Auction Catalogue

19 September 2003

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 1269

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19 September 2003

Hammer Price:
£1,600

A fine Gallantry K.P.M. group of four awarded to Subadar Major Chanan Singh, Sardar Sahib, North West Frontier Privince Police

King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue, for Gallantry (Channan Singh, Asst. Sub-Inspr. N.W.F. Police) in its fitted presentation case; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Indian Title Badge, G.VI.R., 3rd Class, ‘Sardar Sahib’, silver and enamel (Subedar Major Chanan Singh, 14th June 1945) generally nearly very fine and scarce (4) £700-900

K.P.M. Gazette of India 1 January 1934:
‘On the night of 22nd May 1932 this officer, then a head constable, was on patrol in Nowshera and came upon three men who were behaving suspiciously. The three persons decamped and the police gave chase. Channan Singh, who was ahead of his men, caught one of the fugitives who turned and shot the officer in the neck with a revolver. The Assistant Sub-Inspector on being wounded fell to the ground but fired his Verey pistol and thereby enabled other police officers to follow up the offender and arrest him. A few days previously Channan Singh had behaved with similar resource and determination in an encounter with four armed men, all of whom were arrested and one of whom was a desperate outlaw under sentence of death.’
This published citation is a condensed version of the original recommendation from the Governor N.W.F. Province.

Indian Title Badge, ‘Sardar Sahib’
Gazette of India 14 June 1945. The following recommendation was submitted by the Resident for Rajputana to H.E. the Viceroy: ‘Subedar Major Channan Singh, Superintendent of Police, Balasinor State (lately of the Crown Representative’s Police, Neemuch), N.W.F. Police, on foreign service in the Balasinor State.

The first Indian Officer of the rank of Subedar to join the Crown Representative’s Police on the raising of the force, he rendered valuable assistance in the early stages of its organisation and training. In April 1942 he proceeded on active service to Khaipur State, where the C.R.P. formed part of the Upper Sind Force engaged in operations to suppress the Hur rebellion. In September 1942 he was chosen to command a detachment of the C.R.P. sent to Kotah State as a precautionary measure during the Congress rebellion, and from November 1943 until his reversion to the N.W.F.P. Police he was in command of the detachment sent to Balasinor State to deal with armed dacoit gangs which were committing murders and dacoities throughout the State and in adjoining States and British India territory and within which the State Police had been totally unable to cope.

When the detachment arrived in Balasinor the State Police were demoralised and the local population overawed and terror-stricken. Subedar Major Channan Singh set to work immediately. His organisation of protective measures and his tact and assurance in his dealing with the public rapidly restoring confidence, and reliable information of the movement of the dacoits soon began to be forthcoming. He planned and carried out a series of well-timed raids on Balasinor and adjoining States and, with the assistance of the Bombay presidency police in neighbouring districts of the Bombay presidency, with excellent results.During his period of command altogether 64 arrests were made, 57 of those arrested being dacoits. The discipline and conduct of the detachment has been throughout exemplary and two of its members have been awarded the Indian Police Medal for gallantry.

Subedar Major Channan Singh has shown himself possessed of commendable tact, initiative and organising ability. His work with the C.R.P., especially while in command of the Balasinor detachment, has in my opinion and in those of the Commandant C.R.P. and my Police Advisor been outstanding and deserving of recognition. The Resident at Baroda whole-heartedly endorses the recommendation and adds it is fully justified by the work the Subedar did in suppressing dacoity in Balasinor State. Subedar Channan Singh’s record of service has been uniformly good and he was awarded the King’s Police Medal for conspicuous gallantry on 1st January 1934.’

Sold with comprehensive and detailed research.