A rare Indian Service 'Barracks Department' campaign, commemorative & long service medal group of 5: Staff Sergeant George Henry Giles Barrack Department (Indian Army) late 1st Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

- 1914-15 Star (8075 L. Sjt. G. H. Giles, Oxf: & Bucks: L.I.)
- British War Medal. Silver issue (8075 Cpl. G. H. Giles. Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.)
- Interallied Victory Medal (8075 Cpl. G. H. Giles. Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.)
- Jubilee Medal 1935
- Military LS&GC Medal. GV 1st issue (S-Sgt. G. H. Giles. Bk. Deptt.)

Medals verification: All medals verified per the respective campaign & commemorative medal rolls cited & respective Indian Army Order:

- 1914-15 Star (Ref WO 329/2744) First entered theatre of war 'Mesopotamia' 5 December 1915
- British War Medal. Silver issue (Ref WO 329/1365)
- Interallied Victory Medal (Ref WO 329/1365)
- Jubilee Medal 1935 (ref Jubilee Medal roll 'India Allocation), shown as Sub-Conductor, Bombay
- Military LS&GC Medal: (Ref Indian Army Order 452 of date 31 May 1924)

George Henry Giles. son of William Giles & Susan Giles was a native of, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, England, where he was born, on, 30 April 1884. George was employed as a 'Labourer' when he first attested for the 'Militia' on, 25 October 1905, being posted to the 4th (Militia) Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. His days as a 'Militia' man were short lived however, as on, 2 November 1905, he transferred his service to the Regular British Army, being posted to one of the regular battalions of the, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. By 1911, the National Census for England & Wales, records George serving as a Lance-Corporal with 1st Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, serving overseas in British India. He was still serving in India, when the Great War broke out in August 1914, and he remained in India, almost a full year after his battalion had earlier theatre of war 'Mesopotamia' in November 1914. George later joined his battalion in Mesopotamia the following year, when he is recorded as having entered theatre of war Mesopotamia on, 5 December 1915 (the medal rolls refer).

In 1916, the 1st Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was virtually destroyed (albeit later reconstituted) after it was captured by the victorious Ottoman Army at the fall of Kut-al-Amara. As George Giles is not recorded in the published 'Kut' Prisoner of War lists, he appears to have escaped the fate of death or captivity that befell most of his comrades

On 9 October 1918, George Giles married Elizabeth 'Irene' Marie Taylor (25, who had been born at, Meiktila, Burma, in 1893), at, Wellington Cantonment, Madras Presidency, India, at which time he was holding holding the appointment of Company Quartermaster Sergeant, 1st Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Sometime after his marriage, George transferred his service to the Indian Unattached List, being subsequently attached to the 'Barrack Department' of the Military Works Services, with which unit he was he is known to have been serving with at least from April 1921 (at Bangalore) and was still serving when he was awarded his Long Service & Good Conduct Medal. George subsequently was appointed the Warrant Officer appointments of 'Sub-Conductor' (w.e.f. 5 February 1928) & later 'Conductor' (w.e.f. 5 February 1936). The Indian Army List issue for 1931 shows him as 'Army Barrack Master' at Bombay Cantonment, and latterly serving at Ahmednagar Cantonment per the Indian Army List issue for 1937

Bombay. Conductor George Henry Giles, Indian Unattached List, took his discharge from the Indian Army in 1937, and retired to the United Kingdom with his wife and several children. By the time of the compilation of the National Register for England & Wales in 1939, George is recorded therein as a 'Retired Soldier', residing at, 89 Park Lane, Tilehurst Reading, Berkshire, England, with his wife, Irene, daughter Dorothy Ethel Lane Giles (born 5 December 1924, Colaba, Bombay, India ) & son Robert William Kenneth Giles (born 5 May 1927, Deolali, India). George Henry Giles is recorded as having died at Reading, Berkshire, England, on, 2 February 1952, at the time of his death his eldest son, Sergeant Percy Walter Maurice Giles (born on, 20 April 1921, at Bangalore, India) of the British Army, was named as his legal heir

The Indian Army service papers are extant and accessible at former Indian Office Collections now held and accessible at the The British Library (ref IOR/Mil/14/6990)

A rare seen example of the Military Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (Imperial issue) awarded named to the 'Barrack Department' of the Indian Army establishment

Condition: Mostly about GVF

Code: 21690