India General Service Medal 1908-35. GV silver first issue with clasp 'Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919' (1 Jemdr. Karim Din, 31 Mule Cps.)

The recipient Karim Din was a Punjabi Mussalman soldier who held a commission as a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer, with rank of Jemadar, while serving with the 31st Mule Corps, a pack transport unit of the Transport Branch of the Supply and Transport Corps of the British Indian Army

The numeral 1 pre-ceding the rank presumably indicates that he was the senior VCO in the unit, in which there were generally only two V.C.O.'s (one of which was usually a Veterinary trained native officer)

Mule Corps Establishment 1914: Reference 'On Two Fronts - Being the Aventures of an Indian Mule Corps in France and Gallipoli (Major H. M. Alexander, D.S.O.. London 1917); the author - an officer of the Supply & Transport Corps of the British Indian Army, wrote:
Quote,

The Corps, at service strength, consists of eight troops of 96 mules each, in charge of a kot duffadar or troop-sergeant-major, assisted by two naicks or corporals, and about fifty Indian drivers. The '' superior establishment ", as it is officially called, includes the Commandant (usually a Major or Captain), two British warrant-officers, each of whom commands a '* sub-division '' of four troops; two British staff-sergeants as Sergeant-Major and Quarter master- Sergeant; two Indian officers as Adjutant and Veterinary Officer, and two Indian clerks. In peace-tim.e the Corps has 200 small carts, and four of the troops are then used in draught. The total strength is 768 mules and, roughly, 500 men

Unquote.

Condition: VF

Code: 24915