Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lieutenant-Colonel William Whelan Coen, Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles

British War Medal 1914-20 (Major); Delhi Durbar 1911, silver, unnamed; Indian Volunteer Forces Officers’ Decoration, E.VII.R., reverse inscribed, ‘Major W. Coen, Southern Mahratta Ry. Rifles.’, hallmarks for Birmingham 1904, with brooch bar, mounted for court style for wear, good very fine and better (3) £220-260

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Long Service Medals from the Collection formed by John Tamplin.

View
Collection

William Whelan Coen was at various times, Inspector of Works, Bengal and North Western Railway and Storekeeper, Southern Mahratta Railway. Latterly he was the proprietor of Hubli Bone Mills at Hubli, Dharway, Bombay. Coen served in the Indian Volunteer Forces for many years. He was appointed a Captain in the Southern Mahratta Railway Rifle Corps on 23 November 1887. He was promoted to Major on 29 March 1892. The title of the unit was changed from ‘Corps’ to ‘Rifles’ in 1897. Major Coen was awarded the Indian Volunteer Forces Officers’ Decoration, this published in the Gazette of India of 12 May 1906. In 1907 Major Coen officiated as commandant of the regiment in the absence of the C.O. He was granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 23 March 1908, and was promoted to that rank on 1 October 1908. In June 1910, the Madras Railway Volunteers and the Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles were amalgamated to form the Madras and Southern Railway Rifles. Coen was appointed Commandant of the 2nd Battalion in December 1910. With the outbreak of War, Coen was appointed a Major in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers, Infantry on 24 December 1914. In August 1915 he was placed on the Supernumerary List and appointed Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment. On the formation of the Indian Defence Force on 1 April 1917, Coen was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2-32nd Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles. Sold with some copied research.