MacGregor Medal

The MacGregor Medal is awarded to Indian Armed Forces personnel for valuable military reconnaissance. The medal was originally instituted in 1888 to honour the memory of The United Service Institution of India founder, Maj Gen Sir Charles MacGregor.^[1][2]

After the partition of British India into India and Pakistan, the award was adopted by India and continues to this day. So far 117 medals have been awarded: 7 full gold medals to officers, 62 standard size silver medals to officers (including 5 JCOs), and 48 reduced size silver medals to other ranks/soldiers.^[1]

Pre-1947 recipients

Notable British Indian officers prior to 1947, to have been awarded the MacGregor Medal (full sized, gold) include Francis Younghusband (1890), Gerard Leachman (1910), Orde Charles Wingate (1943) and Frederick Marshman Bailey (1914).^[1] Indian officers and other ranks up to 1947 to receive the standard-sized medal include^[3]

• Risaldar Shahzad Mir, of the Scinde Horse (1906)(Note. Risaldar Shahzad Mir belonged to 11th Bengal Lancers also known as Probyn's Horse as well as 11th Bengal King Edwardes Own (KEO) Lancers. He did not belong to Scinde Horse. The year 1906 is also not correct. The medal was awarded to him for his journey to Tibet, China through Changtang where he surveyed the unknown and untrodden areas. He had accompanied Captain M.S. Wellby of the 18th Hussars and Lt. Malcolm. The journey took place in 1895-96. As the medal was established in 1888, it seems he was the first and foremost Indian to receive the medal. The citation in the USI book by Major Hamond is also not correct. The photo of Shahzad Mir in the book also that of Shahzad Mir. Shahzad Mir was my grand father, and I have written a book recently "The Life & Adventures of KB Risaldar Shahzad Mir, OBI (1863-1924), Probyn's Horse" where I have corrected the above mistakes and I am trying to send a copy to USI of India. He is also known as Duffadar Shahzad Mir due to his earlier army rank. In the later life he was promoted as Risaldar. He took a journey to Tibet with Captain FitzGerald, ADC to Lord Kitchener and David Fraser in 1906 and he was awarded the first Indian Distinguished Service Medal in 1907. He travelled to Ethiopia and Egypt through Somalia with Captain M.S. Wellby, took a second journey to Africa with Archibald Butter and Third journey to Africa with Captain Maud and Archibald Butter to delineate the border between Lake Rudolf and British East Africa. He had surveyed Lake Rudolf in his earlier two journeys He had many more expeditions to Hunza with Sir Francis Younghusband, to Pamir with General Gerard & Sir Thomas Holdich. Journey to Kabul with Dane's Mission in 1904. He had been awarded Order of British India, Three Campaign medals and Bars in Chitral and Malakand. The title of Khan Bahadur in 1918, Delhi Durbar Medal in 1911. He was also member of the District Council Peshwar after retirement and was an honorary magistrate. I have tried to correct the mistakes in Chihna's book which he has compiled about the recipients of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. The above explanation is to put in perspective the errors and mistakes in the Wikipedia and the two USI books regarding the MacGregor Medal and the Indian Distinguished Service Medal Lists. Refer to "Through Unknown Tibet" by M.S Wellby, "Twixt Sirdar & Menelik" by M.S. Wellby, "With the Tibetans in Tent & Temple" by Rijnhart, Sussie Carson, "The Right Royal Tour of the World" translation by Col. C.A. Boyle from "Shah Safar sair-i- Dunya" the memoirs of Shahzad Mir, "Khaki & Gown" by Lord Birdwood, "The Marches of Hindustan,, the Record of a journey in Tibet ,,," by David Fraser. etc. There are some articles in the Geographical Journals of Royal Geographical society as well.
• Jemadar Gurmukh Singh, SOI, 93rd Burma Infantry (1911)
• Captain Abdus Samad Shah, OBE, 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (1922)
• Subedar Tek Bahadur Limbu, Northern Shan States Battalion (1942)
• Subedar MIA Qureshi, Corps of Indian Engineers (1945)

and others

In addition to the full gold medal, a reduced-sized silver medal was also awarded to junior Indian officers, including :^[1]

• Havildar Ramzan Khan, 3rd Battalion 12th Frontier Force Regiment (1891)
• (a) Havildar Jagat Singh, 19th Regt of Bengal Infantry (1892) and
• (b) Havildar Ganga Ram, 44th Gurkha (Rifles) Regiment of Bengal Infantry (1892)
• Daffadar Shahzad Mir, Scinde Horse (1897) (see above also for 1906 award)
• Havildar Adam Khan, Queen's Own Corps of Guides (British India), Frontier Force (1898)
• Naik Mihr Din, The Corps of BengalSappers and Miners (1899)
• Havildar Gurdit Singh, 45th Rattray's Sikhs (1900)
• Daffadar Moghal Baz Khan Afridi, Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Frontier Force (1904)
• Lance-Naik Ghafur Shah, Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Frontier Force (1906)
• Havildar Muhammad Raza, 106th Hazara Pioneers (1909)
• Sub. (Khan-bahadur) Sher Jang, 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force), attached to SOI (1910)
• Lance-Daffadar Mohibullah, Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Frontier Force (1912)
• Havildar Waratong, Burma Military Police (1913)
• Naik Haidar Ali Shah, 106th Hazara Pioneers (1914)
• (a) Naik Abdur Rahman, 1st Battalion 21st Punjabis (1916) and
• (b) Havildar Zarghun Shah, 58th Vaughan's Rifles (Frontier Force) (1916)
• Sepoy Mian Afraz Gul, The Khyber Rifles (1917)
• Co. Quartermaster Havildar Awal Nur, Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Frontier Force (1920)

and others

Post 1947 (Indian Armed Forces)

• Major (later Lt Gen) Zorawar Chand Bakhshi, 5th Gurkha Rifles, Frontier Force (1949)
• Col IC Katoch, 5th Gurkha Rifles, Frontier Force (1951)
• Capt MS Jarg, the Jat Regiment (1956)
• 2/Lt IB Goel, Bengal Engineers (1956)
• Capt V Badhwar 5th Gurkha Rifles, Frontier Force (1957)
• Capt SL Tugnait Air OP Squadron (1959)
• Brig ML Whig 5th Gurkha Rifles, Frontier Force (1969)
• Maj Prem Chand the Dogra Regiment (1970)
• Col CS Nugyal 6th Btn, the Sikh Regiment(1971)
• Capt Ravindra Misra 3rd Gurkha Rifles (1972)
• (a) Sqn Ldr RK Makar Indian Air Force(1986) and
• (b)Flt Lt Rana Chhina Indian Air Force (1986)
• Lt Col NJ Korgaonkar (1997)
• Col. N. Kumar (Bull)] (2010)
• Cdr Dilip Donde, SC (2011)

One British officer has been awarded the medal twice - A. S. Lancaster, as a major in 1938, and again as a colonel in 1946.;^[1] and one British Indian one, Shahzad Mir, first as Daffadar, in 1897, then again as Risaldar in 1906.^[4]

References

Further reading