India (Republic): Videsh Seva Medal. With clasp 'Korea' in hindi language (4033514 Nk. Ck. S.S. Negi. Garr Rif.)

The recipient by ethnicity & faith a Garhwali Hindu, holding the non commissioned officer rank and appointment of Naik-Clerk (Corporal Clerk) while serving with the 3rd Battalion Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army

Note: The recipients unique Army Service Number is from the block allocated to the - then - Royal Garhwal Rifles - in the period following the Independence of India on 15 August 1947, and prior to 1950. Any Indian veterans of the pre-war 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles, or Second World War veterans of the Royal Garhwal Rifles (title changed in 1945 - and the Royal title dropped from all appointments following the creation of the Republic of India in 1950), were allocated new unique Army Service numbers, sequentially, circa 1949

Important: The 3rd Battalion, was the only battalion from the Garhwal Rifles that served in Korea
3rd Battalion Garhwal Rifles: Was the junior of the three regular infantry battalions of the Garhwal Rifles, only having been raised in 1916.

3rd Battalion Garhwal Rifles, had the distinction of being the first battalion of the Garhwal Rifles to serve overseas from India when they were deployed with the Indian Custodian Force serving under the auspices of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Committee

An estimated 125,000 North Korean and Chinese POW's had been captured by United Nations Forces during the Korean War, and post armistice, approximately more than a third of those POW's were refusing repatriation. The NNRC's military force was provided exclusively by India, as the 'Indian Custodian Force' with function to provIde the security to protect, guard, process and where possible repatriate the remaining POW's

In total, India sent 5 x contingents of army & red cross personnel to the Indian Custodian Force, the contingents embarking from India variously between 18 March - 25 September 1953

The Videsh Seva Medal was created on 26 January 1960, and the clasp 'Korea' (instituted by MOD Notification No. 1339 of 22 July 1960) became the very first clasp to be awarded with the 'Overseas Medal'

Very scarce seen on the market

Code: 22353