiment there. 

 

Officially engraved in running script: “2169 Pte H. Foster 1st Bn Norfolk Regt”

 

Confirmed on the medal roll. With copy Service Papers.

 

The Chin Hills 1892-93 is extremely rare and during the campaign the only British Regiment present was the Norfolk Regiment, who received about 200 medals for their service.

However many of the surviving medals were correctly issued but on an erased and officially renamed planchet.

 

This example is one of the few that were made fresh from a new medal without renaming.

 

The unusual nature of the medal’s issue being likely down to the clasp being authorised 10 years after the campaign in 1903, making it difficult to then trace back 10 years who was present as Captain and Adjutant G.E. Bruce one of the men involved in sorting out the medal roll writes “Some 200 men of the Norfolk Regiment took part in the expedition, of whom the greater number have left the Army, and some are dead. It is found impossible to trace all the men entitled to the medal.”, 

Also by this time the Old Head Victoria “IGS 1895” medal had been the standard issue for about 8 years causing the Mint to reuse old returned and un-issued medals rather than strike new ones, fortunately this was not the case for Private Foster.

 

About 2600 men in total would receive this clasp, the vast majority being to untraceable and unconfirmable recipients from the Indian Army. 200 Men of the Norfolks and 15 Men of the Royal Artillery represented the majority of the British Army Issues.

 

Harry Foster was born circa 1870 in Whitechapel, Middlesex, London.

The son of Henry Foster and Harriett (Fuller).

 

He first enlisted into the Norfolk Regiment at Norwich on 6th June 1888, at the age of 18.

 

Less than a year after joining he was posted off to the East Indies, where he would spend almost 7 years, including the Chin Hills Expedition.

 

He saw the following overseas service:

Home, 6th June 1888 – 5th Feb 1889

East Indies, 6th Feb 1889 – 2nd Dec 1895

Home, 3rd Dec 1895 – 3rd January 1900

South Africa, 4th Jan 1900 – 11th June 1902, Boer War service

Home, 12th June 1900 – 21st Sept 1900

South Africa, 22nd Sept 1900 – 6th May 1901, Boer War service

Home, 7th May 1901 – 5th June 1901.

 

After having served about 7 years with the full time “Colours” and having returned back home from India, he was transferred tot he Army Reserve on 6th December 1895, to finish out his 12 years with the Army Reserve.

 

However this was interrupted by the outbreak of the Boer War, when he was “Recalled to Colours under Special Army Order 16.12.99” On 18th December 1899.

 

After having served 2 separate stints in South Africa, he was discharged on 5th June 1901.

 

For his service in the Boer War, Private Foster received the Queen’s South Africa Medal, with at least the SA 1901 Clasp, which was issued loose to him on 5th Jaunary 1910, listing his address as 23 Banim Street Glenthorn Road, Hammersmith.

 

 

It was not until after the end of the war and his time finished in the Army that the Chin Hills 1892-93 clasp came to be, being authorities on 9th January 1903.

 

His medal was requested in a small batch authorised by the Colonel Commanding the Norfolk Regiment for 8 men on 3rd May 1904.

 

Having married Alice Beechey in Hammersmith on 25th October 1896, he would remain in London apart from his recall to the Army to serve in South Africa.

 

He would end up having 10 children over 21 years with his wife.

 

By 1911 he was working as a Labourer in the Sugar Factory, living with his wife and 6 Children at 24 Playfair Street, Hammersmith, London.

 

He died in Kensington, aged 64, during December 1934.

 

THE CHIN HILLS CAMPAIGN

 

The following was published in the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, dated 26th July 1893 “By one who was there” recounting the campaign:

 

“The Chin Hills run north and south in a succession of high ranges between Burmah and India, or rather between Burmah and Assam, the highest peaks of the Letha and Imputlang ranges being between 8,000 and 9,000 feet above the sea level.

 

The Manipur river runs between these two ranges, having its rise in the Manipur lake. Most of the hills are steep, being densely covered with forest and thick jungle. The inhabitants of this wild region are in possession of fire-arms, and, until visited by our troops, claim to have never been conquered.

 

In old days the Burmans, who at one period overran Assam, and actually threatened Calcutta, utterly failed against the Chins, who are a nation of warriors, divided into tribes, constantly at feud with each other, and are professional “Head-hunters.”

 

So much so that in quite the upper circles of Chin society, no man can join in particular feasts who has not taken a head. They, from time immemorial, have made raids into the Kale valley which is part of Burmah proper, for the purpose of head-hunting, procuring slaves, and other necessaries of life; though with them these necessaries consist of little more than lead to make bullets, and sulphur to make gunpowder, as they brew their own strong drink and cultivate or manufacture enough for their other wants.

 

When the British possessed themselves of Upper Burmah it became our duty to protect our new subjects from these Chin raids, so troops were sent into their inhospitable hills, and the Chins, at any rate, learned what breech-loader fire was like; so that of late their tactics have changed altogether, and recognising that we have the best of it in the open, and knowing that they fight on favourable terms to themselves if they harass our troops by perpetual ambuscades, they have very astutely devoted themselves to bringing guerilla warfare to an extraordinary degree of perfection, and are about as unpleasant an enemy to have to deal with as the most militant Mark Tapley could desire.

 

After at last apparently accepting our rule, or at least getting our Political officers to believe that they had done so, the clans in the north suddenly broke out into open rebellion last October, surprising a party that at the invitation of one of the Chiefs was proceeding as escort to a native magistrate, to settle a tribal arrangement, killing the magistrate, his interpreters and seven sepoys of the escort, and wounding seven others, at the same time, in other directions, firing into the posts that we had established in their hills.

 

It became evident very soon that the whole of the most warlike of the Northern tribes were in revolt, and troops and reinforcements were hurried up from Burmah as quickly as possible. Since November last punitive measures of a very rigorous nature have been undertaken.

 

Brigadier General Palmer, C.B., commanding one of the districts in Burmah, has conducted the operations with Mr. B. Carey as his Political Officer, and the result has been that the recalcitrant tribes have been humiliated, and have sued for terms, which, amongst other things, consist in the surrendering of their firearms, and furnishing hostages for their future good behaviour.

 

It was no easy affair to bring operations of the kind to a successful issue; as, owing to the difficult nature of the country, large columns could not be moved about and rationed—one of 500 men, consisting of a section of No. 7 Mountain Battery, 100 rifles of the 1st Norfolk Regiment, 200 rifles of the 1st Burmah Rifles, 100 of the 5th Burmah Regiment, and detachment of Madras Sappers and Pioneers was found to be the largest force that the available transport of mules and Darjeeling coolies could move with 15 days’ rations for an expedition across the Manipur river into the heart of the Chin Hills.

 

General Palmer proceeded in command, and, after encountering opposition at crossing, overran the country on the west of the river with columns of from 100 to 200 men. At one point near Hailè in the Nwengal country the Chins had improved a naturally strong position with a stockade nearly 1,000 yards in length, made of stones and felled trees, and there was rather a pretty engagement, the enemy being driven out eventually by shrapnel and a turning movement of the 1st Norfolk and 1st Burmah Rifles, and being afterwards followed up and made to leave a second position on hills which covered the town.

 

Kaptyal, the capital of the Nwengal country, having been burned by the Chins themselves and evacuated, the expedition returned after a three weeks’ stay, leaving 250 rifles to continue harassing the country till all had complied with our terms.

 

Meanwhile, the country east of the Manipur river had been covered with posts of from 120 to 200 rifles, so as to be able to strike in all directions simultaneously, and in some instances co-operate with each other.

 

So vigorously have the officers in command of these posts—Captains Keary, D.S.O., and Taylor, and Lieutenants Sutton and Wardell—carried out their difficult duties, that the Chins within three months of their revolt saw that their game was up, and the work of the Soldiers was then over and that of the Politicals recommenced in earnest.

 

It has been found that the Chins far excel the Burmans in their tactical knowledge of scientific ambuscading. In clearing the undergrowth numbers of these ambuscades have been discovered, entrenched and laid out on the most approved principles.

 

When an ambuscade has been rushed, after fire had been received from it, our troops have received fire from a flanking ambuscade and lost men; and it has only been by most careful “flanking,” and feeling the way through the bush that the casualties have been so few, a little under 60, including one officer, Lieutenant Geoghegan, severely wounded.

 

From the commencement of the revolt—when much nerve and judgment were displayed by Captain Caulfield, the officer commanding the small body of troops then holding posts in the north Chin Hills, and by Mr. Carey the political officer—to the conclusion of the operations, every officer and soldier employed has had to go through as arduous a little campaign as has often fallen to the lot of troops. They may feel the effects of it afterwards, but up to the end of the operations they were in the highest state of efficiency and good health, and are in hopes that Government will recognise their good work by the bestowal of a medal and the usual “Honors and rewards.”"

Edited August 18 by Rusty Greaves