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FIVE: HONORARY LIEUTENANT - RISALDAR. DOST MUHAMMAD KHAN, 18THKING GEORGE’S OWN LANCERS, the highest decorated Indian soldier from this Regiment from 1858 to 1921
Order Of British India - 2nd Class, Indian Order Of Merit - 3rd Class, Queens South Africa Medal 1899 - 1902 Bars: Cape Colony, Paardeburg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen ( 1706 DAFEDAR. DOST MSLID KHAN.18TH B.L., officially impressed naming),1902 Coronation Medal (Bronze issue) & 1911 Delhi Durbar Medal.
O.B.I. 2nd Class with title of Bahadur, awarded for service in France on 27/7/1917.
There were six awards to this regiment for the Great War, all for service in France.
Indian Order of Merit 3rd Class awarded under order 3 - 875 of 1901 dated 28/9/1901.
For conspicuous gallantry at Sanna’s Post, South Africa on the 30th March 1900 on which occasion he, under a heavy rifle fire at close range, went with Lieutenant F.A. Maxwell to the assistance of a Trooper of Robert’s Horse, whose horse had been killed & helped him to mount & retire with the rest of the Corps.
Lieutenant Maxwell was awarded the Victoria Cross for the part he played in this action & for his gallantry in saving the guns of Q Battery Royal Horse Artillery.
Dafadar Dost Mohd.Khan accompanied Lieutenant Maxwell to South Africa as his orderly & subsequently accompanied him to the United Kingdom to take part in the 1902 Coronation. Three British officers from this Regiment served in South Africa. Two British officers, a Jemadar & seventeen other ranks attended the 1902 Coronation.
Khan’s gallantry did not end here, now commissioned he was awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal, order 933 / 1910, dated 15th April 1910, gazetted on 18th November 1910.
His Excellency the Commander in Chief has read with extreme satisfaction the favourable report received by the Secretary of State for India bringing to his notice the gallant conduct of the escort of the 18th Tiwana Lancers which was attacked by robbers whilst accompanying Mr.J.H.Bell.
I am also to state that Jemadar Dost Muhammad Khan, Lance - Dafadar Murad Khan & Sowar Muhammad Khan have been noted for recognition, if possible, & that his Excellency desires that an entry be made in the sheet roll of every man of the escort as a record of his Excellency’s appreciation of the fact that when on a distant detachment & confronted with a difficult situation their conduct was such as to do credit to their regiment & to the Indian Army. Two Sowars were killed in this affair.
Jemadar Khan & the two other men mentioned were subsequently awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal.
The 18th Lancers were awarded twenty seven such awards & one second award bar between 1907 & 1922, three of which were awarded for this action in Persia during 1910.
Risaldar Dost Mohd.Khan, a Kakra Tiwana from Mitha Tiwana. He entered the service on 24/3/1896 being commissioned Jemadar on 1/7/1907, Ressaidar 1/1/1911, Risaldar 14/8/1916, A.D.C. to H.E. the C.I.C., A.R.O. Sargodha & finally being promoted to Honorary Lieutenant on his retirement on 5/4/1921.
During his career he saw active service on the North West Frontier of India 1897 - 98. Operations on the Samana & in the Kurram Valley during August & September 1897. Operations with the flying column in the Kurram Valley under Colonel Richardson, 20th August to 1st October 1897, medal with two clasps, Tirah 1897 - 98, clasp.
Service in South Africa 1899 - 1902, Queen’s medal with six clasps, King’s medal with two clasps. Consular Guard, Isphan, Persia, September 1908 to October 1911.
Service during the Great War 1914 - 1920 including A.D.C. to the Commander In Chief.
Additional medal entitlement:-
Indian Distinguished Service Medal
India General Service Medal 1895 - 1902 bars: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897, Tirah 1897-98
King’s South Africa Medal 1899- 1902 bars: South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902
1914-15 Star
1914-20 British War Medal
1914-19 Victory Medal
We would be most pleased to hear from anyone in possession of the above awards with a view to reuniting this fine group. The unnamed awards have been added to the Queens South Africa medal as a representation of those earned by Risaldar Khan.
A unique Indian Order of Merit awarded to the Indian Army for service in South Africa during the Boer War.
