India General Service Medal (1936)

India General Service Medal
Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon: 32mm, grey flanked by narrow red stripes, with broad green stripes at the edges.
Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type	Campaign medal
Eligibility	British and Indian forces.
Awarded for	Campaign service.
Campaign	India 1936–39.
Description	Silver disk, 36mm diameter.
Clasps	North West Frontier 1936–37 North West Frontier 1937–39
Statistics
Established	1938
Example of medal with North West Frontier 1936–37 clasp.

The Indian General Service Medal (1936 IGSM) was a campaign medal approved on 3 August 1938,^[1] for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies, and of the Royal Air Force.

The 1936 IGSM was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India, during 1936 to 1939. Each action covered by the medal was represented by a clasp on the ribbon; two were sanctioned.^[2] Recipients of a Mention in Despatches were entitled to wear an oak leaf emblem on the ribbon.

The medal was struck at both the London and Calcutta mints. The London issue has a more ornate suspender than the Calcutta version, which has a simple claw mount.

• 

  Calcutta Mint

• 

  London Mint

Following the grant of Indian Independence, in 1947, the medal became obsolete.

Clasps

• North West Frontier 1936–37
• North West Frontier 1937–39

Notes

1. British Battles and Medals, p.244
2. Medals Yearbook 2003, p.168

Bibliography

• Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - Medals Yearbook - 2006, (2005), Token Publishing.
• Joslin, Litherland, and Simpkin (eds), British Battles and Medals, (1988), Spink