Volunteer Long Service (India & the Colonies). GV issue (Voltr. T. Shaw Kolar Gold F. R. Voltrs.)

Medal verification: The medal confirmed per Indian Army Order 290 of 1914

Thomas Shaw (1858-1921) was a long-term European resident of the Kolar Gold Field, where he was employed firstly as a Miner, rising to a 'Shift Boss' and latterly employed as a Millman, during which time he was employed at the Champion Reef Mine, Kolar, Mysore State. When not working at the mine, Thomas, like many of the European miners was a member of the Kolar Gold Field Volunteers, in which unit he would have served 20 years, continuous or aggregated, service prior to being awarded his Volunteer Long Service Medal

Thomas and his wife Mary were blessed with a large family, all of whom were born at Kolar, and or baptised at nearby Banglore, Sadly quite a few of the children died in their infancy or youth. With regards to birth records we have traced the below following as known to have been children of Thomas & Mary, viz:

- Winifred Ann Shaw born circa 1893
- Harold Thomas Shaw born 14 June 1898
- Charles John Frederick Shaw born 10 February 1900
- Dennis Wilfred Shaw born 10 February 1900
- Norman Christopher Anthony Shaw born 18 December 1902
- Anthony Robert Shaw born 15 September 1904
- Robert Joseph Shaw born 5 January 1908
- Frederick Charles George Shaw born 30 December 1909
- Richard Quinton Shaw born 16 May 1912
- Colin Henry Shaw born 27 April 1915

Note: Harold Thomas Shaw enlisted in the British Army in 1915, at the age of 18 years & 7 months, and subsequently served with the 21st Lancers, 7th Hussars & Royal Tank Corps

Thomas Shaw is recorded as having died at Kolar Gold Field on 15 April 1921, at the time of his death he was recorded as being a 'Retired Millman' and that cause of death was due to 'Pulmanory Tuberculosis'. Thomas was buried the following day on 16 April 1921, when his body was buried at the Kolar Gold Field Champion Reef Cemetery

The origins of the Kolar Gold Field Battalion (Auxiliary Force India), date to 1887, when the Kolar Gold Field Company was formed as 'F Company of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers. In 1903 the Kolar Gold Field Company became independent of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers. and a new unit was formed styled 'Kolar Gold Field Rifle Volunteers'. With the creation of the Indian Defence Force in April 1917, the unit was restyled '43rd Kolar Gold Field Battalion'. On the subsequent creation of the Auxiliary Force India in 1920, the unit was re-styled 'Kolar Gold Field Battalion'

Sold together with some hard-copy photocopied research

Condition: GVF

Code: 21501