India General Service Medal 1895-1902. Victorian issue with 3 x clasps 'Punjab Frontier 1897-98', 'Samana 1897' & 'Tirah 1897-98' (Serjt R. Roberston Comt Transpt Deptt)

Medal and clasps verification: The medal & 3 x dated clasps for Relief of Chitral, Punjab Frontier & Tirah verified as entitled per the respective campaign medal roll of the Commissariat & Transport Department (Punjab Command), reference WO 100/78 & WO 100/84. The medal and same three clasps are also shown in his extant service papers (held & accessible at The National Archives). Confusingly, one of the entry pages in WO 100/84 categorically states 'NO' to prior medal & clasp entitlement to 'Relief of Chitral 1895! Note also that the dated 'Samana' clasp was never issued singly.

In addition to the IGS medal, the recipient was also awarded a Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps 'Tugela Heights' & 'Relief of Ladysmith', as No 1277 Sergeant R. Robertson, 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders (ref WO 100/203)

Richard Robertson, was a native of the parish of, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland, where he was born in 1865. By trade a 'Puddler', Richard was James, was 19 years & 2 months of age, when enlisted in the British Army at, Glasgow, Scotland, on, 7 January 1884, on which date he was posted to the Gordon Highlanders, in which regiment he served with the 1st battalion. His extant service papers show that his notified next of kin was, his mother, Elizabeth Robertson, then shown residing at Calderbank, Airdrie. Richard was evidently a soldier of considerable ability, as he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on, 28 April 1886. In total Richard Robertson served 19 years & 251 days 'With the Colours', the majority of which - 14 years & 339 days - he served in overseas as under:

- Malta: 21/09/1885 - 13/11/1888 (3 years 54 days)
- Ceylon: 14/11/1888 - 16/01/1892 (3 years 64 days)
- East Indies: 17/01/1892 - 07/12/1899 (7 years 325 days)
- South Africa : 08/12/1899 - 25/08/1900 (261 days)

While in Ceylon Colony, Richard married Lilian Marie de Vos, a 16 year old teenager, on, 9 September 1891. His young wife Elizabeth was a member of a well-known and to this day considerably influential 'Burgher' family, of Dutch heritage in Ceylon. The couple were blessed with a son, Richard Bruce Robertson, who was born at Sabathu Cantonment, Punjab Hills (now Himachal Pradesh) near Simla, India, on, 2 September 1893

On 21 August 1894, Richard was transferred to the Indian Unattached List, and posted to the Punjab Command of the Commissariat & Transport Department, subsequently serving several years on the North West Frontier of India, for which active service he was awarded a multi-clasp India General Service Medal. On 16 March 1899, he joined 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders, which battalion ad arrived in India in 1898, and with which battalion he embarked from, India, for active service in the South African War where he saw combat in Natal Colony, earning a Queens South Africa with two clasps

Richard Robertson took his final discharge from the British Army, on, 14 September 1903. In total he had served 19 years & 251 days 'With the Colours'. Immediately after leaving the British Army, on 6 November 1903, Richard and his family sailed on the S.S. Ophir from England bound for, Colombo, Ceylon Colony, where he took an appointment. His son Richard Bruce Richardson subsequently became a Tea Planter, and served as an Officer in the Indian Army in both World Wars

The recipients service papers are extant & accessible at The National Archives

Condition: About GVF

Code: 22385