Volunteer Long Service Medal (India & Colonies). Victorian issue (Sergt H. J. Collins. E.I.Ry: Vol: Rifles)

Medal verification: Sergeant H. J. Collins, of the East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles, was awarded his VLSM in 1900, the award being published in the Gazette of India issue 512 of 1900

The East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles had its origins dating back to 1869, when the unit was originally raised. The lineage of the regiment throughout its existence as an auxiliary unit is shown below:

- 1886: East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps
- 1897: East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles
- 1917: 7th East Indian Railway Battalion
- 1918: 7th East Indian Railway Corps
- 1920: The East Indian Railway Regiment (A.F.I.)

The regiment was stood down and disbanded on 14 August 1947

A famous celebrity, Rudyard Kipling, visited the East Indian Railways major rail works at Jamalpur, Bengal, in 1888, where he wrote of the volunteers:

Quote,

On Tuesdays and Fridays the volunteers parade. A and B Companies, 150 strong in all, of the E.I.R. Volunteers, are stationed here with the band. Their uniform, grey with red facings, is not lovely, but they know how to shoot and drill. They have to. The ‘Company’ makes it a condition of service that a man must be a volunteer; and volunteer in something more than name he must be, or someone will ask the reason why. Seeing that there are no regulars between Howrah and Dinapore, the ‘Company’ does well in exacting this toll."

Unquote.

A large regiment, in 1906 the unit numbered approximately 2,300 x 'All-Ranks' with its Headquarters and Armoury located at Jamalpur.

Condition: About GVF

Code: 25678