Awards to the Indian Army from the Collection of AM Shaw

Three: Naik Gulab Hussain, 59th Rifles and N.W.F. Intelligence Corps

British War Medal 1914-20 (3100 Sepoy Gulab Hussain, 53 Rfls.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, Waziristan 1921-24 (3100 T-Nk. Gulab Hussain, 59 Rfls.) correction to unit; The Macgregor Memorial Medal, obverse; bust of major General Sir Charles MacGregor, K.C.B., C.S.I., C.I.E.; reverse: soldiers of the Indian Army, named on edge (Awarded for 1924 to No. 20 Naik Gulan Hussain, N.W.F. Intelligence Corps for Valuable Reconnaissances performed at great personal risk) small type, 45mm., silver, ring suspension, note variation in name, with a cut to the edge of each medal, nearly very fine and better (3) £1800-2200

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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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 of 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.