A Great War ‘Mesopotamia’ I.O.M. group of four awarded to Havildar Prem Singh, 36th Sikhs

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 2nd type (1912-39), 2nd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel, the reverse with screw-nut fitting and officially inscribed on two lines ‘2nd Class Order of Merit’, and additionally impressed ‘3648 LAENSS Pirem Singh 36th Sikhs’; British War Medal 1914-20 (3648 Nk. Prem Singh, 36 Sikhs.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Waziristan 1919-21, Waziristan 1921-24 (3648 Havr. Prem Singh, 36 Sikhs.); Jubilee 1935, unnamed, the first with badly chipped centre, otherwise nearly very fine (4) £800-£1,000

Provenance: Glendining’s, September 1991.

Indian Order of Merit GGO 1385 of 18 November 1916:

‘Lance-Naik Prem Singh, 36th Sikhs. For conspicuous gallantry when the non-commissioned officers of the Machine Gun Section kept their gun in action after all the rest of the detachment were either killed or wounded. They finally succeeded in bringing away their gun when retirement was ordered.’ (Mesopotamia)

Believed to have been awarded for the operations on the 12th April 1916.