BRITISH INDIA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 34TH SIKH

The Indian General Service Medal (1908 IGSM) was a campaign medal approved on 1 January 1909, for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies. From 1919, it was also awarded to officers and men of the Royal Air Force, with the Waziristan 1925 clasp awarded solely to the RAF. Clasps: The 1909 IGSM was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India from 1908 to 1935. Each campaign was represented by a clasp on the ribbon; 12 were sanctioned. North West Frontier 1908 Abor 1911–12 Afghanistan NWF 1919 Mahsud 1919–20 Waziristan 1919–21 Malabar 1921–22 Waziristan 1921–24 Waziristan 1925 North West Frontier 1930–31 Burma 1930–32 Mohmand 1933 North West Frontier 1935 Description: The medal is 36 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter. It was struck at both the Calcutta and London mints, for Indian and British forces respectively. For early campaigns it was awarded in silver to combatants and in bronze to native bearers and servants. From 1919 onwards all awards were in silver. The obverse shows the reigning monarch facing left with a suitable inscription. There are three versions: King Edward VII 1908-10 EDWARDVS VII KAISAR-I-HIND - King Edward VII 1908-10 - EDWARD VS VII KAISAR-I-HIND. The reverse depicts Jamrud Fort at the Khyber Pass with the word ‘India’ below between a wreath of oak and olive branches. The ribbon, 1.25 inches (32 mm) wide, was green with a broad blue central stripe. From 1920, those mentioned in despatches in a campaign for which the medal was awarded could wear a bronze oakleaf on the medal ribbon. The name and details of the recipient are engraved on the edge of the medal "1785 Sepoy Hornkum Sungh 34th Sikh Pioneers'' The 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1857, when they were raised as the Punjab Sappers.The regiment recruited the Mazhabi Sikhs and Ramdasia Sikhs[1] of Punjab province. Despite being Pioneers by name, the regiment was specially trained as Assault Pioneers. Brief History: The regiment took part in the Siege of Delhi, the Siege of Lucknow and the Capture of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. They were next in action during the Second Afghan War in 1878 and the Relief of Chitral in 1897. To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Indian they took part in the Rawalpindi Parade 1905. During World War I they were part of the 3rd (Lahore) Division and served on the Western Front, in the Mesopotamia Campaign and in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.[2] In 1922, the 34th Sikh Pioneers now became the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Sikh Pioneers. The regiment was allocated to the new Indian Army on independence.