Auction Catalogue

23 September 2005

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

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

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Lot

№ 1281

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23 September 2005

Hammer Price:
£450

A scarce and unusual fire-fighting Indian Police Medal for Gallantry group of five awarded to Sergeant-Major W. J. King, Madras Police

Indian Police Medal
, G.VI.R., for Gallantry (W. J. King, Sergt. Major, Madras); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals; Indian Independence Medal 1950, Police issue, unnamed, good very fine or better (5) £400-450

Indian Police Medal for Gallantry Gazette of India 30 October 1948:

‘At about 1630 hours on 1 March 1948, Sergeant-Major King received a message by telephone informing him that a fire had broken out in Thimmarajapuram Pacheri, a village in the Tinnevelly Taluk Circle, Tinnevelly District, and that help from the Reserve Police was necessary. He immediately mobilised the available Reserve strength and necessary equipment and rushed to the village which is two miles distant from the Reserve lines. When he arrived, he found the houses in two streets on fire. Organizing lines of fire buckets, he started fighting the fire. Shortly afterwards, he was told that a child was trapped in one of the houses on fire. Taking with him Constable No. 1554 Karuppasami Theyar who volunteered to accompany him, he at once rushed into the house and rescued the child. Unfortunately life was found to be extinct. A little later, on being informed that a woman was trapped in another burning house, Sergeant-Major King and Constable Theyar entered the house and brought the woman out of a room in the interior. In this case, too, life was extinct. In yet a third instance, the Sergeant-Major and Constable Theyar entered a burning house to save, at great personal risk, a woman trapped inside. No sooner had they gained the exit of the house, carrying the woman, than the rear walls and part of the roof collapsed. The woman was found to be dead in this case also.

In trying to rescue the three victims of this extensive fire, Sergeant-Major King and Constable Theyar exposed themselves to considerable personal risk. The fact that the two unfortunate women and child were dead when brought out emphasises the danger of the conditions in which Sergeant-Major King and Constable Theyar operated with gallantry and resolution.’

Constable Theyar was also awarded the Gallantry Medal.