blue Posted 17 October , 2005 Share Posted 17 October , 2005 I have recently purchaced a pair of medals(BWM & VICTORY) to a indian who served in the East Africain Railways. His rank is given as K. MATE KIRSHEN SINGH I have wondered if the K is a mistake possibly cooks mate or carpenters mate. I have over a hundred medals to the indian army and have never come across this rank any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 17 October , 2005 Share Posted 17 October , 2005 The nearest I can suggest is "Kot Dafadar" which is a cavalry rank. It corresponds to "Troop Sergeant-Major" in the British Cavalry. zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 18 October , 2005 Share Posted 18 October , 2005 I have five WW1 medals to E.Afr.Railways and all the ranks are in English (tailor, carpenter, fitter, pointsman and boilermaker - all abbreviated). Has anyone ever seen an Indian rank to them? My guess would be Kitchen Mate. But I do have a Meso. Rys victory to a K-Man where there definitely were Indian ranks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 18 October , 2005 Share Posted 18 October , 2005 Doh! I missed the "Mate" bit. zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushil Talwar Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 K-Mate is a Khalasi's Mate. They were coolies/labourers working as gangmen in the EA Railways. Rgds Sushil Talwar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 K-Mate is a Khalasi's Mate. They were coolies/labourers working as gangmen in the EA Railways. Rgds Sushil Talwar <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sushil (or anyone else in the know) I have a few from the Meso. Rys. that I am not yet completely certain of. G-MAN = Gang Man B.L.COOLY = ? F-MAN = fireman, forgeman ? M-G-MAN = ? SH.JEM. = Shunting Jemadar ? B.MLDR. = Williamson suggests Bombardier Mule Driver (seems unlikely for any Indian rank/trade) in one part of his tome and Boiler Moulder in another. Any ideas? PTS.JEMDR. = Points Jemadar ? Jim Strawbridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushil Talwar Posted 21 October , 2005 Share Posted 21 October , 2005 Dear Jim, These require some time to decipher - some gusses below: G-MAN = Gang Man B.L.COOLY = B? Loading Cooly F-MAN = Foreman M-G-MAN = Mate Gang Man SH.JEM. = Shunting Jemadar B.MLDR. = B? Moulder PTS. JEMDR. = Porters Jemadar Cheers Sushil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 22 October , 2005 Share Posted 22 October , 2005 Thank you Sushil. The missing one, I have been advised by Philip Burman, is brick moulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooloo Posted 22 October , 2005 Share Posted 22 October , 2005 Could: B.L.COOLY = Brick Laying Cooly? An absolute guess on my part. zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushil Talwar Posted 22 October , 2005 Share Posted 22 October , 2005 Jim, The Wg Cdr is absolutely correct. BL Cooly cannot be a Brick Laying Cooly as 'Brick Laying' was a specialist job done by a Mistri where as a Cooly is labourer. What keeps coming to mind is a Brake (Van) Loading Cooly or a (Goods) Bogie Loading Cooly or a Brick Loading Cooly - each is a conjecture. Cheers Sushil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushil Talwar Posted 22 October , 2005 Share Posted 22 October , 2005 And one that I forgot Bildar/Loading Cooly. Cheers Sushil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 23 October , 2005 Share Posted 23 October , 2005 An idle thought. Apparently the rank of Bath and Lavatory Steward existed (I think in the Royal Navy). I cannot conceive that there would be baths at Mesopotamian railway stations but someone had to do latrine duties. Bath and Lavatory Cooly? Now I really am reaching to the bottom of the barrel (or cistern). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushil Talwar Posted 23 October , 2005 Share Posted 23 October , 2005 Jim, If at all thre was a Bath & Lavatory XYZ it would be a Sweeper. A Cooly means a labourer and he would not do the work of any other speicialist, espeically that of a sweeper. As a matter of fact I am convinced about the Bildar/Loading Cooly. CHeers Sushil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 24 October , 2005 Share Posted 24 October , 2005 Jim, If at all thre was a Bath & Lavatory XYZ it would be a Sweeper. A Cooly means a labourer and he would not do the work of any other speicialist, espeically that of a sweeper. As a matter of fact I am convinced about the Bildar/Loading Cooly. CHeers Sushil <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you Sushil. If you are convinced then so am I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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