Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers

An Indian Mutiny ‘Delhi’ I.O.M. pair awarded to Sepoy Diam, 1st Punjab Infantry, later Subedar in the 31st Bengal Native Infantry

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type (1837-1912), 3rd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel, the solid reverse engraved in three lines ‘3rd Class Order of Merit’, with riband buckle; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Delhi (Sepoy Diam 1st P.I.) naming engraved in running script, contact marks and pitting from points of I.O.M., otherwise nearly very fine (2) £2,000-£2,600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers.

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Provenance: Indian Mutiny medal purchased from Philip Burman, June 2012.

I.O.M. G.O. No. 652 of 17 January 1859: Sepoy Daim [sic], 1st Punjab Infantry, Punjab Irregular Force (now Havildar 23rd Punjab Infantry). ‘Admitted to the [3rd Class] Order of Merit for gallantry and good services rendered during the sepoy rebellion.’

The 1st Punjab Infantry served at the siege of Delhi and in the subsequent operations to pacify the surrounding districts from the beginning of July 1857 until the end of the year. In February 1858 it joined the force assembling at Roorkee for the operations leading to the subjugation of Rohilkhund, only returning to the Punjab after a further nine months of hard campaigning. The regiment as a whole was generally entitled to the medal with single clasp ‘Delhi’ although the roll of claims has not been traced in the India Office records and the precise breakdown of medals and clasps is not known. However, it was one of the most highly decorated regiments with seventy-six I.O.M. awards for the Indian Mutiny campaign, only eclipsed by the 5th Troop, 1st Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery and 13th Bengal Native Infantry.

The January 1877 edition of the Bengal Army List was the first to include details of Indian officers. Subadar Diam Khan is listed with the 31st (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. The spelling of Diam’s name appears consistently throughout Bengal Army Lists and in the regimental records as ‘Diam Khan’, presumably because it was entered thus on the musters of the 23rd Punjab Infantry when he transferred to that corps. In all probability it was at this stage in his career that the honorific ‘Khan’ was added to his name. His date of entering service is given as 24 October 1851. He was commissioned Jemadar on 1 April 1866, and advanced to Subedar on 1 May 1876. In the latter year he was present with his regiment in Cawnpore and features in a group photograph of officers wearing three awards: the Indian Order of Merit badge, the Indian Mutiny medal with ‘Delhi’ clasp, and the India General Service medal with ‘North West Frontier’ clasp. Subedar Diam last appears in the Bengal Army List of 31 December 1883.

The General Order of January 1859 announcing Diam’s admission to the Order of Merit confirms that he had by then transferred as a Havildar to the 23rd Punjab Infantry. Following the reconstruction of the Indian Army that took place in 1861, the 23rd Punjab Infantry was retained as a regular infantry regiment of the Bengal Army with the new title of 31st (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. He was one of the Indian Mutiny veterans invited to the 1903 Delhi Durbar and received the Delhi Durbar medal as a result.

Sold with detailed research including a copy of the group photograph as mentioned above.