Description
Volunteer Force Long Service and Good Conduct (India), EDVII issue “Kaisar-i-Hind”, Captain Frank Louis Haughton Kock V.D., Assam Valley light Horse, former Royal Irish Fus.
Officially engraved in fine running script: “Second Lieut F.L.H. Koch. Assam Valley Lt Horse.”
Scarce and nice to an Officer.
Lieutenant Francis “Frank” Louis Haughton Koch, was the son of a Colonial Reverend born in Borneo, after some education in England, and time as a Commisioned Militia Officer in Ireland, he set off on his own for India, settling in the Assam region of Northeast India, where he worked in the Tea Industry, being employed by the British Assam Tea Company Limited, in Balifara as of 1901.
Throughout his life he continued with his volunteer Army service switching from the Royal Irish Fusiliers Militia to the Assam Valley Light Horse. His long service would earn him both the Volunteer Long Service Medal and the Indian Volunteer Officer’s Decoration.
As of 1918, he was the Manager of the Bogabagh Tea Company Lt in Boga Bagh, Assam.
In 1920 he was a Captain and received a 99 years lease for a plot of land at Nagthymmai in Mylliem for a new bungalow.
For further services as an Officer, he was also awarded the coveted “Indian Volunteer Officers Decoration” or I.V.D., entitling him to the post nominals of a “V.D.”
This was awarded in the Gazette of India August 1922:
“The Volunteer Officers Decoration is given to Lt Koch, Assam Valley Light Horse.”
Award of this medal noted in the India Daily News 24th August 1905:
“LONG SERVICE MEDALS, Simla August 19th.
Indian Army Orders notify the grant of Long Service Medals to over a hundred volunteers in Corps in different parts of India. The following are the members of the Bengal and Assam Corps named to receive the decoration:-… Assam Valley Light Horse: Second-Lieutenant Koch…”
Lieutenant Francis “Frank” Louis Haughton Koch, was born overseas in Labuan, Borneo, during 1861 to the Reverend Charles Alexander Koch, at the time a Colonial Government Chaplain and Missionary in the region, and Rosina Koch.
His father, baptised him personally on 10th March 1861 at Sarawak. Baptised as Francis, but this was the last time he called himself that and preferred “Frank”.
With the return of his family to England, he is shown living in Kensington, London during 1881, wrapping up his studies.
Shortly afterwards, it was announced in the London Gazette, 28th June 1881, that he was to be commissioned into the Monaghan Infantry Militia: “MILITIA, INFANTRY, Monaghan, Frank Louis Haughton Koch, Gent., is to be Second Lieutenant, dated 29th June 1881.
He then joined the 5th Battalion Princess Victoria’s Royal Irish Fusiliers.
London Gazette, 11th May 1883: “5th Battalion, Princess Victoria’s (Royal Irish Fusiliers), Lieutenant Frank Louis Haughton Koch resigns his Commission. Dated 12th May 1883.
Around this time he first set off for India.
In 1890, he was is noted as working in the Ghoir Ali Tea Estate, in Tezpur.
He travelled to India on the S.S. Sumatra bound for Calcutta India, on 29th August 1895.
He found work as a Tea Planter in the Assam region, whilst part time service with the Assam Valley Light Horse.
A bachelor for many years, he first married at 49, living in Nowgong, to 28 year old Spinster, Amy Evelyn Gray of Kohima, during 1910.
1915 Army list shows him as a serving Lieutenant of the Assam Valley Light Horse, the sole Lieut of 8 who held a Volunteer Decoration.
It lists he was first commissioned on 27th June 1903 in the Assam Valley light Horse, and had held the position of Lieutenant since 1st November 1906.
