Description
British War Medal, Bronze Issue for non-combatants, 218 Bearer Nazarband Khan, A.B.C. Army Bearer Corps, the unarmed Indian unit of Stretcher Bearers.
Rarely seen to this unit.
Officially impressed: “218 Bearer Nazarband Khan A.B.C.”
The medal remains in excellent preserved condition, and retains the original gilt finish seen on Indian issued Bronze examples of the BWM, also on old ribbon.
The Army Bearer Corps, as their name suggests, was an Indian Army unit consisting of “Bearers” who served as Stretcher Bearers to the Army.
Whilst most labourers awarded the British War Medal in Bronze, were intended to be mostly kept away from the front lines, although this was not always the reality, working on loading supplies, food, ammunition and guns, whereas the Army Bearer Corps were involved in directly transporting casualties, sometimes under heavy fire directly on the battlefield, they also worked in hospitals assisting in nursing capacities when needed being attached to various Army Hospitals and Field Ambulance units, serving around the globe particularly in France and in Mesopotamia during the Egypt campaign.
The unit was formed back in 1902, but with the war upcoming they were greatly expanded in 1914, offering bounties for each man recruited.
The Liverpool Daily Post, reporting home on 13th October 1916 about the fighting in Egypt during the Relief of Kut writes of them attending to the casualties:
“The evacuation of our wounded had preceded our retirement. The first parties of wounded reached Wadi at 4pm on March 9th, and the last wounded man was attended to in hospital at that place at 2am on March 10th.
The Corps Commander speaks in high terms of the gallantry and devotion displayed by officers and subordinates of the Medical Service and Army Bearer Corps during the fighting.
They collected and attended to the wounded under heavy fire in a manner which called forth the admiration of the whole force.”
The brave stretcher bearers also received a number of honours to the corps, including some awards of the Indian Order of Merit, the Indian Distinguished Service Medal and even 1 Bearer was decorated for his service in France with the Croix de Guerre
