Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army)

Indian Meritorious Service Medal
Obverse and reverse of the medal
Awarded by HEIC and the British Raj
Type	Long and meritorious service medal
Eligibility	Europeans in the British Indian Army
Status	Replaced by Meritorious Service Medal
Statistics
Established	1848
Last awarded	1873
Order of Wear
Next (higher)	Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army)^[1]
Next (lower)	Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medal^[1]
Ribbon of the medal

The Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army) was a medal to recognize long and meritorious service by European non-commissioned officers in service of the East India Company's Army.

History

Established by the East India Company in 1848, the Indian Meritorious Service Medal was established along the same lines as the Meritorious Service Medal for non-commissioned officers in the British Army. Even after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 brought the end of company rule, the medal continued to be awarded to those eligible European personnel serving in the British Indian Army. This practice continued until 1873 when it was decided that European personnel would be awarded the same Meritorious Service Medal as was awarded to the members of the British Army.^[2]

Appearance

The medal was designed by William Wyon, with the dies for the medal executed by the Royal Mint. The medal was circular, made of silver, and 1.4 inches in diameter. The obverse of the medal bears a left facing effigy of Queen Victoria wearing a diadem. To the left of the effigy is the word VICTORIA to the right of the effigy is the word REGINA. The reverse depicts the arms, motto, and crest of the East India Company in the center surrounded by an outer ring. Upon the ring is the inscription FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE.^[2]

The medal is mounted from a silver scrolled bar with a claw attachment to the medal. The ribbon for the medal was not spelled out by regulation, but by convention used a 1.25 inch wide crimson ribbon, the same as the British Army's Meritorious Service Medal.^[3]

References

1 2 The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56878. p. 3352. 17 March 2003.
1 2 Mayo, 473
↑ Mayo, 474

Works cited

Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 2. London: A. Constable.

Long and Meritorious Service Medals of Britain and the Commonwealth

Regular military meritorious and long service medals	Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (Australia) Meritorious Service Medal (Cape of Good Hope) Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) Meritorious Service Medal (New Zealand) Meritorious Service Medal (South Africa) Accumulated Campaign Service Medal Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Cape of Good Hope) Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Natal) Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (South Africa) Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1830) Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (1848) Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army) Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army) Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Ulster Defence Regiment) Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal West African Frontier Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal King's African Rifles Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Indian Meritorious Service Medal (for Indian Army)

Civilian long service medals	Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Fire Brigade Long Service and Good Conduct Medal African Police Medal for Meritorious Service Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal Ceylon Police Long Service Medal Ceylon Fire Services Long Service Medal Sierra Leone Police Long Service Medal Colonial Police Long Service Medal Sierra Leone Fire Brigades Long Service Medal Mauritius Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Mauritius Fire Services Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Mauritius Prisons Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Colonial Fire Brigades Long Service Medal Colonial Prison Service Medal Hong Kong Disciplined Services Medal Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service Medal Prison Services (Operational Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Ulster Constabulary Service Medal Northern Ireland Prison Service Medal

Volunteer and part-time long service decorations and medals	Emergency Reserve Decoration Volunteer Officers' Decoration Volunteer Long Service Medal Volunteer Officers' Decoration for India and the Colonies Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal Militia Long Service Medal Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal Territorial Decoration Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal Efficiency Decoration Territorial Force Efficiency Medal Territorial Efficiency Medal Efficiency Medal Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Naval Wireless Auxiliary Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Long Service Medal Air Efficiency Award Volunteer Reserves Service Medal Ulster Defence Regiment Medal Northern Ireland Home Service Medal Cadet Forces Medal H.M. Coastguard Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Special Constabulary Long Service Medal Royal Observer Corps Medal Civil Defence Long Service Medal Jersey Honorary Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Service Medal of the Order of St John Voluntary Medical Service Medal Women's Royal Voluntary Service Medal South African Medal for War Services Colonial Special Constabulary Medal

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