An Irishman survivors 'Forced Aircraft Landing' in Qatar & 'World Wars' group of 9: Colonel Reginald Hugh Penrose-Welsted, C.I.E., Military Farms Department, late 2nd (P.A.V.O.) Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment & Connaught Rangers

- 1914-15 Star ( (Lt. R. H. Penrose-Welsted. 1/4/Rajputs..)
- British War Medal. Silver issue (Maj. R. H. Penrose-Welsted.)
- Interallied Victory Medal. With M.I.D. Oakleaves emblem (Maj. R. H. Penrose-Welsted.)
- GSM 1918. GV 1st issue with clasp 'S. Persia' (Major. R. H. Penrose-Welsted.)
- IGS 1908. GV 1st issue 'Waziristan 1921-24' (Capt. R. H. Penrose Welsted. 2-7 Rajput R.)
- War Medal
- India Service Medal
- Jubilee Medal 1935
- Coronation Medal 1937

Note: All seven pre-1939 medals are professionally mounted in the swing-style and as worn by the recipient. The reverse of the mounting bar retaining its original long hinged pin and clasp fittings

Unique to unit Military Officers campaign medal: The recipient is confirmed as the only Military Officer of the Miitary Farms Department (Indian Army) to be awarded the GSM with clasp 'S. Persia'

Mentioned-in-Despatches: Awarded MID for service with the Bushire Field Force in Persia between 1 April 1918 to 31 March 1919 (published London Gazette 3 February 1920)

High Honours: Colonel R. H. Penrose-Welsted was created a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.), the award published in the London Gazette issue of 1 January 1943

Medals and clasps verification: All campaign, MID & commemorative medals confirmed as entitled per the below following medal rolls, medal index cards and other sources:

- 1914-15 Star: Reference WO 329/2475 (entered theatre of war 'France' 13 August 1914)
- British War Medal. Silver issue: Medal Index Card ref WO 372/28/359, Captain 4th Rajputs
- Interallied Victory Medal with MID Oakleaves: Medal Index Card ref WO 372/28/359
- GSM 1918. GV 1st issue with clasp 'S. Persia': Ref WO 100/G37/447
- IGS 1908. GV 1st issue 'Waziristan 1921-24': War Services sections of Indian Army Lists
- War Medal: Awarded for 28 days uniform service 1939-45
- India Service Medal: 3 years service in India (IA List 1943 records 'Retired' 2 November 1942)
- Jubilee Medal 1935: Jubilee Medal Roll, India allocation (Acting Director General of Farms)
- Coronation Medal 1937: Jubilee Medal Roll, India allocation (Director of Farms)

Reginald Hugh Penrose-Welsted, son Samuel Quayle Penrose-Welsted and Eleanor Grace Penrose Welsted (nee Fleming) was a native of Portlaw, Carrick-on-Suir, County Waterford. Ireland, where he was born on, 23 April 1891. Reginald was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 3 September 1910, also taking the Prize for Military Administration. On arrival in British India, Reginald - an officer on the Indian Army Unattached List - was posted for 1 years attached service with 1st Battalion Connaught Rangers - a.k.a. 'The Devils Own' - prior to being transferred to his parent Indian Army Infantry Regiment, 4th (Prince Albert Victor' Own) Rajputs on, 28 November 1919. Reginald remained a regimental officer of 4/Rajputs (re-styled 2/7 Rajput in 1922), through to 25 July 1922. During the Great War he served in Mesopotamia (Iraq) with the 4th Rajputs from, 18 September 1915 to 4 May 1918

Following his service in Mesopotamia, Reginald saw further service with the Bushire Field Force in South Persia, between 6 October 1918 to 4 May 1920. During his service in South Persia, Reginald was appointed GSO II and held various Staff Appointments with Headquarters, including being attached as the sole Military Officer to the Military Farms Department to oversee the small but vitally important role of the Military Farms Department to provide 'Dairy Milk' supplies - a staple dietary component - for the Indian Army units in South Persia. For his work on the Headquarters Staff and with the Military Farms Department, Reginald was rewarded with a 'Mention-in-Despatches' for South Persia. Reginald returned to his parent regiment, and served with 2/7 Rajput during the Waziristan Campaign on the North West Frontier of India, 1921-1922

Transferring to the Military Farms Department on 26 July 1922, he was later promoted Major in September 1927

Flying back to India in August 1936, he was lucky to survive the forced landing of Imperial Airways G-AAUC which took off from London on 22 August. With its passengers including 3 x Officers of the Indian Army and Political Agents for Bahrain they made good speed to Basra. However, on the leg to Bahrain, they were forced to make an emergency crash landing in the desert, south of present day Doha (Qatar), around 0520hrs on 29 August. Having lost radio communications, they were all but stranded and faced a grim outlook, with only '...a few sandwiches, a small amount of bottled water, chocolates and whiskey'

Thankfully, No. 84 Squadron RAF were in the area and together with two further craft of Imperial Airways, began the search. Having spent two days under the sapping Arabian sun, they were finally spotted and rescued some 40 miles south of Salwa Wells, no doubt greatful that the ordeal was at an end

Penrose-Welsted made his way onto India, being made Colonel and Director of Farms, Military Farms Service on 11 November 1936. The Military Farms Department of the Indian Army had been formed in 1889 in order to provide milk and fodder for the huge head of cattle required to meet the needs of the Indian Army. At the start of the Second World War, Reginald Hugh Penrose-Welsted held the position of Director Military Farms, through to taking his retirement on 2 November 1942, during which years, he and his unit, provided immense logistical support during the massive expansion of the Indian Army, in the early years of the Second World War. As a reflection of the importance of his services 1939-1942, Colonel Penrose-Welsted was created a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E. Post-war, Reginald lived in retirement in, Battle, Sussex, England, where he is recorded as having died during the second quarter of 1966

The insignia of the Military Farms Department worn by the recipient is in the 'Field Marshal Sir John Chapple' collection of Indian Army badges held by the National Army Museum (NAM1965-10-109, refers)

Sold together with some hard-copy photocopied research

Condition: GVF

Code: 23638