Five: Sergeant R. G. Bruce, Indian Unattached List, late Royal Highlanders

1914-15 Star (985 Pte. (A. Sjt.), R. Highrs.); another similar (No. 985 Sergt., Corps of Mily. St. Clerks, I.U.L.); British War and Victory Medals (985 Sjt., R. Highrs.); Indian Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., Kaisar-i-Hind (Sergt., I.U. List) good very fine and better and a most unusual ‘double issue’ of the 1914-15 Star (5) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Meritorious Service Medal Groups from the Collection of Ian McInnes.

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Robert G. Bruce enlisted in the Black Watch at Perth in September 1907, aged 18 years. He appears to have been serving with the 2nd Battalion out in India on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 and is shown as entering Egypt in November 1914 on his MIC entry. Since his Battalion had actually arrived in France in the previous month, Bruce must have been attached to another unit, no doubt the Corps of Military Clerks (Indian Unattached List), as stated on his second 1914-15 Star.

Bruce was awarded his Indian Army ‘Kaisar-i-Hind’ M.S.M. for valuable services in Egypt (London Gazette 3 June 1918). Apart from the issue of 13 such M.S.Ms to senior N.C.Os in Native Regiments who had European names (probably Anglo-Indians), the award is known to have been issued on only nine occasions to Europeans serving in the Indian Army.