A fine Mesopotamia I.D.S.M. awarded to Honorary Captain Kaka Singh, O.B.I., 45th Sikhs, who was decorated for his bravery in action at Shatt El Hai in late January 1917: he was taken P.O.W. a few days later but managed to escape on his second attempt in April of the same year
Indian Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (626 Havildar Kaka Singh, 45th Rattray’s Sikhs), officially engraved naming, contact marks and polished, about very fine £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bahadur Collection of Medals to Sikh Regiments.

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I.D.S.M. Governor-General’s Order 1767 of 1918, in which Kaka Singh’s number is listed as ‘325’.

‘Havildar Kaka Singh advanced with great coolness under a heavy fire and he took up a position in the open. He subsequently showed great judgment and restraint in not opening fire indiscriminately on invisible snipers who were firing at him at short range. He covered the work efficiently and finally withdrew without loss.’

A lengthy account of Kaka Singh’s escape from the Turks is contained in the official history of the 45th Sikhs (see Chapter XI). Having been wounded at the end of the Shatt El Hai action on 1 February - a very gallant but costly engagement in which the 45th Sikhs sustained casualties of 140 killed and 290 wounded - he was among those taken P.O.W. and interrogated at Baghdad. On 21 March 1917, however, in the company of two other Indian soldiers, he made a bid for freedom, but by the 30th, after making good progress and evading the occasional trigger-happy Turkish soldier, the party was ‘almost mad with thirst’ and sought the the assistance of some Arabs - the latter held them captive and took them into the Turkish lines about 30 miles south of Samarra. From here they endured at least three forced marches - ‘our bare feet were very bruised and cut about, besides which our Turkish escort were continually hitting us with their rifles’ - but once again, on 6 April 1917, Kaka Singh made another bid for freedom, this time successfully - ‘We ran into two picquets and were challenged, and we had an uneasy time by running into two Turkish patrols, but we got through all right this time’. Kaka Singh joined the 45th Sikhs in July 1907. Following his gallant deeds in the Great War, he was advanced to Jemadar in January 1925 and to Subadar in July 1929, and he witnessed further active service on the North West Frontier, being mentioned in despatches twice (G.G.O’s 416 of 1934 and 310 of 1936 refer). Having been awarded the 2nd Class O.B.I. and promoted to Subadar-Major in March 1935, he was appointed an Honorary Captin in 1937, the same year in which he was elevated to O.B.I. 1st Class (G.G.O. 348 of 1937 refers).

Also see Lot No. 208 for the I.O.M. awarded to Naik Chanan Singh for Shatt El Hai and Lot 193 for the India General Service 1908-35 awarded to Lieutenant R. Rainsford Hannay, who was killed in action on the same occasion.