POST WW1 INDIA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL WAZIRISTAN CAPTAIN THOMAS BROWNE & IRAQ

Captain Browne (Indian Army) served in Mesopotamia with the No. 3 Burma M.T. Company (No. 3 Burma Ford Van Company, No. 784 (Burma) M.T. Company R.A.S.C. and later saw service on the North West Frontier in the Waziristan Campaign. His service records are believed to be held in the British Library.

India General Service Medal (1908 – 35) with clasp WAZIRISTAN 1919 – 21, impressed named CAPT. T.G.H. BROWNE, I.A.R.O. Comes with copies of M.I.C. & London Gazette.

Captain Thomas Garnet Henry Browne served during the Great War with the Indian Army Reserve of Officers and Royal Army Service Corps. He was later promoted Acting Major whilst employed as Commandant of No. 3 Burma Ford Van Company, from 30 November 1918 to 9 December 1918, inclusive (London Gazette 11 July 1919, refers). Appointed Captain in the I.A.R.O. on 10 September 1929 (London Gazette 1 July 1932, refers), he was still serving in this rank until 10 July 1945, retiring having reached the age limit of liability to recall to the Reserve; sold with copied research.

No. 3 Burma M.T. Company (No. 3 Burma Ford Van Company, No. 784 (Burma) M.T. Company R.A.S.C.

Recruiting started for this Company on 28th August 1918. From 4th November 1918 the Company undertook training at the No.1 M.T. Training School at Sohan Camp, Rawalpindi, India, where its Commandant, Major Richard Stanley BAKER died suddenly of influenza on 13th November 1918. Captain Thomas Garnet Henry BROWNE commanded the unit from 30th November to 9th December 1918, and Major George Chesney Nevill STEVENS took command on 10th December.

Orders to proceed overseas were received on 12 January 1919, and the Company embarked on HM Hospital Transport Bamora at Karachi on 24th January, subsequently disembarking at Basra on 30th January and going into Camp 7 at Makina, Basra. Officers assisting Major STEVENS included Captain BROWNE (Workshops Officer) and 2/Lt. John Marmaduke CONDER (Adjutant).

On 6th February 1919 orders were received via Captain LYNN, O.C. No. 1023 M.T. Company R.A.S.C. to proceed up country to Baquba to relieve No. 784 M.T. Company R.A.S.C. The unit left on river craft the following day, and after slow progress up the River Tigris due to flood conditions arrived at Baghdad on 17th February. The unit then entrained for the final leg of its journey, and arrived at Baquba on 19th February 1919.

On 4th March 1919 Major STEVENS received orders that No. 3 Burma M.T. Company was to take over all the equipment and duties of No. 784 M.T. Company R.A.S.C. and that he was to command the unit henceforth to be known as No. 784 (Burma) M.T. Company R.A.S.C. British and Indian personnel of the “old” 784 Company were to remain attached to the “new” Company pending demobilization or transfer. The changes were completed and the new arrangements took effect on 6th March 1919.

6th March 1919 also saw the final entry in the War Diary for No. 3 Burma M.T. Company.

The Diary for No. 5 M.T. Column shows 784 Company at Fathah on 2nd May 1919.

The fragment of Diary for December 1919 shows the unit at Kirkuk. On 2nd December 1919 Lt. W. KINGSLEY (probably W.E. KINGSLEY originally with the Indian Labour Corps) took over command of the unit from Major STEVENS, who left for Baghdad the following day for demobilization. Lts. O’SHEA, CONDER and Charles Dixie KIERNANDER were with the Company at this time, and convoys were running to Fathah and Kifri with mail and personnel. One convoy to Fathah took down material from the 1st Battalion 3rd Gurkha Regiment dump. Major COUPER took over command on 10th December 1919. Convoys then began bringing Christmas supplies up from Baiji, some being forwarded on to Erbil, Bazzan and Altun Kupri. On 29th December Lt. C.F. PYETT and Captain E. BRUCE joined the Company, and Captain BRUCE took over command. On 31st December Major COUPER and Lt. CONDER left for Baghdad for demobilization.

Officers and men who arrived in Mesopotamia as members of No. 3 Burma M.T. Company and who had no other qualifying service did not qualify for the award of the British War Medal or Victory Medal. Most officers and men of No. 784 (Burma) M.T. Company would have qualified for the General Service Medal (1918), with either or both of the Iraq and Kurdistan Clasps.

Information from Noel Clark.

Waziristan 1921 – 24.

The Waziristan campaign was a road construction effort and military campaign conducted from 21 December 1921 to 31 March 1924 by British and Indian forces in Waziristan These operations were part of the new Forward Policy, which sought to reduce and eventually eliminate tribal uprisings and tribal raids into settled districts by stationing regular troops inside Waziristan, which would then be capable of swiftly responding to Waziri rebellions. The rebel tribes attempted to harass the British troops, but were unsuccessful in stopping the British road construction efforts.