Medals

FIBIS resources

• Medals for Service in India. A talk given by Allan Stanistreet, FIBIS Member and Collector of Medals at the FIBIS meeting on 7 November 2009 is available to download or listen to. The podcast is the complete talk, but an extended version that includes the question and answer session at the end of the talk is available for FIBIS members only in the FIBIS Social Network
• Medal rolls FIBIS database
• Image from the FIBIS Gallery: Discharge papers of Alfred Cecil Gregory who served in the 5th Bn East Surrey Regiment in various parts of India during WWI. The first page shows he was eligible for six medals, (one for subsequent service in Persia) including the two Territorial Force medals. Click on the ”Photo size” icon on the top left hand side of the image to enlarge.

Military medals

See Medal Rolls for details of records of names of recipients, including those in the India Office Records.

Campaign medal list

List of campaign medals issued for British India related military actions.

Nb. Years given are the date the action occured, not the date the medal was first issued as in some cases this was decades later.

Year	Medal	Action associated with	Issued to
1790-92	Mysore Campaign Silver medal	Various battles from 3rd Mysore War	British & HEIC Armies
1795-96	Capture of Ceylon	Various battles from War against Dutch in Ceylon	British & HEIC Armies
1803 - 1826	Army of India Medal	Various battles from 2nd Maratha War, 3rd Maratha War, Gurkha War, 1st Burma War	British & HEIC Armies
1839	Ghuznee Medal	Battle of Ghazni 1839
1842	Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul Medals	1st Afghan War - Battle of Ghazni 1842, Battle of Kabul Sept 1842	British & HEIC Armies
1842	Jellalabad Medal	End of the Siege of Jalalabad
1842	Defence of Kelat-i-Ghilzie medal	Siege of Khelat-i-Ghilzai	HEIC Army
1842	1st China War Medal	1st China War	British & HEIC Armies
1843	Scinde Medal	Sind Campaign	British & HEIC Armies
1843	Gwalior Star	Gwalior Campaign	British & HEIC Armies
1845/46	Sutlej Medal	1st Sikh War	British & HEIC Armies
1848/49	Punjab Medal	2nd Sikh War	British & HEIC Armies
1854 - 1895	India General Service Medal	Pegu, Persian War, Early NWF Actions, Ambela Campaign, Duar War, Lushai Exp., Perak War,	British & Indian Armies
		Jowaki Expedition, Naga Hills Exp., 3rd Burma War, Sikkim Exp., Black Mountain Exp. 1888,
		Chin Lushai, Black Mountain Exp. 1891, Manipur War, Hunza Nagar Campaign, Chin Lushai Exp.
		Chin Hills Exp., Kachin Hills 1892-93, Mahsud Expedition 1894-95
1857-58	Indian Mutiny Medal	Indian Mutiny	British & HEIC Armies and Royal Navy Sailors who fought with the Naval Brigade
1857-60	2nd China War Medal	2nd China War
1878-80	Afghanistan Medal	2nd Afghan War	British & Indian Armies
1880	Kabul to Kandahar Star	310 mile march with General Roberts (part of 2nd Afghan War)	British & Indian Armies
1882-89	Egypt Medal	Egyptian Campaign 1882	British & Indian Armies
1895 - 1902	India Medal	NWF Campaigns inc. Chitral Campaign, Malakand Field Expedition, Tirah Campaign, Tochi Valley Exp.	British & Indian Armies
1900	China War	3rd China War	British & Indian Armies
1903-4	Tibet Medal	Tibet Expedition	British & Indian Armies
1908 - 1935	India General Service Medal	Various NWF actions inc 3rd Afghan War, Waziristan Campaigns
1914-1915	WW1: 1914-15 Star	Issued to all British and Colonial forces who rendered service in the WW1 during 1914-15 on any front including in Mesopotamia.	All British and Colonial Forces.
1914-1920	WW1: British War Medal	Issued to all British and Colonial forces who rendered service in the WW1 including in Mesopotamia and NWF.	All British and Colonial Forces and Civilian Labourers.
1918-1962	General Service Medal (1918)	Issued with 18 clasps for actions to 1962, including Iraq 1919-1920, Kurdistan 1919 and 1923, North West Persia 1920 and South Persia 1918-1919.	British and Indian Armies (the latter prior to 1947) and local forces.
1936 - 1939	India General Service Medal	Various NWF actions with clasps for North West Frontier 1936–37 and North West Frontier 1937–39
1939-45	WW2: India Service Medal	Awarded to the Indian Military Forces for 3 years of non-operational service in India, and is equivalent to the WW2 British Defence Medal.	British & Indian Armies
1941-45	WW2: Burma Star	Awarded for campaigns in Burma and Pacific arena with Pacific clasp.	British & Indian Armies, Royal Navy and Indian Navy.
1941-45	WW2: Pacific Star	Awarded for operational service in the Pacific Theatre between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, and also for certain specified service in China, Hong-Kong, Malaya and Sumatra.	British & Indian Armies, Royal Navy and Indian Navy.

First World War medals

Some medals, such as the British War Medal and the Victory Medal were issued by the Government of India. These medals were produced at the Calcutta Mint, and may have a different appearance to the standard British issue. The British War Medal has a larger suspender claw indicating a Calcutta Mint production. The Victory Medals produced at the Calcutta Mint may appear duller than standard British issue.

For the India General Service Medal 1908 - 1935, clasp Afghanistan NWF 1919, it appears that those still in India at the time the medal was issued, were issued medals by the Government of India. If the bottom "claw" which attaches the medal disc to the suspension is a "double" one, this feature generally indicates an Indian issued medal.

Non-campaign medals and awards

Medal name	Awarded between	Reason
Order of British India	1837 - 1947	Indian Army officers for long and faithful service
Delhi Durbar Medal	1911	Certain attendees of the Coronation Durbar for George V
Indian Distinguished Service Medal Illustration	1907 - 1947	Distinguished service (Indian soldiers/police)
Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army)	1848- 1873	Long and meritorious service (European non-commissioned officers)
Indian Meritorious Service Medal	1888-1947	Long and meritorious service (Indian non-commissioned officers in the Indian Army).
Indian Order of Merit	1837 - 1947	Gallantry (Indian soldiers)

See also:

• Victoria Cross
• Medals for volunteers
• The Orders and Medals Research Society

Good Conduct Badges In the British Army

The Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (LS&GCM) is a medal awarded by the British to members of the British Armed Forces who have completed 15 years (12 years for Officers) of service with exemplary conduct.

Civil medals and awards

Medal name	Awarded between	Reason
Order of the Star of India Illustration	1861 - 1947	For services to the Indian Empire
Kaisar-i-Hind Medal	1900 - 1947	Civilians with distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the Raj
Order of the Crown of India	1878 - 1947	Women only - British princesses or the wives/relatives of Indian Royalty or those holding the top state offices.
Order of the Indian Empire	1878 - 1947	Reward for British and Indian officials

Temperance medals

• See Temperance organisations-Medals

External links

• findmypast Distinguished Conduct Medal Citations 1914-1920
• British Campaign Medals Wikipedia
• Indian Army recipients of the VC Wikipedia
• Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) Wikipedia.
• The MacGregor Medal (Wikipedia) is awarded to Indian Armed Forces personnel for valuable military reconnaissance.
• "Campaign medals from the India Office collections" April 2017. British Library Blog
• Campaign Medals 1902-39 - www.king-emperor.com Medals issued to Indian Army Officers and Other Ranks
• Northeastmedals.co.uk
• British Medals Forum.
• The Orders and Medals Research Society
• Medal FAQs Ministry of Defence (U.K.)
• The Indian Order of Merit (1837-1947) by Edward S. Haynes (archived web page)
• Orders and Medals Society of America
• British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals from the Collection of Lester Watson The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK.
  • First China War Medal, rejected issue proof piece, 1842
• Central Africa Medal (Wikipedia) was a British campaign medal awarded for service from 1891–1894 in Eastern and Central Africa, and from 1894–1898 for service in British Central Africa. Most medals were awarded to members of the Indian Army and British-led local forces.

East and Central Africa Medal Wikipedia

Central Africa Medal awarded to Sepoy Ram Singh of the 23rd Bengal Infantry, part of the Indian Contingent in Africa. From the Watson Collection fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

"23 Sikh Pioneers Kisangule Expedition" by Norman Brown, page 44 The Pioneer Newsletter April 2015 (The newsletter of the Royal Pioneer Corps Association). issuu.com. Award of the Central Africa Kisangule Expedition December 1891 Indian Order of Merit to Havildar Nand Singh 23rd Bengal Sikh Pioneers, together with Central Africa Medal 1891-1898 and East and Central Africa Medal 1897-1899, clasps Lubwa’s, Uganda.

East and Central Africa Medal 1897-99 with clasp: Uganda 1897-98, awarded to Sepoy Ahmad Khan, 27th (1st Baluch Battalion), Regiment of Bombay Light Infantry. The 27th (1st Baluch Battalion), Regiment of Bombay Light Infantry were one of three Indian Army regiments that took part in the suppression of a mutiny by the Sudanese troops used by the Colonial Government in Uganda. National Army Museum.

• Medals: Imperial Awards: Select World War One. Department of Defence, Australian Government. Includes links to source documents for eligibility criteria for the main medals, including the Mercantile Marine Medal.
  • Includes The Victory Medal 1914 - 1919 which links to definitions of Theatres of War including the actions in India which are regarded as theatres of war. Note, there were three versions of these definitions, published 1919, 1920 and 1923, the 1923 final version is provided.
  • In respect of the 1914-15 Star, additional to the information on the Australian Government website, a limited number of 1914-15 Stars were awarded for entry to the 'Bay of Bengal' War zone, or 'Bay of Bengal Patrol'. It appears that these were in connection with gun running patrols.
• Silver War Badge Wikipedia. Issued in World War One to service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness from military service.
• A Guide to Indian Army Medals: Understanding Medals Awarded to Indian Army Soldiers in WW1 empirefaithwar.com
• British Army medal index cards 1914-1920.
• British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 Ancestry.co.uk
• How to interpret a campaign medal index card The Long, Long Trail
• The British campaign medals for the Great War The Long, Long Trail
• The Territorial Force War Medal, 1914-1920, with eligibility criteria. northeastmedals.co.uk .
• Naval General Service Medal (1915) Wikipedia. Includes clasps Persian Gulf 1909–14 – for operations against pirates, gun-runners and slavers; Iraq 1919–20 – for river gunboat service during the Arab Rebellion; N.W. Persia 1920 – for service in the Naval Mission in the Caspian Sea. At least the Persian Gulf clasp is known to have been issued to Royal Indian Marine personnel.
• War Office Medals Branch 1917-1961: A Sourcebook “The Sourcebook is designed to add to our understanding of the issue of WW1 Campaign Medals, together with the organisation of Medals Branch and its records between 1917-1961” warrecordsrevealed.com
• A Guide to British and Commonwealth Medals of WW2 military-research.uk
• Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility Ministry of Defence. Medals from WW2 onwards.
• The Ministry of Defence Medal Office Ministry of Defence. Includes instructions for application for unclaimed WW2 medals. For details of WW2 Index Medal Cards held by the Medal Office, see Second World War-Medals
• Medals: Imperial Awards Select World War Two. Department of Defence, Australian Government. Includes links to source documents for eligibility criteria for the main medals.
• Peter Ghiringhelli‘s British Gallantry, Orders, Decorations, and Campaign ribbons'
• "The Hong Kong Plague Medal" by Moira Chan-Yeung and Keith W Poon Hong Kong Med J 2017 Jun;23(3):319–20. Also see Hong Kong.

Historical books online

• Medals of the British Army and how they were won. Volume 3 India, China etc by Thomas Carter. 1861 Google Books
• British military & naval medals and decorations. A new edition - arranged alphabetically by J. Harris Gibson 1880 Archive.org
• "Seringapatam Medal" page 7 Gold War Medals awarded to British Military & Naval Forces from Elizabeth to Victoria by J Lawson Walley 1888 Archive.org
• Historical Record of Medals and Honorary Distinctions conferred on the British Navy, Army and Auxiliary Forces by George Tancred. Archive.org. No date of publication may be seen, but catalogued elsewhere as published 1891.
• War Medals of the British Army, and how they were won by Thomas Carter and W. H. Long. "Revised, enlarged and continued to the present time" 1893 Archive.org
• Medals of the British Navy and how they were won : with a list of those officers, who for their gallant conduct were granted honorary swords and plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund by W H Long 1895 Archive.org.
• Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy With numerous coloured plates and illustrations by John Horsley Mayo 1897 Volume 1 Volume 2 Contents List of Medals Archive.org
• Early Indian Campaigns and the Decorations Awarded for them by Major H Biddulph c 1899. Reprinted from The Royal Engineers Journal. Archive.org. HathiTrust Digital Library version with rotatable pages.
• War Medals and Decorations issued to the British Military and Naval Forces and Allies 1588 to 1910 By D Hastings Irwin Fourth edition, enlarged and corrected 1910 Archive.org
• War Medals and their History by William Augustus Steward 1915 Archive.org
• The ABC of war medals and decorations being the history of the manner in which they were won, and a complete record of their award, their characteristics, how they are named and how they are counterfeited 2nd edition by W. Augustus Steward 1918 (originally published 1915) Archive.org Contents
• [WW1] "Medals and Distinctions" page 379 War pensions and allowances by J. M. Hogge and T. H. Garside 1918 Archive.org
• Chats on Military Curios by Stanley C Johnson 1915 Archive.org. Includes Medals.

The Medal Collector: A Guide to Naval, Military, Air-Force, and Civil Medals and Ribbons by Stanley C Johnson 1921 Archive.org. Includes Indian medals.

• "Gold and silver medals of the Honourable East India Company" by Charles Winter. The British Numismatic Journal Volume 17 (1923-24), 281-87. These are medals issued to native troops.
• "The Army of India Medal" by Charles Winter. The British Numismatic Journal Volume 18 (1925-26), 165-72.
• "War medals issued for services in India, 1852-1924, also the first and second issue of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire" by Charles Winter. The British Numismatic Journal Volume 20 (1929-30), 271-77.
• An auction of the Brian Ritchie collection of H.E.I.C. and British India medals, part I. [09/17/2004] by Dix Noonan Webb. With many photographs of medals. Archive.org

An auction of the Brian Ritchie collection of H.E.I.C. and British India medals, part II. [03/02/2005] by Dix Noonan Webb. With many photographs of medals. Archive.org

An auction of the Brian Ritchie collection of H.E.I.C. and British India medals, part III. [09/23/2005] by Dix Noonan Webb. With many photographs of medals. Archive.org

• A Collection of Medal Catalogues at Archive.org using Keywords Medals and Dix.
• Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria Catalogues by Spink, London.

11007 21 April 2011, 11010 21 July 2011, 11011 24 November 2011,

12002 19 April 2012, 12003 19 July 2012, 12004 22 November 2012,

13001 25 April 2013, 13002 25 July 2013, 13003 21 November 2013,

14001 24 April 2014, 14002 24 July 2014, 14003 20 November 2014,

15001 23 April 2015, 15002 23 July 2015, 15003 19 November 2015,

16001 21 April 2016, 16002 21 July 2016. All issuu.com .

Search Spink Archive

• Aviation, Military & Transport, or similarly titled catalogues by Dominic Winter Auctioneers. Include Medals, usually in the back pages.

11th November 2010, 18-19 May 2011, 23-24 May 2012, 15-16 November 2012,

16-17 May 2013, 7-8 November 2013, 15-16 May 2014, 13-14 November 2014,

14-15 May 2015, 12-13 November 2015, 13 May 2016, 11 November 2016,

9 November 2017, 18 May 2018, 9 November 2018,

16 May 2019, 7 November 2019, 17 December 2020. All issuu.com . There may be additional editions.