Auction Catalogue

2 April 2004

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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

Lot

№ 1297

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2 April 2004

Hammer Price:
£520

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (34826 Sepoy Tek Chand, I.A.) officially impressed naming, good very fine £300-400

M.M. London Gazette 22 June 1944. Sepoy, 13th Frontier Force Rifles.

Recommendation states: ‘On 5th April 1944 on an attack on Oval near the Eastern Tunnel, Arakan, No.34826 Sepoy Tek Chand dashed forward over completely open ground, seized a L.M.G. from the previous No.1 who had become a casualty & maintained it in action within 25 yds. of an enemy bunker until all the ammo had been expended. Though several men became casualties in attempting to bring him ammunition he nevertheless then crawled backwards and forwards three times in the face of intense M.M.G. & L.M.G. fire from a flank to keep the gun in action for well over an hour. Through his absolutely outstanding courage and detirmination the enemy fire from the bunker to his front was gradually lessened and he was mainly personally responsible for repelling an enemy counter attack from the flank which, if it had reached his party would undoubtably have wiped it out as the single file track behind them was almost ceaselessly swept by machine-gun and mortar fire. Throughout the long action this sepoy showed courage and detirmination of the very highest order’. Sold with copied recommendation and a copied account of the attacks on Ticker Ridge in the Arakan.