Laird of Camster Posted 12 February , 2014 Share Posted 12 February , 2014 Ladies/Gents, Has anyone got any experience of researching Indian DSMs? Are citations available or is it just a case of gazette dates and perhaps theatre won? Gordon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 12 February , 2014 Share Posted 12 February , 2014 The publication "Honours and Awards of the Indian Army 1914 - 1921" which was reprinted by John Hayward some years ago will tell you which theatre the award was won. Many Indian Army lists also include Honours and Awards and will give the Army Order date of award. If you use the 1921 Indian Army List link, which I recently gave you, there may be the problem that the IDSM will be under the new Regiment's title. The other alternative is to check the Regimental War Diary and or history. Regretfully, I have never found a citation for a IDSM, but have found the circumstances. It is always worth checking publications such as "Deeds that thrilled an Empire" just in case something is shown. If an Indian Order of Merit was awarded for the same action, it may be worth checking Hypher's "Deeds of Valour" to see if there is a mention in an IoM citation. See here http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=list_sources&source_class=213 If all else fails, send me a PM with the details and I will see what I can find. Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 12 February , 2014 Share Posted 12 February , 2014 For those who do not know the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. Only just over 3000 awards were made during the Great War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbob1001 Posted 12 February , 2014 Share Posted 12 February , 2014 Hi Gordon The definitive study of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal is in Squadron Leader Rana China's monograph published in 2001 in India - The Indian Distinguished Service Medal - on the history of the this which contains a detailed list of all those who were awarded the medal. It supersedes Honours and Awards and contains references to the theatre of war where awarded, the Indian Army Orders announcing each award and also references to whether the recipient was MID, awarded an Order of British India etc. Alas citations for the medal are virtually impossible to find - they might well have appeared in the Indian Gazette, but that is virtually impossible to find in the UK. Rana was unable to locate citations in New Delhi which I am afraid were probably destroyed long ago. Some still survive in obscure locations - let me know the name of the chap you are interested int. Tim Moreman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 12 February , 2014 Share Posted 12 February , 2014 There is a possible source in the war speeches of Sir Michael O'Dwyer, available online: https://archive.org/stream/warspeeches00odwyuoft#page/n5/mode/2up As he was trying to drum up recruiting he would often mention local boys who had distinguished themselves. No full citations, and very hit and miss, but better than nothing. And it helps to have Indian Army Honours and Awards to cross-reference and get regimental numbers. Here is a sample: https://archive.org/stream/warspeeches00odwyuoft#page/92/mode/2up/search/medal I used to own the IDSM to Rup Singh of the 38th Dogras. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 12 February , 2014 Share Posted 12 February , 2014 For those interested in the Indian Order of Merit, the following details are from the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Medal Rolls http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/Medal_Rolls Reward of Valor: The Indian Order of Merit, 1914-1918 by Peter Duckers was published in 2004 (first published 1999). The 1999 edition is available at the Imperial War Museum, London Deeds of Valour Performed by Indian Officers and Soldiers during the period from 1860 to 1925 by P P Hypher, Army Department 1927 printed at Simla,. Total pages c 500. Available at the British Library and the National Army Museum. The fist part of this book to 1913 is available on the FIBIS database, as mentioned by Sepoy, but not the Great War years 2010 book Indian Order Of Merit Historical Records 1837 - 1947 Volume One 1837 – 1860 by Cliff Parfet and Sqn Ldr Rana TS Chhina (Retd) published by Tom Donovan Editions, Brighton England. Volumes of the Gazette of India, mentioned by Timbob1001 are available at the British Library Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 13 February , 2014 Share Posted 13 February , 2014 Gordon Greetings A short answer is that some citations for the IDSM are out there. I have found them in East Africa General Routine Orders (TNA archives) and in war diaries. Often you can deduce the reasons why IDSMs were awarded by reading relevant chapters in regimental histories. But the vast majority of citations aren't going to be found in documents in the UK - and that is a great pity. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laird of Camster Posted 14 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 14 February , 2014 Thanks guys for all you threads. It certainly appears that the IDSM is very similar to the MM as regards hit and miss information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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