A scarce ‘between the wars’ award of the British Empire Meda...

Hammer

£1,050

A scarce ‘between the wars’ award of the British Empire Medal (BEM) in a long service group of four medals to a Senior NCO of the Royal Corps of Signals for service in India and Burma, consisting of:
BEM (for meritorious service) first type, military division; named to: No 2310828 Lce Sergt John Peters R Signals.
India General Service Medal 1908 (Royal Mint issue), with three clasps: Malabar 1921-22, Waziriatan 1921-24 and Burma 1930-32 named to 2310828 Sglmn J Peters R Signals.
GVR Jubilee Medal 1935, un-named as issued.
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Military) (GVIR 1st type) named to: 2310828 Sjt J Peters R Signals.
John Peters was born on 19 September 1900 in Woolton, Lancashire. A wireless operator by trade, he enlisted in the Royal Engineers (Signals) at Liverpool on 7 April 1920, transferring to the newly- formed Royal Corps of Signals on 19 November 1920. He was posted to India on 8 March 1921, disembarking at Bombay on 30 March and remained in India for the next sixteen years (apart from a 6-month furlough in 1932) until posted back to the UK, to the Northern Ireland Signal Squadron, on 20 November 1937. During his service in India he was promoted through the ranks to Sergeant (on 25 April 1932) and took part in the operations to suppress the Moplah Rebellion in Malabar in 1921-22, suppression of depredations by Waziri tribesmen in Waziristan from 1921-24 and counter-insurgency operations against the Saya San Rebellion in Burma from 1930-32. He was awarded the BEM on 3 June 1929, King George V’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1938 (date not recorded). He was discharged at his own request after 18 years’ service on 10 June 1938, with his conduct assessed as ‘Exemplary’.
John Peters married Lucy Ironside Cameron whilst on furlough in Aberdeen on 6 June 1932, but she died at Karachi on 13 October 1933. He married again, to Anne Martha Shaw, a children’s nurse at Simla on 14 October 1936. The life and times of John Peters after he left the Army in 1938 are not recorded, which suggests that he may have settled in Northern Ireland.


Note: The insignia of the Order of the British Empire were updated in 1937 and a new ribbon was instituted. Existing military recipients were offered the choice of retaining their original insignia, but to be worn with the new ribbon, or exchanging it for the new insignia, at cost, although it is not clear when this ruling became effective. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the majority of military recipients opted for the first choice but Sgt Peters served on in the Army until 1938 and continued to wear his BEM with the original ribbon.
With copy extracts from his record of service and medal rolls confirming the clasps to the IGS, and copy correspondence relating to the presentation of his BEM at Rawalpindi on 1 January 1930.
The 2nd and 3rd clasps on the IGS are loose on the ribbon as is not uncommon with multi-clasp IGS 1908s.
Some light contact marking, otherwise generally Very Fine (VF) condition.