India General Service Medal 1936-39

 

General Service In India 1936 - 1939.

 

Further relevant historical context can be found at the foot of this entry.

 

 

The Indian General Service Medal 1936-39 was a British Empire campaign medal presented for service in India. The medal was instituted in 1938 and was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India between 1936 and 1939.

 

Additionally it was also issued to police and other civilian personnel who rendered full time active service employed in military operations in, or on the frontier of India between the dates specified.

 

 

The medal is circular, 36mm in diameter and was struck in silver. The obverse of this medal bears the crowned head of King George VI and the inscription; ‘GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX ET INDIAE IMP:’

 

The reverse depicts a tiger symbolically bridging a mountain pass, with the inscription; ‘INDIA’ above it.

 

The medal was struck in both the British Royal mint and the mint in Calcutta India. Consequently, this has resulted in two slightly different versions - the most notable features are that on the Indian issue the claw which holds the medal to the scroll design ribbon suspender is plain where on the British striking it is ornate.

 

Additionally, the ribbon suspender of those issued with the North West Frontier 1936-37 clasp are of the swivelling nature while those issued with the North West Frontier 1937-39 clasp are fixed.

 

The recipient's details can be found on the medal's rim impressed in san serif capital letters.

 

 

 

The ribbon is 32mm wide and grey in colour with a thin red and wider green strip located on either edge.

 

 

This medal was issued with the following clasps:-

 

 

NB: In addition to the clasps mentioned below, if the recipient was ‘Mentioned in Despatches’ while undertaking the services described, this was noted by the wearing of an ‘oak leaf’ emblem on the ribbon situated above the clasps.

 

The medal was never awarded without a clasp.

 

Further relevant historical context can be found at the foot of this entry.

 

 

 

* It should be noted that the values quoted above reflect the average price that a medal dealer may expect to sell this medal for - please see the ‘things you should know’ web page for more details about valuing medals.

 

** The individual medal value will vary considerably based on the recipient’s details.

 

 

This section contains information on:-

 

- The Waziristan Campaign 1936-39.

- The Faqir Of Ipi.

 

The Waziristan Campaign 1936-39 - The Waziristan campaign 1936-39 comprised a number of operations conducted in Waziristan by British and Indian forces against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region.

 

These operations were conducted between 1936-39, when operations were undertaken against followers of the mysterious Fakir of Ipi, a religious and political agitator who was spreading anti-British sentiment in the region and undermining the prestige of the Indian government in Waziristan at the time.

 

This information was taken from ‘Wikipedia’. The original article and details of the authors can be found here. It is reproduced on this web-site under the ‘creative commons’ licence which can be found here.

 

The Faqir Of Ipi - Mirza Ali Khan (born 1897, died 1960), known as the Faqir of Ipi, was a Pashtun from today's North-Waziristan Pakistan, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. His followers addressed him as 'Haji Sahib' (or Respected Pilgrim).

 

The village of Ipi is located near Mirali Camp in North Waziristan Agency, Waziristan, from where the Faqir of Ipi started his guerrilla warfare against the British Empire throughout the 1930s and 1940s until the British departure in 1947.

 

This information was taken from ‘Wikipedia’. The original article and details of the authors can be found here. It is reproduced on this web-site under the ‘creative commons’ licence which can be found here.