Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

MacGregor Memorial Medal, silver, small type with ring suspension, 44.3mm (Awarded for 1924 to Havildar Rahmat Shah, N.W.F. Intelligence Corps for valuable reconnaissances performed at great personal risk) suspension ring distorted, edge bruises and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and rare £400-500

The MacGregor Memorial Medal was founded in 1888 as a Memorial to the late Major-General Sir Charles MacGregor, as an award for outstanding military reconnaissance or exploration, in the remote areas of India or on its frontiers, which produced new information of value to the defence of India. Most journeys involved considerable risk. Hazards could include hostile tribes, armed brigands, extremes of climate, harsh terrain, or dangerous animals. It was envisaged that two awards would be made annually; a large silver medal to officers, and a small silver medal to other ranks. If there were no deserving cases in a particular year, no award would be made, and in a few years an additional award was ‘specially awarded’, as in the case of this recipient. For specially valuable work a gold medal of the smaller size could be awarded whenever the Council deemed it desirable.

The MacGregor Memorial Medal is the only exclusively military award, instituted during British rule, which continues to be granted to the Republic of India’s armed forces. The criteria of endeavour for both officers and other ranks to become eligible for the award have been rigorously upheld. In the one hundred years from its founding until 1987, only 114 awards have been made: 7 in gold, 59 large silver medals to officers, and 48 small silver medals to non-commissioned officers and other ranks.