Volunteer Long Service Medal (India & the Colonies). EDVII issue (Voltr. E. J. Vint South Andaman Voltr. Rifles)

The officially engraved naming with few minor corrections - and fairly typical for this particular medal issue

Only 15 Medals of any type ever issued to this small unit

Edmund James Vint was born at Madras on 14 May 1869, the son of Charles Alfred Vint (Clerk, Accountant General's Office, Fort St. George, Madras) and Harriett Vint (nee Mills). Baptised by the Garrison Chaplain at St Mary's, Madras in October 1869, he moved to the Andaman Islands circa 1886. By 1895 he was an Assistant Accountant in the Treasury Office, Andaman Islands and was Head Accountant by 1905. Edmund was awarded Volunteer Long Service Medal per Indian Army Order 166 of 1906. Tragically, Edmund Vint is recorded to have died by self-administered poison whilst 'temporarily insane' in January 1910 and his body now lies buried in Port Blair, Andaman Islands

British India's 'Devils Island': During the period that Edmund Vint was resident at Port Blair, it was the location of the British colonial penal colony (developed in the years following the Indian Mutiny). The islands were referred to in India as the 'Kali Pani' or 'Black Waters' - a foreboding destination for any Indian prisoner unlucky to find himself incarcerated in the penal colony at Port Blair. The imposing 'Cellular Jail', (purpose built and opened in 1906) was where the inmates - mostly political subversives and early Indian freedom fighters - were infamously held, and detained

An extremely rare to find unit - and the only example of a British medal, of any type, that had the island territory name of 'Andaman' appearing named thereon - and the more rare to a recipient whose bodily remains lie buried in Port Blair!

Condition: VF

Code: 25176