Description
East & Central Africa Medal, bar 1898, 58 Naik (Corporal) Dil Muhammad, 1st Uganda Rifles. Saw service in numerous campaigns in Uganda.
Officially engraved: “58 Naik Dil Muhammad 1/Uganda Rif.”
Confirmed on the medal roll, for “Expedition against the Ogaden Somalis in Jubaland Province, British East Africa Protectorate from 23rd July 1898 and 17th October 1898.”
Only about 427 men are noted from the 1st Uganda Rifles, a large mix of Muslims and Sikh’s, with 6 European Officers, serving under Lt Col J. Evatt DSO and Captain W.W. Chitty.
Also shown on the roll for the Africa General Service Medal, bar Uganda 1900, for service with the 1st Uganda Rifles also as a Naik, which notes he had come from the 28th Punjab Regiment (each man on the roll having a parent regiment) as part of the “Native Troops on service in the Uganda Protectorate”.
An informative article on the history of the 1st Uganda Rifles and this campaign, was published in Volume 34, No 138, June 1956 Journal of Army Historical Research by Major G. Tylden.
He notes than in 1901 the Uganda Rifles consisted of 1364 Sudanese and 387 Indians, organised into 2 battalions.
Shortly afterwards the short lived Uganda Rifles was disbanded, the Sudanese men being absorbed into a battalion of the King’s African Rifles, the attached Indians being returned to the Indian Army.
