Efficiency Medal. GV issue with clasp 'India' (Pte. R. Benjamin, Sind. R. A.F.I.)

Medal Verification: The medal was awarded to Private R. Benjamin, of The Sind Rifles (Auxiliary Force India) on 25 September 1933, as published in Indian Army Order No. 554 of 1933

The recipient was almost certainly of the Jewish faith, the Sind Rifles being one of two corps of the Auxiliary Force India (the other were the units of the Bombay Contingent) that mustered sizeable numbers of volunteers from the local Jewish communities in Karachi & Bombay respectively

In 1925, the Sind Rifles, was placed under the command of the Karachi Auxiliary Force - re-named Karachi Corps in 1933 - and by October 1938 the Sind Rifles had been reduced in size and consisted of a Headquarters and 3 x infantry platoons. The 3 x units of the A.F.I. that comprised the Karachi Corps, were:

- No.4 (Karachi) Fortress Company RE AFI
- The Sind Rifles
- No 2 (Karachi) Company, Machine Gun Corps AFI.

Reference 'The Auxiliary Force India and its predecessors' (Alan Harfield, 2015), the breakdown by ethnicity of the Karachi Corps (including the Sind Rifles) in 1939 and 1944 was:
years

3 September 1939, The Karachi Corps totalled 369 x 'All-Ranks' of which 300 x 'Active' & 69 x 'Reserve', which by respective communities was:

- Europeans: x 90
- Jews: x 37
- Parsees: x 14
- Anglo-Indians (sic) 'Eurasians': x 89
- Goans: 139

31 December 1944. The Karachi Corps totalled 447 x 'All Ranks' of which 328 x 'Active' & 119 x 'Reserve', which by respective communities was:

- Europeans: x 95
- Jews: x 68
- Parsees: x 14
- Anglo-Indians (sic) 'Eurasians': x 59
- Goans: x 219

September 1939, numbers of volunteers by 'communities':

- Europeans:
- Jews:
- Parsees:
- Anglo-Indians (sic) 'Eurasians':
- Goans:

During the period 3 September 1939 - 31 December 1944, no less than 32 x volunteers form the Karachi Corps were commissioned into the Armed Forces, and 87 x volunteers enlisted into the Armed Forces as 'Other-Ranks'

On 14 August 1947 The Sind Rifles together with the other units of the Karachi Corps were disbanded

A scarce seen Efficiency Medal 'India' named to a Jewish volunteer who served with the Sind Rifles

Condition: About EF

Code: 25173