Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Second War ‘Escaper’s’ M.M. group of eight awarded to Driver Mehtab Khan, Royal Indian Army Service Corps

Pakistan, Independence Medal 1947, unnamed as issued; General Service Medal, 1 clasp, Kashmir 1948; Republic Medal 1956; Great Britain, Military Medal, G.VI.R. (Mtn 898783 Dr. Mehtab Khan.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; India Service Medal 1939-45, mounted court-style for display in this order, scratches to obverse field of last, generally good very fine (8) £500-£700

Provenance: Spink, July 2013 (when sold with a different combination of Second War campaign awards)

M.M. London Gazette 14 September 1944:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field.’

The original Recommendation (originally for an I.D.S.M.) states: ‘Driver Mehtab Khan and Lance-Naik Mohd Shariff, both of 3rd Motor Brigade Transport Company, Royal Indian Army Service Corps, were captured at Mechili on 8 April 1941, with the whole of the 3rd Motor Brigade Transport Company almost to a man. Except for a short period at the beginning of 1942 they were together during the whole period of their captivity - two years and eight months - in North Africa, Germany, France, and Italy. Throughout their captivity these two young soldiers maintained a high courage, morale, and spirit. They resisted strongly all German attempts to make use of them as traitors, which is commendable. At the first opportunity they escaped. This was in December 1943, when they jumped from a running train near Udine, north east of Trieste, and walked over into Yugoslavia. Here they contacted Partisan Troops who helped and guided them until they met an officer of a British Mission. They were flown with other Escapers of Allied and Dominion Forces to Bari.
Though young and inexperienced soldiers, with only primary education, they proved themselves full of courage and initiative. They were observant and gave useful information about factories and assembly plants in Germany and France. and a considerable amount of detail of personalities and events concerning the German Campaign to recruit for the “Freies Indiens” Legion. During 32 months of captivity, in spite of oppression and black days, their morale seems to have remained high.’