Indian Independence Medal

Last updated

Indian Independence Medal
Indian Independence Medal 1947 (Obverse).jpg Indian Independence Medal 1947 (Reverse).jpg
Obverse and reverse of the medal
TypeCommemorative medal
Awarded forIndian Independence
DescriptionSilver disk, 36mm diameter.
Presented bythe Dominion of India
EligibilityAll members of the Indian armed forces serving on 15 August 1947
British service personnel who remained in India after Independence serving on 1 January 1948
Clasps None
EstablishedOctober 1949
Indian Independence medal 1947.svg
Ribbon bar of the Indian Independence Medal
Indian Police Independence medal 1950.png
Ribbon bar of the Police Independence Medal
Precedence
Next (higher) Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal (United Kingdom) [1]
Territorial Army Medal (India) [2]
Next (lower) Pakistan Medal (United Kingdom) [1]
Independence Medal 1950 (India) [2]

The Indian Independence Medal was instituted by the Dominion of India and approved by King George VI by way of a Royal Warrant dated 21 July 1948. [3] It was a commemorative medal for service with the Indian armed forces at the time of independence in August 1947. Attached British personnel were eligible.

It was awarded to all those who, on 15 August 1947, were members of the armed forces of India, including the forces of princely states that acceded to Indian rule before 1 January 1948. British military personnel who remained in India after independence and who served with Indian forces up to 1 January 1948 qualified, [4] although those with British units awaiting repatriation did not. [5]

The medal is circular, 1.4 in (36 mm) in diameter and made of cupronickel. The obverse has the Ashoka Chakra wheel surmounted by a crown, surrounded by the inscription GEORGIUS VI D:G: BRITT:OMN: REX: FID DEF. The reverse shows the Ashoka lions, which is the State Emblem of India, with the words INDIAN INDEPENDENCE above and the date 15th AUGUST 1947 below. The 1.25 in (32 mm) ribbon consists of three equal stripes of saffron, white and green, the colours on the flag of India. The medal is worn on the left chest, with the saffron furthest from the left shoulder. [6] In most cases, the name and details of the recipient were impressed on the edge of the medal.

A Police Independence Medal was instituted in 1950 for award to all serving members of India’s police forces. [7] The design is similar to the Indian Independence Medal. The obverse shows the Ashokan Lions above the Indian National motto Truth Alone Prevails in Sanskrit ( सत्यमेव जयते ) with the words INDIAN INDEPENDENCE above and 26th JANUARY 1950 below — the day India became a republic. The reverse shows the chakra wheel with a lotus border above and the word POLICE below. The ribbon is red with a blue-edged orange central stripe. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Ashoka Chakra (military decoration) Indias highest peacetime military decoration

The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), and is awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel.

Shaurya Chakra

The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra. It precedes the Sena Medal.

Kirti Chakra

The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards; it comes after Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class II.

The Wound Medal or Parakram Padak is an Indian Military award given to those who sustain "wounds as a result of direct enemy action in any type of operations or counter-insurgency actions." The medal was established in 1973, by the President of India for wounds back dated to 15 August 1947.

India General Service Medal (1909)

The Indian General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved on 1 January 1909, for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies. From 1919 it was also awarded to officers and men of the Royal Air Force, with the Waziristan 1925 clasp awarded solely to the RAF.

Order of Burma

The Order of Burma was founded by Royal Warrant on 10 May 1940, and conferred in a single class. It was awarded by the Governor of British Burma for long, faithful and honourable service by Governor's Commissioned Officers in the Burma Army, the Burma Frontier Force and the Burma Military Police. In September 1945 the royal warrant was amended to permit awards of the order for gallantry.

Vayu Sena Medal Military medal from India

The Vayu Sena Medal is a military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done in the Indian Air Force. However it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of enemy, though not in the same numbers as the Vir Chakra.

Victory Medal (United Kingdom) British service medal

The Victory Medal is a United Kingdom and British Empire First World War campaign medal.

King Edward VII Coronation Medal

The King Edward VII Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal issued in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

King George V Coronation Medal

The King George V Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal instituted in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V, that took place on 22 June 1911.

Australia Service Medal 1939–1945

The Australia Service Medal 1939–1945 recognises service in Australia's armed forces, Mercantile Marine and Volunteer Defence Corps during World War II.

China War Medal (1842)

The China War Medal was issued by the British Government in 1843 to members of the British and Indian forces who took part in the First Anglo-Chinese War (1839–42). The medal was designed by William Wyon.

India Service Medal

The India Service Medal 1939–1945 was a campaign medal of the Commonwealth. It was awarded to Indian Forces for three years of non-operational service in India during the Second World War.

Canada General Service Medal

The Canada General Service Medal was a campaign medal awarded by the Canadian Government to both Imperial and Canadian forces for duties related to the Fenian raids between 1866 and 1871. The medal was initially issued in 1899 and had to be applied for. The application period was later extended to 1907, then to 1928.

Africa General Service Medal

The Africa General Service Medal, established in 1902, was a campaign medal of the United Kingdom. It was awarded for minor campaigns that took place in tropical Africa between 1900 and 1956, with a total of forty five clasps issued. The medal is never seen without a clasp and some are very rare. Most medals were granted to British led local forces, including the King's African Rifles and the West African Frontier Force. The only campaigns where European troops were present in any numbers were the various Somaliland campaigns,, and in Kenya.

Ashanti Medal

The Ashanti Medal was sanctioned in October 1901 and was the first campaign medal authorised by Edward VII. This medal was created for those troops engaged in the Third Ashanti Expedition, also known as the War of the Golden Stool. This expedition lasted from March – December 1900, with the final outcome that the Ashanti maintained its de facto independence. Ashanti was made a Protectorate of the British Empire, but they ruled themselves with little reference to the colonial power.

Pakistan Medal

The Pakistan Medal was established by King George VI in 1949 as a commemorative medal. The medal commemorates service during the period just before and after the creation of the independent Dominion of Pakistan on 15 August 1947. Most recipients were members of the armed forces of Pakistan, including attached British personnel.

Empress of India Medal

The Empress of India Medal, also referred to as KIH Medal, was a commemorative medal awarded to mark the occasion of the proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India in 1877. It was the first wearable medal issued to mark a commemorative occasion within the British Empire. The medal was awarded in gold to Indian princes and senior officials and in silver to selected British and Indian military officers and civilians, as well as one soldier from each British and Indian regiment serving in India at the time of the proclamation celebrations of the 1877 Delhi Durbar.

H.M. Coastguard Long Service and Good Conduct Medal British long service award

H.M. Coastguard Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is a long service medal awarded by the United Kingdom. Awarded for twenty years full or part-time service, with members of Her Majesty's Coastguard, Coastguard Rescue Service, Isle of Man Coastguard and auxiliary coastguards eligible.

Sudan Defence Force General Service Medal (1933)

The Sudan Defence Force General Service Medal was a campaign medal instituted in 1933 to reward service in minor operations within the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. It was last awarded for service in 1941.

References

  1. 1 2 "No. 56878". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2003. p. 3353.
  2. 1 2 "Precedence Of Medals". indianarmy.nic.in/. Indian Army. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  3. The Gazette of India , part 1 section 1. 18 September 1948. p. 1148-1189.
  4. "ODM of India: Indian Independence Medal". Medals.org.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  5. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, Vol 12 No 1, Spring 1973. p. 25.
  6. Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. p. 143. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
  7. "ODM of India: Police Independence Medal". Medals.org.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  8. Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. p. 144. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.