India 1930 - 1947

There are only two obverses found on the Efficiency Medal India, King George V and King George VI 1st Type as the Independence of India in 1947 brought the award of Bristish medals in the subcontinent to an end. Both are represented below.

Sir Henry Carlos Prior K.C.I.E. C.S.I. B.A.

TPR. H. C. PRIOR. BIHAR. L.H., A.F.I.

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British War Medal (LIEUT. H. C. PRIOR.)
Victory Medal (LIEUT. H. C. PRIOR.)

1935 Jubilee Medal (Unnamed) [Indian Civil Service, Secretary to Government, Bihar and Orissa,]

1937 Coronation Medal
Efficiency Medal INDIA GV (TPR. H. C. PRIOR. BIHAR. L.H., A.F.I.)

Efficiency Medal India: 21 Jun 1933 IAO No.342 1933

Mention In Dispatch: London Gazette 23rd July 1920: Page

"for valuable and distinguished services rendered in connection with the Military Operations in the theatres of war specified, during the period 1st June, 1918, to 30th April, 1919. To be dated 3rd June,
1919: — KUKI PUNITIVE OPERATIONS - Prior, Lt. H. C., I.A.R.O.

Companion of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire: London Gazette 23rd June 1936: Page 4000

[Indian Civil Service, Secretary to the Government of Bihar in the Finance Department.]

Companion of The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India: London Gazette 2nd June 1943: Page 2420 [Indian Civil Service, Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Labour.]

Knight Commander of the said Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire: London Gazette 13th June 1946: Page 2761 [Indian Civil Service, Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Works, Mines and Power.]

Sir Henry Carlos Prior

by Elliott & Fry quarter-plate glass negative, 1951 NPG x100246 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Henry Carlos Prior was born on the 6th January 1890 to Charles Herman Prior. M.A., fellow & tutor of Pembroke College and Margaret Westcott of 4 Benet Place, Cambridge. He was Baptised on the 5th February 1890 at St Benedict Church Cambridge.

Prior attended Eaton Collage from1904 and then Enrolled at King's College, Cambridge in 1909.

On 14th October 1914 the London Gazette announced that Prior joined the India Civil Service where he was to make his career. He appointed following taking his exams in 1913 and departed from London on the 7 November 1914 on the SS Persia and arrived in India on the 30th. He was to serve in Bihar and Orissa as Assistant Magistrate and Collector

In October 1915 Prior was transferred temporally to the Army Department as Commandant of the 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion, Assam Rifles.

The London Gazette of the 4 February 1916 shows Prior as being admitted to the Indian Army Reserve of Officers and then in the Gazette of the 22 June 1917 as 2nd Lieutenant, Temporary Captain. Prior relinquished this rank a month later. However Prior became Temporary Captain again to command a Company of the 2nd Battalion, 1st King George's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment). This Regiment had served in France until December 1915 when they were withdrawn to serve in Mesopotamia and later in Palestine.

However it appears that Prior stayed with the 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion, Assam Rifles. Took part in putting down the Kuki Rising (Needs some detail)

See THE KUKI RISING 1917-1919 (The Soldier’s Burden) – The KUKI

PRIOR, Henry Carlos, C.I.E., B.A., Indian Civil Service (Secretary to Government Finance Department, Bihar) Born 6th January 1890) Educated at Eton and Kings College Cambridge;
Applied after exam of 1913; Arrived 30th November 1914; and served in Bihar and Orissa as Assistant Magistrate and Collector;
Temporarily to Army Department, October 1915 (Commandant 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion, Assam Rifles, to October 1919;
Officiating Magistrate and Collector April 1921;
Confirmed January 1929;
Manager, Bettiah Wards Estate, June 1926;
Additional Secretary to Government Revenue Department, July 1929;
Secretary to Government Revenue Department,, October 1931;
Secretary Finance Department Bihar and Orissa April 1933
Companion of the Indian Empire June 1936

Sir Henry Carlos Prior had an extensive Indian Civil Service career and there is a huge ammount of research yet to do.

Sir Henry Carlos Prior K.C.I.E. C.S.I. B.A. of Lynchets, Bridport, Dorset Died 29th March 1967

L/Cpl H. G. Hunt B.B. & C.I.RY.R., A.F.I

British War Medal (280664 Pte H Hunt Hamps)
Territorial Force War Medal (2030 Pte H Hunt Hamps R,
Efficiency Medal INDIA GV (L/Cpl H. G. Hunt B.B. & C.I.RY.R., A.F.I)

Efficiency Medal India: 28 Jun 1935 IAO No.446

Pte Henry Hunt served with the 1/6th Bn Hampshire Regiment. The medal roll for the TFWM shows that Pte Hunt initially served under the number 2030 and then his service number was changed to 280664

The 1/6th Battalion Hampshire Regiment were based in the Portsmouth area. Pte served with the 1/6th Hants in WWI and went to India with them. Hunt married Dorothy Gladys Dean on the 22nd May 1918 and is shown on the Marriage Register as L/Cpl Drummer 1/6 HANTS regt The 1/6th were then sent to Mesopotamia towards the end of 1918 but Pte Hunt did not go with the Regiment as he did not receive the Victory medal and stayed in India.

Henry Hunt then served with the 2nd Bn., The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Regiment. Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Volunteer Rifles, Auxiliary Force of India. The MIC for the WWI medals shows an address B.B. & C.I.RY in India on the back.

PTE. A.W.P. JONES. 1-E.I.RY. R.. A.I.F

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Volunteer Force Long Service Medal (India & the Colonies), GV engraved (Voltr. A. W. Jones E I. Ry. Voltr Rfls.)
Efficiency Medal INDIA GVI 1st Type (PTE. A.W.P. JONES. 1-E.I.RY. R.. A.I.F)

Efficiency Medal India: 8 June 1937 IAO No.520 (1st Battalion, The East Indian Railway Regiment)

Volunteer Force Long Service Medal (India & the Colonies): 1st March 1915 IAO No. 86 (East Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles)

Arthur William Palmer Jones was born in Jemalpur, Bengal, in 1883. Recorded as a boilermaker in the employment of the Indian Railways, he married Margaret Shepherd at Wellesley Square Church, Calcutta, on 5 December 1905, and later witnessed extensive service with the Volunteer Rifles and Indian Defence Force. He was awarded his Volunteer Force Long Service Medal in March 1915, and Efficiency Medal in June 1937.

COY. SJT. MAJ. R. G. HORSLEY. HYD. RIF. A.I.F.

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British War Medal (4535 L-CPL. R. HORSLEY, BANGALORE BN. I. D.F.)

1935 Jubilee Medal engraved (633. C.S.M. R. HORSLEY HYDERABAD RIFLES A. F. I.)

Volunteer Force Long Service Medal (India & the Colonies), GV impressed (SGT. R. G. HORSLEY, HYD. RIF, A.F.I.)
Efficiency Medal INDIA GVI 1st Type (COY. SJT. MAJ. R. G. HORSLEY. HYD. RIF. A.I.F. )

Efficiency Medal India: 16 June 1937 IAO No.530 (The Hyderabad Rifles)

Volunteer Force Long Service Medal (India & the Colonies): 19 May 1927 IAO No. 352 (The Hyderabad Rifles)

Born 1912

Sailed on Morea P&O as 18yo student giving address as Colinshays, Sandown IOW from Bombay to London

Sgt R. F. Hannah Karachi Corps. A. F. I.

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BEM, military, GVI 1937 type (882 Sgt Ronald F Hannah KC, AF)

War Medal

India War Service Medal
Efficiency Medal INDIA Geo VI 1st Type (Sjt R F Hannah Karachi Corps, AFI).

Efficiency Medal India: 29th Sep 1939 IAO No.908

BEM: London Gazette 9th January1946.

Born 26 February 1905, son of Ronald Lewis a Telegraph Clark and Marion in Karachi. Hannah married Helena Mary Dyne on the 4th November 1930 in India.

In 1947, following Independence, Karachi became the capital of Pakistan and it appears that Hannah remained there until the 29th March 1957 Hannah became a Naturalised British Subject, Certificate number R1/17283.

Died: June 1977 North Bucks, Buckinghamshire, England. Age: 72

CPL. J. B. DELBRIDGE. ASSAM V.L.H., A.F.I.

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India War Service Medal

Efficiency Medal INDIA GVI 1st Type (CPL. J. B. DELBRIDGE. ASSAM V.L.H., A.F.I.)

Efficiency Medal India: IAO 343 1940

First Clasp: IAO 14/a 1946

John Barwis Delbridge was born on the18th February 1905 in Golant near Foy, Cornwall and was baptised 30th March. Mother Music Teacher

Delbridge started a 5 year Apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner with the Great Western Railway at Swindon Locomotive Works on the 13th March 1922, he left that Apprenticeship "of his own accord" 12th November 1926 and less than a month later on the 4th December 1926 he Sailed for Calcutta age 21 on the on the Malda giving his last address in the UK as 6 Campbell Road Hanwell, London and occupation as a Tea Planter.

Delbridge joined the Assam Valley Light Horse, a local volunteer unit, around 1928. Research continues.

In 1932 he sailed from Madras on the Menela, disembarking in Plymouth and gave the address where he would be staying as 4 Glanville Terrice, St Agnes, Cornwall, his parents' home. He sailed from London 7th October 1932 on the Strathnaver, returning to India

Delbridge sailed from Bombay to London on the 27th March 1937 on the Strathmore and whilst back he married Norah Kathleen Martin at St Stephen's, Dublin on the 9th October 1937. As yet we have been unable to find any record of the return journey to India but they had a daughter, Eldrith Janet born on the 27th January 1939 at Ganesh Das Hospital, Shillong, India. I appears that they remained in India throughout WW2 and did not return to the UK until 1945 when the family sailed from Bombay to Liverpool on the 5th May 1945 on the Queen of Bermuda giving his last address in the UK as C/O Messrs Guinness & Malion 17 College Green, Dublin (Bankers).

Delbridge sailed from Glasgow on the 28th September 1945 on the SS Burma leaving his wife and daughter behind, they followed on the 12th January 1946 leaving Liverpool on the Rottningholm bound for Bombay.

Delbridge and his wife sailed from Glasgow on the 11th October 1952, this time without their daughter on the Caledonia disembarking in Bombay giving his last address 17 College Green, Dublin, his bankers address. Occupation Tea Planter

25th October 1955 on the Arcadia for Bombay giving his last address as 67 Porchester Terrace London. Occupation Tea Planter. Travelled with his wife.

Sailed from London on the 30th October 1958 on the Stratheden giving his last address as Messrs Guinness & Malion 17 College Green, Dublin (Bankers). Travelled with his wife.

There are some hints that Delbridge lived in Bulawayo Zimbabwe, research continues.

Died 1st February 1997 in Aberdeen, Scotland and is buried in Banchory Churchyard, Banchory, Scotland.