The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals

The remarkable campaign group of five to Mate Lalloo Hemow, Army Bearer Corps, formerly a Dooly Bearer in the Supply and Transport Corps

(a) India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Relief of Chitral 1895, bronze issue (215 Dooly bearer Lalloo Hemow, C.T. Deptt.)

(b) Queen’s Sudan 1896, bronze issue (58 Dooly bearer Lalloo Hemow, C.T. Dept.)

(c) Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp, bronze issue (425 Dhooly Bearer Lulloo Hemow, S & T. Corps)

(d) India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908, silver issue (6000 Mate Lalloo, No. 6 Co. A.B. Corps)

(e) Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, no clasp, bronze issue (58 Dooly Bearer Lalloo Hemow, C.T. Dept.) contact marks and edge bruising, generally nearly very fine and a very rare group (5) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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The majority of non-combatants, and especially those in the various ‘corps’, were hired on a temporary basis in times of war and were not kept on the permanent strength, hence every time they were hired they received a fresh service number. The hiring of labour required for the Commissariat & Transport [Supply & Transport from 1901] Corps and the Medical Services establishment was contracted out to foremen or 'mates' who remained with their recruits during the contractual period. It is perfectly logical that Lalloo would have gained the necessary experience by 1908 to perform this elevated function.

One can conclude with reasonable confidence that Lalloo was employed on four separate occasions, the first three with the C & T Corps. Each time he was hired he was issued with a fresh service number. Having matured and gained experience and, presumably, some good references, he got a contract to hire labour for the Army Bearer Corps required for the N.W.F. expedition in 1908, and in all probability all of his muckers had four figure service numbers in the 6000 series. The contract would have ended with the return of the expeditionary force to home base. The Army Bearer Corps was established in 1901 and was amalgamated with the Army Hospital Corps in 1920, to become the Indian Hospital Corps.