1914 Star. No clasp (No 2422 Bearer Kala Khan, No.2/Coy. A.B.Corps.)

The recipient Kala Khan was by ethnicity & faith a Punjabi Mussalman, non-combatant soldier who held the rank of Bearer (Stretcher-Bearer) while serving with the 2nd Company of the Army Bearer Corps of the British Indian Army

A digital search of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records 47 x Indian 'Other-Ranks' of Army Bearer Corps units that died in France (none commemorated in Belgium) between August 1914 - December 1915 (inc)

Army Bearer Corps: The corps formed an essential non-combatant branch under the Indian Medical Service. It comprised personnel from diverse castes, communities, and backgrounds who were specially trained and equipped to transport casualties from the battlefield using stretchers and traditional doolies (light curtained litters) to Field Hospitals and or Base Hospitals. Each company had an establishment strength of 200 x 'All-Ranks' that comprised both
'Administrative Staff' x 8 (1 x Sub-Assistant-Surgeon; 1 x Pay Havildar; 1 x Pay Naik; 2 x Sirdars (Supervisor/Head Bearer); 3 x Mates) and 'Bearers' (x 192)

Scarce seen to this unit

Condition: EF

Code: 26318