China Medal 1900. Silver issue with no clasp (2602 Sowar Surayan Singh 3d Bo Lt Cavy)

A rare seen medal to a Sikh veteran of the Boxer Rebellion in China, who later lost his life at the Battle of Ctesiphon, on 22 November 1915, while fighting Ottoman Turkish Forces in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq)

Killed-in-Action / or Died of Wounds: No 2602 Sowar Surayan Singh 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry (the 3rd (Queen's Own) Regiment of Bombay Cavalry had changed its name to 33rd Queen Victoria's Light Cavalry in 1903) is confirmed having lost his life at the battle of Ctesiphon, Mesopotamia on, 22 November 1915

Surayan Singh was the son of Basawa Singh of Fatehgarh Sukar Chak, Amritsar, Punjab, India. The memory of the supreme self sacrifice of Surayan Singh is commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, where his name and service details are inscribed on panels at the Basra Memorial, located in Iraq

Volume II of the Regimental History of The Poona Horse has a detailed account of the regiments role in the Battle of Ctesiphon, and summarises the casualties of the regiment on 22 November 1915 as:

Quote,

On this day the casualties in the 33rd were as follows one sowar killed, Lieut Onslow, one jemadar and twenty-three men wounded, while of the horses, twenty-six were killed and eighty-four, including six officers’ chargers, were wounded

Unquote.

By contrast the CWGC records 3 x soldiers of the same regiment who died on 22 November 1915 - whether all these men were 'Killed in Action' and /or subsequently 'Died of Wounds' is not conclusively known

The recipient Surayan Singh was an Indian soldier of the Sikh faith holding the rank of Sowar (Trooper) while serving with the  3rd (Queens Own) Regiment of Bombay Cavalry, a mounted regiment of the Bombay Presidency Army - which latterly was amalgamated and restyled as 17th Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse - one of the most famous and decorated regiments of the Indian Army

Medals Verification: Boxer Rebellion and Gtreat War era campaign medal rolls for the 3rd (Queens Own) Regiment of Bombay Cavalry /  33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry are not currently accessible in the United Kingdom - but may reside at the National Archives of India. That notwithstanding Sowar Surayan Singh would with certainty have been entitled to the below following campaign medals:

- China Medal 1900. No clasp: 
- 1914-15 Star:
- British War Medal. Silver issue
- Interallied Victory Medal

Whether the Great War medals which the recipient was entitled to were ever subsequently issued and forwarded to the recipients father, or other nominated next of kin. is not known

3rd (Queen's Own) Regiment of Bombay Cavalry: The January 1900 Indian Army List entry for the 3rd (Queen's Own) Regiment of Bombay Cavalry. records that the class composition of this 'Class Squadron' regiment was:

- 1 x Squadron Jats of Western Rajputana
- 1 x Squadron Jat Sikhs
- 1 x Squadron Kaimkhanis ( W, Rajputana)
- 1 x Squadron Mahomedan Rajputs

Poona Horse: The regiment had its origins in the old Bombay Army of the East India Company, where its predecessor units were raised in 1820 & 1817 respectively. In 1921 the 33rd Light Cavalry regiment was amalgamated with the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse, with the new regiment subsequently restyled in 1927 as The Poona Horse (Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry). The descendent regiment continues to serve in the Indian Army in 2025, as The Poona Horse (17 Horse), an armoured tank regiment of the Armoured Corps

The Poona Horse is one of the most famous regiments of the Indian Army. The regiments illustrious history and honours embrace service in three Afghan wars, Persia, Abyssinia and China (1900), as well as in the Great War and the Second World War. Since 1947, the regiment has fought with distinction in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, in each war of which an officer of the regiment was decorated 'posthumously' with the highest bravery decoration, viz the Param Vir Chakra oona Horse: The regiment had its origins in the old Bombay Army of the East India Company, where its predecessor units were raised in 1820 & 1817 respectively. In 1921 the 33rd Light Cavalry regiment was amalgamated with the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse, with the new regiment subsequently restyled in 1927 as The Poona Horse (Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry). The descendent regiment continues to serve in the Indian Army in 2025, as The Poona Horse, an armoured tank regiment of the Armoured Corps

Condition: VF

Code: 25612