Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An India General Service Medal awarded to Sepoy Wazira, 24th Bengal Infantry, a ‘Defence of Malakand’ casualty

India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Malakand 1897 (3283 Sepoy Wazira 24th Bl. Infy.) impressed naming, minor contact marks, good very fine £220-260

3283 Sepoy Wazira, 24th Bengal Infantry, was slightly wounded in the desperate fighting during the ‘Defence of Malakand’, 26 July-2 August 1897, suffering a bullet wound to the wrist. The 24th Bengal Infantry took a prominent part in the defence- Lieutenant E. W. Costello was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in saving the life of a badly wounded Havildar. For its’ action in the desperate battle, the regiment (formerly the 16th Punjab Infantry) gained ‘Malakand’ as a battle honour, along with ‘Afghanistan 1878-1880’, ‘Kandahar 1880’, ‘Punjab Frontier’ and Pekin 1900’. With copied account of the action and list of casualties.