A rare to 'Armenian' Rangoon based volunteer's Great War, Coronation and Long Service medal group of 3: Sergeant S. Aganoor, Rangoon Battalion, Burma Auxiliary Force late South Rangoon Battalion (A.F.I.) & 18th Battalion Indian Defence Force

- British War Medal (442 Pte. S. Aganoor, 18 Bn. I.D.F)
- Coronation Medal 1937. Engraved (2261, Sgt. S. Rangoon Bn. B.A.F.)
- Efficiency Medal. GV issue with 'India' bar (Cpl. S. Aganoor, Rangoon Bn., A.F.I.)

The recipient was a member of the Armenian Christian community in Burma, and the refugee 'Trek Lists' compiled during the evacuation of Burma in 1942, list 15 x persons called 'Aganoor' who were formerly Burma residents (mostly from Rangoon). Including a female child who tragically died on the trek, and a Mr. S. Aganoor, described as a Mechanical Engineer from Rangoon, who lived at, 15 Dubern Road Rangoon (there are eight family members recorded to have lived at this address). A prominent Armenian family, several of the Aganoors, male and female served in the Armed Forces. One of the evacuees Bunny Aganoor was later commissioned and served in Special Operations Executive in Burma during, who was captured and executed by the Imperial Japanese Army. Mr. S. Aganoor, is shown as subsequently residing at, 2 Albert Road, Allahabad, British India

Note: the medals represent continuous service in the same Rangoon based volunteer battalion over a 22 year period, during which the unit under-went three changes in name

Medal verification: All medals confirmed entitled per below cited authorities:

- British War Medal: Ref WO 329/2389 medal roll of 'Rangoon Bn A.F.I.', compiled & dated Rangoon, 27 June 1922 (only 32 x medals to unit)
- Efficiency Medal awarded per Indian Army Order No.696 of 1933. Award date 22 December 1933
- Jubilee Medal 1935 Medal Roll: The National Archives. Volumes for India & Burma Allocations ref QLIB 4

Rangoon Battalion, Burma Auxiliary Force:The origins of the battalion date to, 30 November 1877, when the unit was raised as the Rangoon Volunteer Rifle Corps. On, 23 November 1883, the unit absorbed the Akyab Volunteer Rifle Corps, that had been raised on, 12 March 1880, The unit was restyled as 18th Rangoon Battalion on, 1st April 1917, and for only 3 years was part of the Indian Defence Force. In 1920, the I.D.F. was disbanded, to be replaced by the Auxiliary Force India, the unit being restyled in that year as the Rangoon Battalion, Auxiliary Force India. In 1937, when Burma stopped being administered by the Government of India, the unit was transferred to the newly formed Burma Auxiliary Force on, 1 April 1937

For specific details of the mobilization and subsequent history of the Rangoon Battalion during the Second World War, see the excellent website pages maintained by Steve Rothwell at:

- http://www.rothwell.force9.co.uk/burmaweb/RangoonBattalionBAF.htm

A most interesting group of medals to the Rangoon Battalion, and an extremely rare grouping by ethnicity to an Armenian recipient

Condition: About GVF

Code: 23225