Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Lucknow operations Indian Order of Merit pair awarded to Sowar Noor Gool, 3rd Sikh Irregular Cavalry

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type, 3rd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel, the reverse inscribed on three lines ‘3rd / Class / Order of Merit’, the lower point with stamped marks of Hamilton & Co., of Calcutta, lacking ribbon buckle; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Lucknow, Central India (Sowar Noor Gool, 3d Regt. Seikh I.C.) the first lacking most central enamel, pitting overall, therefore good fine (2) £3500-4000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The collection of Medals formed by the Late Clive Nowell.

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3rd Class Order of Merit announced in G.O. 229 of 1859:

‘The 3rd Sikh Irregular Cavalry formed part of the field force that operated in the Shahabad District, and did excellent work on the 14th of October, 1858, while in pursuit of a body of rebels near the village of Chongain. Dafadar Ummer Sing with great gallantry dashed into a body of the enemy and cut down their leader. The rebels then took shelter in the village of Phuphda, where the cavalry could not get at them owing to a large tank which checked their progress. But there was one amongst the ranks who was determined not to leave the rebels without a further lesson; this man was Sowar Noor Gool who volunteered to get across the tank and to fire the village. The job looked an impossibility owing to the difficulty of conveying the fire to accomplish the task, but to Noor Gool nothing seemed impossible and the next moment, to the astonishment of his comrades and amidst their cheers, Noor Gool swam across the tank with a pan of fire on his head and ignited the thatch of many houses! This success roused the martial spirit of Jemadar Mahbood Khan, who headed a party of twelve dismounted men and drove the rebels through the village into a square enclosure where unluckily they could not be followed.’

Jemadar Mahboob Khan, Dafadar Ummer Sing and Sowar Noor Gool each received the Order of Merit, 3rd Class, for this action.

Sold with copies of relevant entry from The Deeds of Valour performed by Soldiers of the Indian Army by Hypher and his medal roll entry. It is unlikely that he is entitled to the clasp for Central India.