Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare and unusual Mohmand 1933 operations I.D.S.M. awarded to Sepoy Indar Singh, 1st Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment, who was decorated for rescuing a downed R.A.F. pilot and air gunner under fire

Indian Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue (7789 Sep. Indar Singh, 1-11 Sikh R.), officially impressed naming, complete with laurelled brooch bar, good very fine £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bahadur Collection of Medals to Sikh Regiments.

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Collection

A total of 140 awards of the I.D.S.M., George V, 2nd issue.

I.D.S.M. Gazette of India 4 November 1933:

‘His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General is pleased to sanction the following awards for gallantry and devotion to duty near Yusuf on 15 September 1933.’

A better picture of Indar Singh’s gallant act is to be found in the regimental history by Lieutenant-Colonel P. G. Bamford:

‘On the morning of 15 September [1933] an R.A.F. aeroplane made a forced landing about a mile from Katsai Camp. A strong detachment of the Battalion turned out to bring in the pilot and air gunner, who were both unhurt. In moving out, the Battalion met considerable opposition from the tribesmen, who made great efforts to stop them reaching the aircraft. However, the two airmen were successfully recovered and Captain J. V. Gordon and two Indian ranks [Indar Singh and Lance-Naik Chanan Singh] received immediate awards of the Military Cross and Indian Distinguished Service Medal, respectively, for gallantry in dashing ahead of the troops and actually effecting the rescue under very heavy fire.’

Indar Singh was presented with his I.D.S.M. by the C.-in-C. at Jamrud in December 1933.