Army of India Medal

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Army of India Medal
Clasps
21 authorised.
Established21 March 1851
Total4,500
Ribbon: pale blue.

The Army of India Medal (AIM) was a

Honourable East India Company. A retrospective award following the precedent set by the Naval General Service Medal and the Military General Service Medal
, it served to reward service in various actions from 1803 to 1826.

Criteria

The Army of India Medal was approved on 21 March 1851 as a retrospective award by the Honourable East India Company, who bore the cost of the medal,

First Burmese War (1824–26), together with the siege of Bhurtpoor (1825–26).[2] Each battle or action covered by the medal was represented by a clasp on the ribbon and twenty-one were sanctioned.[3] While the maximum awarded to one man was seven,[4]
most medals were awarded with a single clasp.

The medal was only awarded to survivors and, as such, there are substantially fewer medals issued when compared with the number of men who served during this period. This was largely due to the extreme lapse of time between the wars commemorated and the issue of the medal—forty-eight years had passed between the first battle commemorated —Allighur in 1803—and the date of issue, 1851. A total of 4,500 medals were awarded.[2]

While the medal was awarded to both British and Indian soldiers on the same basis, the clasp Ava was only awarded to Europeans, since the Honourable East India Company had already awarded a medal for this Burma campaign to all native Indian soldiers present.[5]

Appearance

The medal is circular, made of silver, and 1.4 inches (36 mm) in diameter. It was designed by

exergue 1799-1826.[7].
British recipients had their name and unit impressed on the rim of the medal in block Roman capitals. Medals to Indians – which were named locally – had a number of different impressed and engraved styles.[3]

The pale blue ribbon is 1.25 inches (32 mm) wide.

Clasps

The following clasps were issued,[6] they reading downwards from the top of the medal:[2]

Second Mahratta War
:
  • Allighur (4 September 1803)
  • Battle of Delhi
    (11 September 1803)
  • Assaye (23 September 1803)
  • Asseerghur (21 October 1803)
  • Laswarree (1 November 1803)
  • Argaum (29 November 1803)
  • Gawilghur (15 December 1803)
  • Defence of Delhi (8-14 December 1803)
  • Battle of Deig
    (13 November 1804)
  • Capture of Deig (11-23 December 1804)

Gurkha War
:

  • Nepaul (October 1814 - March 1816)

Third Mahratta War
:

  • Kirkee (5 November 1817)
  • Poona (11-16 November 1817)
  • Khadki and Poona (5-16 November 1817)
  • Seetabuldee
    (26-27 November 1817)
  • Nagpore (16 December 1817)
  • Seetabuldee and Nagpore (26-27 November, 16 December 1817)
  • Maheidpoor (21 December 1817)
  • Corygaum (1 January 1818)

First Burmese War
:

  • Ava (April 1824 - February 1826)

Siege of Bhurtpoor:

References and notes

  1. ^ Mayo, p. 336
  2. ^ a b c Mussell, p.135
  3. ^ a b c Joslin, Litherland & Simpkin, p. 96.
  4. ^ One man was awarded a medal with seven clasps, 2 with six clasps, 10 with five clasps, 23 with four clasps and 149 with three clasps. See Joslin, Litherland & Simpkin, p.96.
  5. ^ Joslin, Litherland & Simpkin, pp. 98 and 101.
  6. ^ a b Mayo, p. 333
  7. ^ Mayo, p. 330

Bibliography

  • Mussell, John (ed.) (2014). Medals Yearbook 2015, Token Publishing Limited.
    ISBN 1-870192-66-4
  • Joslin, Edward; Litherland, Andrew & Simpkin, Brian. (eds.) (1988). British Battles and Medals, Revised edition, Spink & Sons Ltd. London.
    ISBN 0-907605-25-7
  • Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 2. A. Constable, London.

External links

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