The Bahadur Collection of Medals to Sikh Regiments

A rare Central Africa 1894 operations I.O.M. group of five awarded to Subadar Bulaka Singh, 26th Baluch Infantry, late 45th Sikhs

Indian Order of Merit, Military Division, 1st type, 3rd Class, Reward of Valor, silver and enamel; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Hazara 1888 (2188 Sepoy Bulaka Singh, 45th Bl. Infy.); Central Africa 1891-98, no clasp, unnamed, swivel-ring suspension; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Jemdr. Bulaka Singh, 26th Baluch Infy.); Delhi Durbar 1911, unnamed, the first with restored enamel, one or two test marks to rims, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine or better (5) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bahadur Collection of Medals to Sikh Regiments.

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I.O.M. Governor-General’s Order 728 of 1894.

‘Havildar Bulaka Singh, 45th Sikhs, was employed with the Sikh Police in British Central Africa and was awarded the 3rd Class I.O.M. for conspicuous gallantry in action in the neighbourhood of Fort Maguire, British Central Africa, on 6 January 1894, on which occasion, while the main body of the Sikh Police, under the command of Captain C. A. Edwards, were engaged with an immensely superior and hostile body of natives at the Mananja Settlement, at some distance from the fort, from which they were temporarily cut off. He made a daring and successful sally in order to supply Captain Edwards’ party with ammunition, and thereby averted the probability of a serious disaster.’

Bulaka Singh joined the 45th Sikhs in 1882 and, following active service as a Sepoy in the Hazara operations of 1888, was advanced to Havildar, in which rank he won his I.O.M. while attached to the British Central Africa Police in 1894 - the relevant roll confirms that he was employed in the operations in Mlanje in October 1893 and in Makanjira in the period November 1893 to January 1894. Sometime thereafter transferring to the 26th Baluch Infantry, he was promoted to Jemadar in May 1900 and to Subadar in August 1901, and participated in the Relief of Pekin operations during the Boxer Rebellion. The award of his Delhi Durbar Medal 1911 is confirmed on the roll, being issued to him as Pensioner.