Process of Identifing Genuine vs. Fake Coins

Process of Identifing Genuine vs. Fake Coins

There have been many questions and queries on how to start diagnosing and interprating a coin. This process can be used for coins , medals and other collectables. I will define some very typical steps that can be used for this purpose, specifically for coins. Scientific methods can be added but that is abit more complicated. I will talk more about that in a separate blog. Having a very good book with actual photographs would be a very good start for this analysis.

a. First of all, the letters are completely even in height and their tops are uniform, which would suggest some sort of modern production of the die. Original dies are hand made, not machine made. This results in surface areas not being constant within the coin itself due to how the die is made. Look out for letters, dots, patterns across the coin to perform this analysis.

This is normally not so clear in the photos, but very clear on the coin itself when held in hand and inspected closely using a magnifying glass. So, be carefull when making an assessment using a photograph itself.

b. Secondly, the dots have even rounded surfaces, where on original coins they vary in both height and surfaces. There are several different sizes of the dots, thus indicating the die-cutter must have had several different punches for the dots being used for the same die.

c. Third, the background is much more even that I’ve seen on the coins.  It seems that the dies were first treated with some acid or corrosive chemical to make it more uneven, but in the flat areas, the evenness is almost perfect.  It is also likely that some modest acidic treatment was implied after the piece was struck.

d. Fourth, the coin was almost certainly produced by hand stamping rather than machinery.  This hand stamping will result in some unevenness, especially on heavier coins.  This has been seen on very modern imitative medieval coins struck.

Using a machine would produce a more even coin, which was the process used to mint Sikh coins. This has been seen on very modern imitative medieval coins struck.

e. Fifth, the leaf is too perfect and too even. I’ve never seen a normal paisa with such a perfect a leaf. Compare the leaf on silver/gold coins from various books published.

f. Sixth, the weight and diameter and thickness does not correspond to any original coins or the “patterns” or “trial strikes". This is very important. Comparing to a known old collection or reference books is important.

g. Compare the color on copper coins. Its very difficult to replicate. Use white lite for this purpose. For silver and gold, doing metal analysis would be prefered as aloy composition was different in the 18th Century vs. today. There have been cases on silver coins where similar vintage/period coins were melted to re-make RARE pieces.

h. Contemporary Forgeries : These were very common during that period. Most jewellers would drill the middle of the coin to ensure that there was no alloy inside of the coin. Copper coins made with Silver die's would be most commonly used, and then plated with Silver.

There is a more scientific method available today without drilling the coin (I hate this drilling practice). Densitity measurements, X-Ray, etc...

j. Look at the boundary or edge of the coin. This should be very smooth and no "hat" effect typically seen due to temperature or hand stamping effect.

k. MOST Importantly , have a very good book that has alot of photographs for comparision. Nothing beats this as your best friend in this analysis

m. Buying from a reputable dealer or auction house does reduce the risk of monetary loss. Having access to a very old collection for purchase is also an advantage.

Dont be afraid to reach out to trusted collectors and dealers.  Many are willing to share and provide their opinions. However, at the end of the day, the decison is all yours to make. 

There have been cases of labeled Fakes which turn out to be Genuine, and vice versa. So, please do make the best effort, espcially on Expensive Coins.

Good Luck........

Medals Issued to Sikhs :: Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh , Kapurthala Imperial Service Infantry

 

Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh 

Kapurthala Imperial Service Infantry

 

Introduction

 

It is fortunate that Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh’s service history is well documented due to the rank in which he rose. I have been able to uncover a lot of new information, especially concerning Singh’s service in East Africa. Like the vast majority of Indian soldiers I research I haven’t been able to provide any biographical information. The war diaries for units which served in East Africa during the First World War have recently been digitized so I was able to swap my photographs of the diaries for pdf copies. I have been unable to find any photographs of Nihal Singh, but due to his rank and long service they undoubtedly exist. 

 

Service before the First World War

 

The Kapurthala Infantry (Jagatjit Regiment) was raised on 1 February 1890 with its regimental centre at Kapurthala. I have referred to Regiment as the Kapurthala Infantry throughout for simplicity. The Regiment was formed from the 1^st and 2^nd Kapurthala Infantry, which had served as part of a mixed contingent during the Second Anglo-Afghan War of 1878-80. This contingent comprised of 700 infantry, cavalry plus artillery men and served at Bannu, on the North West Frontier. (Afghan medals to men who served with Kapurthala contingent often appear on the market). The regiment would be comprised of a mixture of Sikhs and Punjabi Muslims with a strength of 590.

Nihal Singh joined the armed forces of the Kapurthala state on 4 January 1886 (the January 1920

Imperial Service List has the year as 1880, but this is an error often encountered between a 6 and a 0). It is very likely that Nihal Singh was serving with one of the Kapurthala Infantry regiments before he was appointed to the Jagatjit Regiment on 1 May 1890.

The Regiment was mobilized as part of the Tirah Field Force in 1897, serving initially at Kohat, and providing 200 men as part of the Kurram Moveable Column. On 6 November 1897, a piquet consisting of a Subadar and 35 men was massacred by tribesman when it was caught in a defile. The Regiment would serve in Masozai country and at Thai before returning to India on 15 January 1898. Below is Nihal Singh’s “War Service” entry which appeared in the ISL January 1920.  

“N-W Frontier of India, 1897-98- Operations on the Samana and in Kurram Valley- Medal and 2 clasps. Tirah, 1897-98- Clasp”. Nihal Singh was awarded the Indian General Service Medal (18951902) with three clasps: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897 and Tirah 1897-98. Unfortunately, this medal is missing from the group along with the British War Medal. This would be Singh’s only active service until the outbreak of the First World War. It also marks the beginning of a gap of over 10 years before any new information can be added to Singh’s service (unfortunately, the earliest edition of the ISL I have access to is July 1915). For its service on the frontier, the Regiment was given the battle honour “Punjab Frontier 1897-98”.

On 1^st November 1911, Nihal Singh was appointed as the Regiment’s adjutant. This information is from the aforementioned ISL and I have included the page in my research folder. In Singh’s remarks column there are the following three numbers (1), (5) and (6) which show that he had passed:

•        1. Musketry School, Meerut.

•        5. Drill Course.

•        6. Transport Class.

Nihal Singh also took part in the Delhi Durbar of 1911 and the Delhi Durbar Medal inscribed 65

Captain Nihal Singh is part of his medal group. In 1911, a General Staff report found that the

Kapurthala Infantry had a strength of 568 men against an authorized strength of 600 (in the ISL the Regiment’s strength is always given as 602). The Regiment was formed into 6 companies, four of which were Sikh and two Muslim. The following is taken from Maharajas’ Paltans (P491) by Richard Head and Tony McClenaghan describing the composition of the Kapurthala forces just prior to the outbreak of war:

“Of the local forces, the cavalry were considered to be formed of good men, fairly well mounted but untrained. They were armed with sword and lance. The Artillery guns were noted to be old muzzle-loaders. The infantry, a mixture of Sikhs and Muslims, were considered to be of fairly good class, but quite untrained. The report noted that the troops had no particular local patriotism and would probably prefer to side with the British.”

 

 

Service during the First World War 

 

The Kapurthala Infantry was mobilized for war on 14^th September 1914. When the Regiment left India on the SS Begum at Bombay on 19^th September, its strength was 418. The Regiment landed at Mombasa, on 3^rd October and there is a war diary covering the Regiment between September and November 1914 (catalogue reference is WO95/5370/4). However, the war diary is very poor with many of the dates having no entry. The only detailed entries concern the action at Longido on 3^rd November 1914. I can see no mention of Nihal Singh in this short war diary, but it is almost certain he would have been with the Regiment. The war diary was written by Major Ivan Hugh Gordon who was attached to the regiment as a Special Service Officer. Major Gordon, who wrote the Regiment’s war diary, was found shot dead on 2^nd  September 1917.

While searching for Singh’s original recommendation for the OBI I came across the following recommendation written by Major Gordon concerning two Havildars of the Regiment and their actions at Longido. The report was written at Camp Namanga (170km from Nairobi on the presentday Kenyan-Tanzanian border) on 13^th November 1914 and can be compared to the General Staff report for 1911 where the Kapurthala Infantry was noted as being “quite untrained”.

Camp Namanga. 13. 11. 1914 (Page 218)

With reference to my report on the action at Longido on the 3^rd instant, I have the honour to bring to your notice the conduct of No. 1486 Havildar Diwan Singh and No. 1761 Havildar Karm Singh. These two Non-commissioned Officers were invaluable to me at a trying time, when their men were inclined to be panicky, and by their coolness and good example, steadied their men and enabled me to hold on in the position I had taken up. I. H. Gordon, Special Service Officer.

Operations in East Africa: reports of engagements, honours and rewards. IOR/L/MIL/7/17250 (page 218)

Captain Nihal Singh was promoted to Major on 16^th August 1915. As Singh’s 1914-15 Star is impressed with the rank of Captain he must have entered the theatre of war prior August 1915. Unfortunately, there is now a gap of 9 months between war diaries. During its time in East Africa the Regiment would serve on the Lines of Communication and it’s very likely that the Regiment spent its time guarding railway lines and bridges. The next war diary to turn to is for August 1915 - November 1917 (WO95/5370/5) which is actually part of the earlier war diary which the National Archives has split in half. 

There are frequent mentions of Nihal Singh throughout this war diary, with the first mention occurring on 17^th April 1916. On 24^th August 1915, Major-General S. Pooran Singh joined the Regiment at Msambweni (now a small fishing town in south-eastern Kenya). Major-General Singh would command the Regiment until he returned to India in August 1917, when Nihal Singh took over. 

On the 26^th August 1915, there was a fierce skirmish between a patrol of the Regiment and the Germans at Mrima which led to their largest number of casualties during the war. There is now another gap in the war diary which recommences in December 1915 when the Regiment is at Sultan Hamud, 110km south east of Nairobi.  The war diary’s entry for the 1^st December 1915 reads “The unit on Railway Defence, guarding stations, bridges and railway line from Simba to Athi River, both inclusive, with headquarters at Sultan Hamdu”. The Regiment would stay at Sultan Hamud until 31^st March 1916, continuing to guard the railway and bridges, when it moved to Kiu (a small town approximately 40km from Sultan Hamdu). The Regiment’s headquarters is at Makindu, and it takes over the “No.2 Section of the Railway Defence”. There is a further mention of Nihal Singh in the war diary on 17^th April 1916 at Kiu:

One Indian officer and 51 rifles, 2 followers arrive from Kidongai and are posted to Tsavo under Captain Nihal Singh [he had been promoted to Major].

Tsavo was an important crossing of the Uganda Railway over the Athi River and had become famous prior to the war due to “Tsavo Man-eaters”. These two lions had been responsible for a large number of deaths in the construction of the railway and were successfully shot by John Henry 

The next mention for Nihal Singh is on the 30 July 1916, on the day the Regiment disembarked at the former German Post of Tanga (scene of the disastrous battle in November 1914):

30^th July 1916. Unit disembarked at 7am under orders of the Base Commandment the following strength was immediately sent to the Posts mentioned below:

•        Pongwe 1 Indian officer, 20 rank and file, 1 follower.

•        Ngomeni 1 Indian officer, 20 rank and file, 1 follower.

•        Muhiza 1 Indian officer, 20 rank and file, 1 follower.

 

Major Nihal Singh was also sent with above [?] to see all arrangements of the posts and to come back from the last post when done with.  

There are three further mentions in August 1916, when Major Nihal Singh severely injured himself when he fell from a railway trolley. He would spend three months in hospital before recovering from his injury:

5^th August 1916 - Major Nihal Singh, 3 Indian officers, 75 rank and file and 7 followers proceeded to Pangani.

5^th August 1916 - Pangani Detachment arrives. Major Nihal Singh falls from trolley and hurts his head. Sub assistant Surgeon sent to attend. 

10^th August 1916- Major Nihal Singh admitted into field hospital Tanga and Subadar Maiya Singh sent to Panigani in his place.

13^th November 1916 - Major Nihal Singh rejoined from Nairobi Hospital. 

When Major Nihal Singh rejoined the Regiment they were at Korogwe, a town near Tanga in present-day Tanzania. In late November 1916, the Regiment moved to Amani, near Tanga. The Regiment would garrison a large number of posts, and suffered severely from disease, chiefly malaria. The excerpt below shows the locations of the Regiment in April 1917, and the impact disease had had on their numbers. 

 

 

For his service in East Africa during the First World War, Nihal Singh was awarded the Order of British India (OBI) 2^nd Class (Gazette of India, No. 638, 28 April 1917). I have been able to uncover the original recommendation, by General Smuts, for Singh’s OBI. It was contained in a file held at the British Library: Operations in East Africa: reports of engagements, honours and rewards.

IOR/L/MIL/7/17250. This is one of a number of files at the British Library which cover honours and awards granted to Indian soldiers during the First World War into the 1920s. When I researched Sundar Singh IDSM I had hoped to find his citation in a similar report for Palestine.

 

Reason for Recommendation

 

For the display of a high devotion to duty and for the zeal and ability in which has at all times so prominently exhibited in his work. 

The report of Singh’s award appeared in the Regiment’s war diary on 30^th June 1917.

There is a similar report in the war diary on 1^st September 1917 where it was noted that “this appointment will be supernumerary to the authorised establishment, Simla dated 4^th May 1917”.

There are further mentions of Nihal Singh in the war diary for July, when the Regiment was still stationed at Amani:

5^th July 1917 - Major Nihal Singh with 11 rank and file came from Tabora to Dar es Salaam.

16^th July 1917 (A) Major Nihal Singh with 9 rank and file came from Dar es Salaam to Amani.

The unit headquarters would move to Tanga, and this is likely where Nihal Singh would have been stationed. The final entry for Major Nihal Singh confirms his promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel on 31^st  October 1917:

1^st November 1917 - Major Nihal Singh Bahadur, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel with effect from 31^st October 1917 (Authority - Kapurthala Durbar’s wire dated 31 October 1917).

On 9^th November 1917, the Regiment moved to Lindi where its strength was down to 306 rank and file. The Regiment had been increased in size during the war, so it was operating at well under 50% of its strength. The final war diary entry is for November 1917. 

 

Nihal Singh’s signature on the last page of the Regiment’s war diary for East Africa.

 

The Regiment left East Africa on 24^th December 1917, and arrived back at Kapurthala on 9^th January 1918. In The Maharajas’ Paltans, Nihal Singh is listed as having been Mentioned in Despatches while a Lieutenant-Colonel (three MID in total for the Regiment, two were to the Havildars who steadied the ranks at Longido). The Regiment was granted the theatre honour “East Africa 1914-1917” for its service.

Lieutenant-Colonel Singh was still commanding the Regiment when it was mobilized for service during the Third Anglo-Afghan War in June 1919. There is a very brief war diary, June-August 1919 WO95/5418, covering the Battalion’s service in Seistan (now Sistan, an area which covered presentday eastern Iran, Southern Afghanistan and the Nok Kundi region of Balochistan). In July 1919, disaster struck the Regiment when it got lost and ran out of water while crossing the desert. The war diary contains detailed entries and a convoy had to be sent out to rescue them. The war diary reports on 25^th July 1919:

Convoy sent to meet and bring in regiment. Men in very great distress from want of water. About 70 men missing of whom levies brought in throughout the day some 55 men.

26^th July 1919: More men brought in by levies. Phone messages give information of 9 more who have reached Seistan. Decided to halt for 4 days to rest regiment. 

12 soldiers lost their lives on 25^th July 1919 and are commemorated on the Tehran Memorial. The total casualties for the Regiment during the First World War and Third Anglo-Afghan War were 66. There are two references to Lieutenant-Colonel Singh in this war diary, both concerning a court of enquiry:

5 August 1919 - Court of Enquiry into causes which led to casualties on March commenced. Major Fox Male, Lieutenant Hicks and Davis and Colonel Nihal Singh examined. 

There is a further mention of evidence given by Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh on 18^th August 1919.

The Kapurthala Regiment qualified for the Indian General Service Medal (1908-35) with the clasp Afghanistan N. W. F. 1919. This medal is also missing from Nihal Singh’s group. The Regiment was awarded the battle honour “Afghanistan 1919”. In the January 1920 Indian State Forces List, Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh is acting commandant. Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh was superseded by Major Moti Singh, as officiating commandant, on 17^th February 1920.

I have also included the war diary covering the Regiment’s part in the Iraqi Rebellion. The Kapurthala Infantry qualified for the General Service Medal with Iraq Clasp and the Medal Index Cards have survived for the Regiment. I have checked for Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh and there is no card. 

 

Medal Group

 

•        Order of British India, 2^nd Class Gazette of India 28 April 1917. In total three OBI were awarded to the Regiment during the First World War. OBI 1^st Class Major-General Pooran Singh. OBI 2^nd Class: Major Nihal Singh, Captain Poor Singh. (listed a DS-350)

•        Indian General Service Medal (1895-1902) with three clasps: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897 and Tirah 1897-98

•        1914-15 Star Captain Nihal Singh (listed a DS-360)

•        British War Medal (noted as missing in Dix Noonan Webb catalogue 12 December 2012)

•        Victory Medal Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh. With Mentioned in Desptaches as a Lieutenant-Colonel. (listed a DS-370)

•        Indian General Service Medal (1908-35) with the clasp Afghanistan N. W. F. 1919

•        Delhi Durbar 1911 engraved in running script to 65 Capt. Nihal Singh (listed a DS-340)

                                 

               

DS-340  Delhi Durbar Medal 1911

Obverse: King George V and Queen Mary’s crowned conjoined busts, within a rose and laurel wreath.

Reverse: In Persian script, “Delhi 1911”, surrounded by  “The Durbar of George V, Emperor of India, Master of the British Lands”.

Composition: Silver, Diameter: 38.5 mm

Issued to: 65 Captain Nihal Singh (later Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh, Kapurthala Imperial Service

                  Infantry)

Note : This medal was issued to commemorate King George V’s Coronation Durbar celebration in British India on December 1911.

            

 

DS-350  Order of British India (O.B.I.) , 2^nd Class neck badge

Obverse: Lion facing left with “Order of British India” surrounding it, and all enclosed within a wreath and 8 pointed star like shape.

Reverse: Nil

Composition: Gold and dark blue enamel center, Diameter: ?? mm

Issued to: Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh, Kapurthala Imperial Service Infactory 

Note : Lieutenant-Colonel Nihal Singh was awarded four group of medals. There are the Order of British India 2^nd Class Gold neck Badge, 1914 – 1915 Star (Captain Nihal Singh , Kapurthala I.S Infantry), Victory Medal 1914 – 1919 (Lt. Col Nihal Singh Bahadur, Kapurthala Infantry) and the Delhi Durbar 1911 Medal (65 Captain Nihal Singh). The O.B.I medal award to Lt.Col. Nihal Singh is noted in the Gazzette of India issued on 28^th April, 1917, Part 1, Notice No. 638.

Medals Issued to Sikhs :: 2324 Lance-Naik Indar Singh IDSM of the 36th Sikhs

 

2324 Lance-Naik Indar Singh IDSM : 36^th Sikhs

By : Avtar Singh Bahra, Kulwant Singh Bahra & Dalwinder Singh Sidhu

 

On the 28 February 2018, an auction house sold an Indian Distinguished Service Medal awarded to Lance-Naik Indar Singh. The catalogue description of the medal was “Indian Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (2324 Lce Naik Indar Singh 36th Sikhs)”. A footnote recorded that the notification of the award appeared in G.G.O. 1386 of 1916 (dated 18 November 1916) and the award was for Mesopotamia. The medal’s condition was recorded as “good very fine” and it was given an estimate of between £300-360. The estimate was far too low considering the prices Sikh gallantry medals have commanded, especially when they are awarded to soldiers serving in Sikh regiments, in recent years. The medal was hammered for £2000 without commission.

While I haven’t been able to find a citation for Indar Singh’s medal, I have been able to work out when he joined the 36^th Sikhs. He was a career Indian Army soldier and was one of the longest-serving men of the Regiment when he was awarded his IDSM. I have used a variety of sources to build up a history of the 36^th Sikhs before the outbreak of war, so you know where Indar served. As I will show, I believe that Indar was very likely awarded his IDSM for gallantry on 12 April 1916 during an attack on the Turkish position near Beit Assa. This was during the Kut-al-Amara relief attempts.

Researching soldiers who served in the Indian Army during the First World War is a difficult task. Not only have service and medal records been lost but there are usually no biographical sources to add more information about a soldier. The only information I have had to work from for Indar was impressed around his IDSM and the date the medal was announced. The Indian Army had no unique regimental numbers during this period. If a soldier joined a regiment they received a regimental number which was only unique within that regiment. If they were transferred to a new regiment, they received a new number. The numbering of Indian infantry regiment pre-war was straightforward and chronological. Each new man joining the regiment received the next number and when the regiment hit a number around 5000 it reset back to 1.

Indar’s regimental number of 2324 dates to early 1901 for the 36^th Sikhs. It is possible he enlisted in a different regiment and transferred to the 36^th Sikhs but most soldiers remained in a single regiment, at least pre-war. As most Indian soldiers enlisted around the age of 16 – 20, I expect he was born in the early 1880s and was in his thirties on the outbreak of the First World War. Another soldier of the Regiment, 2240 Dall Singh IDSM enlisted on 17 June 1900. I have looked at soldiers of the 36^th Sikhs who were awarded Long Service and Good Conduct Medals with the announcements of the award appearing in a variety of Indian Army Orders. While dating from the period prior to Dall Singh’s enlistment (there is a long gap caused by casualties sustained during the First World War) they support 2324 being an early 1901 date.

In addition, seven soldiers were awarded the IDSM serving with the 36^th Sikhs during the war had a regimental number between 2100 and 2400. Of these, four were Havildars and two Naiks, further supporting the view that Indar’s date of joining the Regiment was early 1901. Due to this date, I consider that it would have been very unlikely that Indar was a Reservist called back to the Colors on the outbreak of war. A soldier completing his terms of enlistment in the Indian Army did not have to complete a period in the Reserve as in the British Army. Also, Indar served into the early 1920s before he left the Indian Army which is another indication that he was a career soldier.

The 36^th Sikhs had initially been raised as the Bareilly Levy in May 1858, one of several Sikh regiments formed in consequence of the Indian Mutiny (1857 – 1858). The Regiment designation changed twice in 1861, becoming first the 40^th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry and subsequently the 36^th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. The Regiment’s designation changed to the 36^th (Bareilly) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1864 and it was disbanded in 1882. The Regiment was raised once again in 1887 at Jullundur (Jalandhar, Punjab) by then Lieutenant-Colonel, later Major-General, James Cook. James Cook used to travel the Punjab looking for prospective recruits and challenge them to wrestling matches.

The Regiment’s new title was 36^th (Sikh) Regiment of Bengal Infantry and it was a class regiment composed solely of Sikhs. This changed in the years after the First World War when Punjabi Muslims were enlisted. In 1901, the Regiment became the 36^th Sikh Infantry and then the 36^th Sikhs in 1903. In 1922, the Regiment became the 3^rd Battalion 11^th Sikh Regiment. The regimental center was at Rawalpindi (Punjab, Pakistan) and it was linked to the 35^th and 47^th Sikhs.

The Regiment saw service on the North West Frontier (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) during the 1890s. The most common pre-war medal for soldiers of the Regiment is the India Medal (1895 – 1902) with a combination of the following clasps: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897, and Tirah 1897-98. Small numbers of the 36^th Sikhs also qualified for the Central Africa 1891-98 medal. The Regiment had found fame during the Battle of Saragari on 12 September 1897 during the Tirah Campaign. A small fort garrisoned by 21 soldiers of the Regiment fought to the death against overwhelming odds with all the soldiers receiving the Indian Order of Merit.

The most important source of information regarding the Regiment pre-war is the 36^th Sikhs’ confidential reports. These reports were published annually and included the confidential reports of British officers serving with the regiments. They are held at the British Library in Collection 405: Confidential Reports of Regiments etc. (1887 – 1939): IOR/L/MIL/17007-17037. Unfortunately, the earlier and post-1920 reports aren’t of the same format as the examples I have provided for you. I have included a set of reports for the period between 1902-03 and 1919-20. There were no reports for the years 1914-15 and 1915-16 (common for the first years of the war) and the other surviving war reports are for the unit’s Depot.

After a long period on the North West Frontier, the 36^th Sikhs arrived at Rawalpindi on 7 May 1898. The Regiment remained in the city until it moved to Malakand, North West Frontier Province on 25 September 1901. It was at Malakand, that Indar joined the Regiment. Indar would have trained at Meean Meer (Lahore Cantonment) where the 36^th Sikhs’ Depot was located. The Malakand region was in the northeast of India running along the Afghan border. There had been fighting at Malakand in 1897 with a siege and a field force being despatched. The events are chiefly remembered these days for the involvement of a young Winston Churchill who joined the field force as a war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and subsequently published The Story of the Malakand Field Force.

I have only quoted parts of the Regiment’s confidential reports below. In its report for 1902-03, Major-General C. C. Egerton, Commanding Punjab Frontier Force and Frontier District wrote:

Personnel: The British Officers are keen, smart, and all take the greatest interest in their work. The Native Officers are well selected and efficient. The rank and file are a magnificent body of men.

Drill and Instruction: Very steady on parade, handle their arms smartly, and work very well in field maneuvers. They have benefitted greatly by their local surroundings, which afford great opportunities for training in hill warfare.

General condition: (a) The Battalion is in first rate order. (b) Well trained in the field and in practical musketry. (c) In all respects fit for service.

The Regiment received another good report for 1903-04 with its personnel described as “A magnificent regiment of fine physique”. The Regiment, at least during its early years, had a minimum height standard of 5 foot 8 inches (1.73 m). The report was highly favorable to the 36^th Sikhs. The next year’s report stated that also praised the Regiment with its personnel reported as “A very fine regiment above the average in physique. Rather a superior body of officers”. On the 6 January 1904, the Regiment arrived at Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier. Due to the turbulent nature of the North West Frontier and the city’s location close to the Khyber Pass linking India to Afghanistan, the city held a large garrison.

The 36^th Sikhs remained at Peshawar for nearly three years, before it arrived at its regimental center of Rawalpindi on 3 December 1906. The Regiment continued to receive excellent reports during its stay Peshawar, with its personnel described in its 1905-06 report as “A very fine regiment with good British Officers and a good tone throughout”. The 36^th Sikhs’ was inspected by Brigadier-General C. H. Powell, Commanding Rawalpindi Brigade for 1907-08:

Personnel: Is up to modern standard and on the whole very satisfactory.

Efficiency in Drill: Drill and instruction is very satisfactory in all its branches. The training of recruits receives special attention.

General Efficiency: Smart and soldier like and most ably commanded. The individuality and independence of action of all ranks is properly encouraged: there is no tendency to over-centralization. In all respects fit for active service.

 

Major-General J. Stratford Collins commanding 2^nd (Rawalpindi) Division reported:

Well commanded and particularly well efficient regiment. There is a very good tone in all ranks. Their turn out is very good and there is considerable esprit de corps. Fit for active service. In much the same state as last year.

In its final confidential report at Rawalpindi, the Regiment was described as “An Indian regiment it is a pleasure to look at, the men of excellent physique are turned out, well set up, and smart in appearance. The Native officers are a particularly nice body of men”. On the 12 March 1911, the Regiment arrived at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India) and this was the 36^th Sikhs’ last station in India pre-war. The last surviving confidential report for the Regiment pre-war, 1912-13, dates from its service at Lucknow. Lieutenant General Sir Robert Irvin Scallon, Commanding 8^th (Lucknow) Division reported that the 36^th Sikhs was “An excellent battalion, fit for war”.

The Regiment left India in 1914 and arrived at Tientsin, North China on 27 May 1914 where it was still stationed on the outbreak of war. Tientsin, now Tianjin, is 70 miles southeast of Beijing. While in China, the 36^th Sikhs had detachments at Shan-hai-kuan and Chin-Wang-Tao. Chin-Wang-Tao is now Qinhuangdao a port city in northeastern China, 159 miles northeast of Tientsin. Shan-hai-kuan (Shanhaiguan) is now part of the port city of Qinhuangdao. While in China, the Regiment’s Depot was at Fatehgarh (Uttar Pradesh). In the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion (1899 – 1901), Britain increased its garrison in China, with Indian soldiers often being used.

On the outbreak of war, the 36^th Sikhs was still at Tientsin and it was fortunate that it was. If it had been in India, it would almost certainly have been sent abroad as part of one of the Indian Expeditionary Forces. Even if it had remained in India, it would have sent large drafts of men to other regiments. In the end, the only drafts it sent to other regiments, including the 14^th and 47^th Sikhs were mostly composed of new recruits who were trained at the Regiment’s Depot in India. The Regiment’s first action during the war was at the Siege of Tsingtao which had been blockaded on 27 August 1914. Tsingtao, now Qingdao was part of Germany’s Kiautschou Bay Concession and was 360 miles southeast of Tientsin.

An Anglo-Indian force consisting of the 2^nd Battalion South Wales Borderers and half the 36^th Sikhs was sent to join the Japanese in the siege. The 36^th Sikhs arrived in late October 1914 with land operations beginning on 31 October and ending on 7 November 1914. The Anglo-Indian soldiers were just a token force sent to help the Japanese and the 36^th Sikhs suffered 2 dead during the operations. If Indar was one of the soldiers sent to Tsingtao, he would have qualified for the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The 36^th Sikhs did not remain at Tsingtao for long after the end of the siege before it rejoined the rest of the Regiment at Tientsin.

A detachment of the Regiment was sent to Singapore at some point early in the war and was present when the 5^th Jat Light Infantry mutinied February 1915. However, at the start of the mutiny, it was without arms or ammunition. At some point between February and August 1915, the Regiment returned to India and proceeded to the North West Frontier. The 36^th Sikhs took part in the Battle of Shabkadar, near Peshawar on 5 September 1915, against Mohmand tribesman. This was the largest battle fought on the North West Frontier since 1897 and the Regiment suffered four dead. The Regiment saw further fighting on the 17 September when another four soldiers were killed. If Indar took part in the operations with the Regiment, he would have qualified for the 1914-15 Star, he definitely qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

I’m not sure of the 36^th Sikhs’ location between October 1915 and February 1916 but I expect it was somewhere on the North West Frontier or nearby. The Regiment’s war diary doesn’t start until the 1 March 1916 when the unit was in camp at Basra, Mesopotamia (Iraq). I expect that the Regiment left India in late February 1916, probably at Karachi. With the 36^th Sikhs arrival in Mesopotamia we can return once again to Indar as he was one of the men who was camped at Basra.  

The announcement of Indar Singh’s award of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal was published in Government General Orders 1386/1916 (dated 18 November 1916). The medal was awarded for gallantry in Mesopotamia. I have looked at other Indian soldiers awarded the IDSM in G.G.O. 1386/1916 and the awards were for the attempts to relieve the besieged 6^th (Poona) Division at Kut-al-Amara. The 36^th Sikhs was part of the 37^th Indian Infantry Brigade, 14^th Indian Division when Indar won the medal. There had already been three battles to try and break the siege, the Battle of Sheikh Sa’ad (6 – 8 January 1916), Battle of Wadi (13 January 1916) and Battle of Hanna (21 January 1916). While these battles had pushed back the Turkish forces, the Anglo-Indian force had suffered heavy casualties. I have included the following maps of the area Indar won his IDSM as it’s very difficult to follow the battles without them:

·        Part of map T.C.4. “which had been issued to the troops prior to the 6^th March 1916”

·        To illustrate operations between 10^th March & end of April 1916

·        The Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt 8^th March 1916

These were taken from Official History of the War: Mesopotamia Campaign: Volume II. I have also included a modern satellite image of the area and you can clearly see the Dujaila Depression. 

The Regiment left Basra by boat on 2 March and proceeded up the Tigris to join the fight. The Regiment reached Wadi Camp, past Shaikh Saad on 7 March where “two shots were fired at the ship during the night without result, probably by an Arab sniper on the bank”. The Battalion disembarked the next day and moved to the “Ruined Hut Position map T.C.4. Square 16/D”. This was about 5 miles southeast of Beit Isa as the crow flies. There are some interesting entries in the war diary for the remainder of the month, including the appearance of “large bodies of Arab horseman” around the camp on 10 March. Also, flooding on the 16 March. The Regiment spent the month to the north and northeast of Umm al Baram, the marshy ground shown on the maps. There is nothing recorded in the war diary between 7 March and 11 April 1916 to suggest any gallantry medals were awarded in this period.

The most likely date for Indar Singh’s act of gallantry was on the 12 April 1916 when an attack was made on the Turkish trenches near Beit Isa. I have photographed the relevant section of the official history and there is a detailed description in the war diary. The 36^th Sikhs was in newly dug trenches west of the Abu Rumman Mounds. I have quoted from the war diary of the 27^th Indian Infantry Brigade Headquarters below, as it gives the clearest indication of what happened:

12 April 1916: 3 pm: Orders received for the 37^th Brigade acting in conjunction with 8^th and 7^th Brigades to push forward and drive in enemy picquets and to establish strong picquet on line 18C 4/0 to 18C 5/6 said to be held by enemy picquets. Instructions issued to this effect at 3 pm for 1/4^th Somersets and 36^th Sikhs to advance with 8^th Brigade on their right. 36^th Sikhs to maintain touch with 7^th Brigade who were south of flooded area. 1/2^nd Gurkhas being kept in reserve.

3.30 pm: Advance commenced 3.30 pm and was soon heavily opposed, especially in front of 36^th Sikhs, who came under machinegun fire. Water in some cases over 2 feet deep also hampered the advance.

7 pm: About 7 pm one Double Company 1/2^nd Gurkhas was pushed up to reinforce 36^th Sikhs and assist them in continuing the line to the left. About 11 pm a second Double Company 1/2^nd Gurkhas was pushed up as information was received that 36^th Sikhs had suffered severely. Early in the evening telephone communication with 36^th Sikhs had broken down and all messages had to be sent by hand which again were further delayed by darkness and water. As far as could be ascertained in the darkness the line ordered was occupied by 36^th Sikhs with 1/4^th Somersets on right and 59^th Rifles on their right from about 7 pm.

About 9.30 pm 8^th Brigade reported that owing to water 59^th Rifles and Manchesters were consolidating their position about the line where their advance picquet was before operation commenced and that it was not possible to dig in further westwards owing to subsoil water. Units were so informed: 1/4^th Somersets being instructed to keep in touch with 59^th Rifles and not to lose touch with 36^th Sikhs. About 1 am on 13^th 1/4^th Somersets informed they had had to fall back to maintain touch with 59^th Rifles.

36^th Sikhs had accordingly to fall back to line about 600 – 800 yards in rear as no intermediate line could be found owing to water. A line was accordingly established from 18D 60//15 through 18D/80/50 to edge of flooded area near the Narrows (Divisional Sheet 16). About 8 pm Brigade Headquarters moved forward to trenches from which ¼^th Somersets originally moved.

The 36^th Sikhs casualties were recorded as one officer killed and three wounded, 34 other ranks killed, 144 wounded and 13 missing. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) recorded a total of 45 dead for the 36^th Sikhs on 12 April 1916 with all of them commemorated on the Basra Memorial to the missing. The Regiment’s strength on 13 April was recorded as 7 British officers, 7 Indian officers and 341 other ranks. While there was an assault on the Beit Isa on 17 April, the 37^th Brigade was held in reserve, though it did suffer 20 casualties from shell fire. On the 29 April, the 6^th (Poona) Division surrendered at Kut which was noted in the Regiment’s war diary on 1 May. Without a surviving service record its impossible to know if Indar became a casualty or was invalided from the Regiment later. So, I’ve provided an overview of the 36^th Sikhs’ activities during the remainder of the war.

For the rest of the year, very little occurred in the Mesopotamia Campaign. Summer brought a lull in the fighting as the Anglo-Indian forces were reorganized. Between 1 May and 31 December 1916, the CWGC recorded a total of 10 dead for the 36^th Sikh. At least 2 died from accidents and some would also have been from disease. I have checked the war diary for the rest of the year and there are no incidents recorded which suggest a gallantry award would be made for them. Of 19 IDSM awards for the 36^th Sikhs during the First World War, seven appeared in G.G.O. 1386 of 1916 (dated 18 November 1916) and three in G.G.O. 1388 of 1916 (also dated 18 November 1916).

The Regiment took part in the Anglo-Indian offensive which began in December 1916. However, they were only to fight in one more battle during the war. This was an unsuccessful attack on a Turkish position to the south of Kut. I have included another map in the folder: Map to Illustrate Operations against the Hai Salient and the Dahra Bend Positions and the Passage of the Tigris: 11 January – 24 February 1917. The 37^th Brigade advanced from a line of trenches from P13 A on the bank of the Shatt-al-Hair River to P16 (Gunning Trench). This area is approximately 1.5 miles southwest of Kut as the crow flies.

 

The official history recorded:

The operations on the west of the Hai were not so successful, owing partly to the fact that the British preliminary preparations had not been quite completed, especially in regard to work on the communication trenches. After ten minutes’ intense artillery bombardment, the 45^th and 36^th Sikhs of the 37^th Brigade advanced to the assault at 12.10 p.m., the 45^th moving on the right in eight waves and the 36^th in four waves, on frontages of two hundred and sixty yards and two hundred yards respectively. Immediately on emerging from the front line trench, both battalions came under very heavy enfilade artillery and machine gun fire from the northwest and from their left front.

The 45^th managed without great loss to capture both the first and second Turkish lines of trench; but the 36^th, being more exposed, suffered such heavy losses that in spite of most gallant efforts they could get no farther than the enemy’s first line, which they found only lightly held.

The Turks then launched against both battalions a heavy counter-attack which the advanced portions of the 45^th Sikhs tried to repel as it got to close quarters by a gallant charge across the open. But although they, the 36^th Sikhs and our supporting artillery caused the enemy severe losses, the 45^th also suffered very heavily; and overweighed by numbers the remnants of both Sikh battalions were driven back by 1.30 p.m. to their original starting point.

Out of a total of 17 British officers, 30 Indian officers and 1,280 other ranks actually engaged in the two battalions, 16 British officers, 28 Indian officers and 988 other ranks had become casualties. These casualties speak for themselves.

The Regiment’s war diary recorded that after the battle “the Regiment now totaled 3 British officers, one of whom was wounded, one Indian officer and 85 men”. The war diary also recorded that the 36^th Sikhs went into the attack with 10 British officers, 15 Indian officers and 618 other ranks. It suffered the following casualties:

·        British officers: 4 killed, 1 died of wounds, 1 missing believed killed and 3 wounded

·        Indian officers: 3 killed and 11 wounded

·        Other ranks: 71 killed, 54 missing and 388 wounded

This was a casualty rate of 83% of those who took part in the battle and the Regiment had to be withdrawn from the front to reorganize and await the arrival of new drafts. What was left of the 36^th Sikhs was used on the Tigris Defences and Lines of Communications for the rest of 1917. During this entire period, the Regiment was at Amara. Between February and August 1918, the Regiment worked on the lines of communications at around Baqubah. Baqubah is a city 30 miles north of Baghdad and there was nothing to report for this period.

In September 1918, the Regiment left Baqubah to move to Persia where it joined the North Persia Force and joined the 36^th Infantry Brigade. The 36^th Sikhs arrived at Hamadan, 200 miles southwest of Tehran on 6 October. The Regiment remained at the city until May 1919 when it moved back to Mesopotamia. There is very little to report regarding the 36^th Sikhs’ stay at Hamadan. In Mesopotamia, the Regiment garrisoned Kut-al-Amara as it was now back on garrison and line of communication duties. The Regiment’s war diary recorded on 30 September 1919 that “orders received that Regiment would embark at Busra [Basra] for India on 9 October 1919 in the [?] and would be relieved at Kut by 1/6 Gurkhas”.

The 36^th Sikhs’ Depot had been at Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh, India) from around 1918 onwards and once back in India, the Regiment also proceeded there. However, it wasn’t there for long, as it moved to Nowshera (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) around February 1920. Nowshera is 27 miles east of Peshawar. There is one final confidential report for the Regiment in the old format by Brigadier-General J. W. O’Dowda, Commanding Nowshera Brigade, dated 9 March 1920:

This battalion has only recently arrived in Nowshera, and I have not seen much of its field work owing to absence from the Station. Instruction and Training appears to be well organised. Drill and manoeuvres satisfactory. The battalion has done no regular Musketry since leaving Mesopotamia and is engaged in preliminary instruction to be followed by selected practices. Fire direction and control require attention. Bayonet instruction good. The battalion has also commenced regular instruction in Mountain Warfare.

When Indar was awarded the IDSM, he started appearing in supplements to the Indian Army List recording Indian soldiers who had been awarded decorations. These supplements are very useful in tracing gallantry winners as you can work out when a soldier left the Indian Army when they stop appearing. Indar appeared in the January 1922 Indian Army List but not in the January 1924 edition. This meant that Indar served for just over 20 years in the 36^th Sikhs before he left the army.

On the 9 February 1921, the 36^th Sikhs left Nowshera for Waziristan. By the 15 February, the Regiment had reached Saidgi (Sidgi), an isolated posting in North Waziristan close to the Afghan border. Saidgi is 11 miles northwest of Dande Darpa Khel. As Indar was probably around 40, he may have left at the Regiment’s Depot at Jhelum. The Regiment was part of 8^th Indian Infantry Brigade and I have included a very short war diary for February – March 1921. The Regiment qualified for the India General Service Medal 1908-35, with Waziristan 1921-24 clasp for its service on the frontier. The Regiment remained at Saidgi until early 1923, as it was reported the 36^th Sikhs arrived at Ahmednagar (Maharashtra, India) on 23 April 1923. Indar would have left the Regiment at some point during this period.

 

    

Every medal issued to a Sikh or anybody else has a story behind it. The story of Lance-Naik Indar Singh of the 36th Sikhs available here is after pain staking research, time spent, money and being relentless in the search for the truth. Hopefully this example would be an inspiration to write many more stories about the other Sikh medal recipients.

This book is the first attempt by anybody to try to compile medals or medallions issued to Sikh soldiers between 1840’s to 1947. There are many more military and non-military medals out there issued to Sikhs during that period which are not recorded in this book. The recipient of all these medal are well documented or course, but the medals in themselves are very hard to obtain. Most families of these recipients have ignored these medals and either have sold them or melted for its silver value and made into jewelry.

The contribution of the Sikhs can only be documented  if somebody is willing to spend the time and money to do it. The Sikh coins issued in the early 18^th Century left a great legacy, up to 1849. I would say this continued even after that , and was made very visible from the medals issued to these brave Sikh soldiers since then.