Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce ‘Mohmand 1935’ operations I.D.S.M. awarded to Subadar Pal Singh, 4th Mountain Battery

Indian Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue (Subdr. Pal Singh, 4 Mtn. Bty.) obverse polished, otherwise nearly very fine £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Indian Army from the Collection of AM Shaw.

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I.D.S.M. Gazette of India No. 309 of 1936. Awarded for the Mohmand operations 1935. Approximately 140 awards of the George V 2nd issue I.D.S.M. made.

M.I.D. London Gazette 3 July 1934: ‘For distinguished services rendered in connection with military operations against the Upper Mohmands, period 28th July to 3rd October, 1933.’

Order of British India, 1st Class, awarded 12 August 1937.

Pal Singh enlisted into the Indian Army on 23 September 1911. He spent the First World War years in India but saw active service on the North West Frontier in 1915. He was commissioned Jemadar on 4 January 1918. He saw further action in the Third Afghan War of 1919, and the campaigns in Waziristan between 1919 and 1921. He was promoted to Subadar on 16 September 1929, and distinguished himself in the campaigns against the Mohmands in 1933 and 1935, being mentioned in despatches for the first campaign and awarded the I.D.S.M. for the second. He was awarded the Order of British India 1st Class in August 1937, which carried the title Sardar Bahadur, and probably retired at about this time as his name does not appear in the Army List for 1939. In addition to the O.B.I., 1st Class, he is also entitled to the 1914-15 Trio and I.G.S. 1908-35 with 4 clasps, for Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, Waziristan 1919-21, Mohmand 1933 and North West Frontier 1935. Sold with research including a photocopied photograph of Subadar Pal Singh in uniform wearing his medals.