India General Service Medal 1908-35. GV silver first issue with 3 x clasps 'Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919', 'Mahsud 1919-20' & 'Waziristan 1919-21' (Lt. A. Williams, 2/41/Dogras.)

The upper 2 x clasps attached by silver rods

Medal(s) and clasps verification: The IGS 1908 Medal rolls for British Officers of the British Indian Army, are not yet accessible in the public domain, however the Indian Army Lists 1919-1922 confirm the presence of 2/41st Dogras on active service on the North West Frontier / Waziristan areas of operations 1919-1921 (inc). The recipient is confirmed having prior been entitled to a Great War pair (entered a theatre of War in October 1918) & General Service Medal with clasp 'S. Persia' per below cited Indian Army Reserve of Officers medal roll

- British War Medal. Silver issue: Medal Index Card refers with note to be issued by Government of India
- General Service Medal 1918 with clasp 'S. Persia: WO 100/G53/463

Lieutenant Arthur Williams (who was born on 22 March 1893) was first commissioned on 29 August 1917 (commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Prior to being commissioned he had served in the ranks of the British Army between 4 August 1914 to 29 August 1917 (3 years 25 days). ). He joined the Indian Army on, 29 May 1919 and was appointed to his Army Rank of Lieutenant on 30 June 1919. He is shown in the January Supplement to the Indian Army List 1922, as having served during the 1914-19 War, where he had served in 'South Persia' (on attachment) between 28 October 1918 to 30 June 1919. The Indian Army List records that Lieutenant Williams was appointed a Company Officer with rank of Lieutenant in the 2/41st Dogras from 29 May 1919. The Civil and Military Gazette issue of 14 April 1921, contained a notice showing that Lt. A. Williams to be Depot Quarter-Master from April 1 (The Regimental Depot of 2/41st Dogras was located at Jullunder Cantonment, Punjab.

2nd Battalion 41st Dogras, was a 'War Raised' battalion of the Indian Army, that had been raised at Jubbulpore Cantonment on 16 October 1917. Since it's raising, 2/41st Dogras was located in India, and deployed for active service on the North West Frontier of India, where it served at Thal during the Third Afghan War 1919, and the subsequent frontier operations in Waziristan 1920-2 - (the Indian Army List for April 1921 records the unit still located in Waziristan where it formed part of 'Waziriforce'. The Indian Army List records Lieutenant A. Williams, serving as a Company Commander with 2/41st Dogras. In 1922, the four 'Dogras' class units of the British Indian Army, were grouped together to form the 17th Dogra Regiment, at which time, 2/41st Dogras became the 10th (Training) Battalion 17th Dogra Regiment

- 1922: The Supplement to the Indian Army List, January 1922, confirms

Arthur Williams, son of William Williams (Schoolmaster) and Annie Williams (Schoolmistress), was a native of Chester, Chesire, England, where he was born on 22 March 1893. By the time of the 1901 National Census for England & Wales, Arthur together with his parents and younger brother Frank (b. Cornwall 1900) are recorded residing at. Kilkhampton, Bude, Cornwall, England. The family appear to have put down roots in Kilkhampton, Cornwall, where the family was still residing throughout the Great War and beyond. A search of Devon and Cornwall newspapers, contain a number of articles / mentions of the recipient and his military service, including but not restricted to:

Reference Hartland and West Country Chronicle, 9 April 1917:

Quote,

Corpl. Arthur Williams has been home for ten days' furlough, after 2½ years service in India and Aden (Expeditionary Force). On December 23rd he arrived in England, suffering from dysentery, and from then to March 9th was in Lewisham Military Hospital. At the time of his leaving Aden all the Kilkhampton boys were well and fit

Unquote.

Reference Hartland and West Country Chronicle, 25 October 1917:

Quote,

Cadet Arthur Williams has been gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 2nd D.C.L.I. He served in the ranks as private and N.C.O. in India and later with the Aden Field Forces. Previous to the War he was a Territorial.

Unquote.

An interesting multi-clasp IGS 1908 medal, to a former 'Territorial Force' soldier, who after serving in India and Aden Colony 1914-1917, was subsequently commissioned from the ranks, and went on to serve on active service with the South Persia Field Force, and later with the 41st Dogras of the Indian Army on the North West Frontier of India during the Third Afghan War and Waziristan Campaigns

Condition: About GVF

Code: 24055