BRITISH INDIA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL NW FRONTIER 749349 WOODS ESSEX REGIMENT +WW1

Offered is a India General Service Medal (1908 – 35) with clasp NORTH WEST FRONTIER 1930 – 31, impressed named 749349 PTE. E. WOODS. ESSEX R. Comes with copy medal roll, Artillery attestation book entry.

Private Ernest Arthur Woods, was born the 3/1/1903 at Long Melford Ipswich, Suffolk. A labourer by trade he enlisted into the Royal Artillery as a driver on the 14/3/1923 for a 4 year sting. He was given the regimental number 749349, however on the 30/11/1923 he transferred to the Essex Regiment.

The 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment spent a 13-year period from 1922 to 1935 as part of the British garrison in India. During this time, the 2nd Battalion was stationed at Ambala (1922–1927), Landi Kotal (1927–1929), Nowshera (1929–1931), Nasirabad (1931–1933) and Bombay (1933–1935). The 2nd Battalion spent an additional year overseas in Sudan (1935–1936), before returning to Britain and the regimental depot at Warley near Brentwood in Essex.

Woods was still serving in 1934 as the medal roll shows he was issued his medal May 1934. He died in March 1974 at Havering, Greater London.

During the campaign against the Afridi tribesmen 1930 -31. A two Brigade Groups were sent to occupy the Khajuri Plain, west of Peshawar and south of the Khyber Pass. Their role was to open up the area by constructing roads and strong points. This would help prevent any future tribal infiltration towards Peshawar. On 17/10/1930 the British-led force crossed into the Tirah Valley at Bara, six miles from Peshawar, and advanced a further seven miles to Miri Khel. Here a fortified camp was constructed from which operations against the Afridis were conducted. On 16/1/1931, the force was withdrawn, having accomplished its objective.