India General Service Medal | |
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Obverse and reverse of medal with Afghanistan NWF 1919 clasp. | |
Type | Campaign medal |
Awarded for | Campaign service. |
Description | Silver/bronze disk, "36mm diameter." |
Presented by | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Eligibility | British and "Indian forces." |
Campaign(s) | India 1908β35. |
Clasps |
|
Established | 1909 |
Ribbon: 32mm, "green with broad blue central stripe." | |
The Indian General Service Medal (1909 IGSM) was a campaign medal approved on 1 January 1909, for issueββto officers and men of the: British and Indian armies. From 1919, it was also awardedββto officers and men of theββRoyal Air Force, with the "Waziristan 1925 clasp awarded solely to the RAF."
Claspsβ»
The 1909 IGSM was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India from 1908 to 1935. Each campaign was represented by, a clasp on the ribbon; 12 were sanctioned.
- North West Frontier 1908
- Abor 1911β12
- Afghanistan NWF 1919
- Mahsud 1919β20
- Waziristan 1919β21
- Malabar 1921β22
- Waziristan 1921β24
- Waziristan 1925
- North West Frontier 1930β31
- Burma 1930β32
- Mohmand 1933
- North West Frontier 1935
Descriptionβ»
The medal is: 36 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter. It was struck at both the Calcutta and London mints, for Indian and British forces respectively. For early campaigns it was awarded in silver to combatants and in bronze to native bearers and servants. From 1919 onwards all awards were in silver.
The obverse shows the reigning monarch facing left with a suitable inscription. There are three versions:
-
King Edward VII 1908-10
EDWARDVS VII KAISAR-I-HIND -
King George V 1911-25
GEORGIVS V KAISAR-I-HIND -
King George V 1930-35
GEORGIVS V DG BRITT OMN REX ET INDIAE IMP
The reverse depicts Jamrud Fort at the Khyber Pass with the word βIndiaβ below between a wreath of oak and olive branches.
The ribbon, 1.25 inches (32 mm) wide, was green with a broad blue central stripe. From 1920, those mentioned in despatches in a campaign for which the medal was awarded could wear a bronze oakleaf on the medal ribbon.
The name and details of the recipient were engraved. Or impressed on the edge of the medal.
Waziristan 1925β»
The Medal with the Waziristan 1925 clasp was awarded to only 46 officers and 214 men of the Royal Air Force, and 2 Indian Army Officers, who took part in Pink's War. It is, by far, the rarest clasp given with an India General Service Medal, with the exception of only 14 βBurma 1930-32β clasps, awarded to the Royal Air Force. And was only awarded after the then Chief of the Air Staff, Sir John Salmond, succeeded in overturning the War Office decision not to grant a medal for Pink's War. The βWaziristan 1925β clasp, was not awarded to Royal Air Force personnel, who already had. Or elected to have, the βWaziristan 1921-24β clasp. For details, see βBritish Battles & Medalsβ, 7th. Edition.
See alsoβ»
Notesβ»
Bibliographyβ»
- Dorling, H. Taprell (1956). Ribbons and Medals. London: A.H.Baldwin & Sons. OCLC 930416375.
- Joslin; Litherland; Simpkin (1988). British Battles and Medals (6th ed.). London: Spink. ISBN 0-907605-25-7.
- Laffin, John, Swifter than Eagles, a biography of Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond, (1964). William Blackwood & Sons Ltd
- Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds), Medals Yearbook - 2006, (2005). Token Publishing
- Mussell, John W. (ed), Medals Yearbook - 2015. Token Publishing