India General Service Medal 1908 -1935 Campaign

India General Service Medal 1908

Instituted 1st January 1909 for campaign service on the Indian frontiers and elsewhere as defined by the bars awarded below. The medal was not issued without a bar.
Description; 36mm diameter in silver or bronze for the first two bars issued, the rest only in silver. The medal was produced with three obverse types:

Monarch	Legend
Edward VII in Field Marshal's uniform.	EDWARDVS VII KISAR-I-HIND
George V crowned, in coronation robes.	GEORGIVS KISAR-I-HIND
George V crowned, in coronation robes.	GEORGIVS. V. D. G. BRITT. OMN. REX. ET. INDIAE. IMP.

Reverse depicts the Fort at Jamrud with mountains in the background, below is a tied branch of oak and laurel with the word INDIA above. The medal was struck at the Royal mint in Britain and at the Calcutta mint in India - each with its own version of suspender, the British one with an orate claw (third medal illustrated below) and the Indian one with a plain claw (first two medals illustrated below)

Naming; Medals with the first two bars issued are in engraved running script, the rest in impressed sans-serif capitals with some slight variations between issues.
Ribbon: Green with a wide central blue band.

(Also see: Medals of the Regiments for qualification by regiment for Infantry and Cavalry units.)

Bars issued, campaign period, naming style and obverse Dates in italics are as corrected (by subsequent amendments) from the initial army orders details of the award criteria for each bar is here
North West Frontier 1908 14th February - 31st May 1908 Engraved in running script EVII	Abor 1911-12 6th October 1911 - 20th April 1912 Engraved in running script GV Kaisar -I-Hind
Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 6th May - 30th September 1919 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Kaisar -I-Hind	Mahsud 1919-20 18th December 1919 - 8th April 1920 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Kaisar -I-Hind
Waziristan 1919-21 6th May 1919 - 31st May 1921 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Kaisar -I-Hind	Malabar 1921-22 20th August 1921 - 25th February 1922 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Kaisar -I-Hind
Waziristan 1921-24 21st December - 31st March 1924 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Kaisar -I-Hind	Waziristan 1925 9th March - 1st May 1925 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Kaisar -I-Hind
North West Frontier 1930-31 23rd April 1930 - 22nd March 1931 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Britt Omn	Burma 190-32 22nd December 1930 -25th March 1932 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Britt Omn
Mohamand 1933 28th July - 3rd October 1933 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Britt Omn	North West Frontier 1935 23rd February - 15th October 1935 Impressed sans-serif capitals GV Britt Omn

Above; the three different obverses and the common reverse.

Above EVII Obverse bar 'North West Frontier 1908'. Engraved running script.
to 7221 Pte. C. Murphy 1^st R^l M. Fus. (1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers )

Above; EVII Obverse bar 'North West Frontier 1908'. Engraved running script.
to 8514 Pte J. S. Carver 1^st Bⁿ. N. Fusil^rs(Private John Shaw Carver, 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
was killed in action 14th September 1914, near Vailly, Aisne France.)

Above GV Kisar-I-Hind Obverse, bar "Afghanistan NWF 1919"
impressed san-serif capitals to; 64640 Pte. C. Blezard L'pool R.

Above GV "Britt Omn" type Obverse, bar "Burma 1930 -32"
impressed san-serif capitals to; 6284483 Boy J. H. Ratcliffe. The Buffs.

Above GV "Britt Omn" type Obverse, bar "North West Frontier 1930-31"
impressed san-serif capitals to; 11658 Rfn. Bijai Singh 2-6 Raj Rif.

Above GV "Britt Omn" type Obverse, bar "North West Frontier 1935"
impressed san-serif capitals to; 791255 Gnr H. Lawson R.A..

Guide to British Medals Index Page	Site Home Page

© This website and its contents are copyright. Images are digitally watermarked All Rights Reserved. ©