Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Defence of Chitral I.O.M. pair awarded to Naick Bhola Singh, 14th Sikhs, for gallantry at the firing of the Gun Tower, 7th April 1895, on which occasion he was very severely wounded

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type, 3rd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel, the reverse inscribed on three lines ‘3rd Class Order of Merit’; India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Defence of Chitral 1895 (1501 Naick Bhola Singh, 14th Bl. Infy.) the pair mounted on a silver ribbon buckle, minor official correction to rank, otherwise good very fine (2) £2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Richard Magor Collection of Medals Relating to India and Africa, and other Fine Awards.

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Indian Order of Merit G.G.O. No. 744 of 1895, with effect from the 7th April 1895: No. 1501 Sepoy Bhola Singh, 14th (Ferozepore Sikh) Regiment of Bengal Infantry.

In spite of all the alertness displayed by the sentries (4th Kashmir Rifles) the enemy, on 7 April, after diverting the attention of the garrison by what was made to look like an attack on the water point, managed, with great pluck, to place large faggots and logs of wood in a pile against the corner of the gun tower and set fire to it. The tower was soon well on fire and blazing up. All men not on duty turned out to fight the fire with mud and water. Their work was greatly hindered by the strong wind that was fanning the fire, and the shower of bullets from the enemy positions outside the fort. The fire was finally put out at 1000 hours that day. The enemy tried to restart the fire in the gun tower during the following night but the sentries (now mostly 14th Sikhs) were alert this time and a fire alarm was sounded before the red hot ambers could light the bundle of faggots that had been placed next to them.

The regimental history The 14th King George’s Own Sikhs records ‘Sepoy Bhola Singh of the 14th was subsequently awarded the 3rd Class Indian Order of Merit for his gallantry on this occasion. After being wounded in one arm whilst helping to put out the fire, he continued to empty water on the blaze with the other arm, although continuously exposed to the enemy.’ His was one of only three awards of the Order of Merit for this incident during the defence.