Sergeant Harry James Prescott Inder Royal Field Artillery
The Man Harry James Prescott Inder was born on Monday 13th June 1881 at Castle Hill Cottages, Charlton, Dover. Son of Jacob a Sergeant (later Major) in the 9th Brigade Royal Artillery, based at Dover Castle Military Base and Jane nee Prescott. He had one brother Jack Prescott (1880-1946).
The 1891 census shows the family, but not Jacob, living at 28 Yeldham Road, Fulham and Harry, aged 10 at school. Four years later on 8th May 1895 aged 14, Harry followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted into the Royal Artillery as a Boy with service number 9511. Upon his enlistment he was described as 4’ 10¼” tall, weighing 77lbs, a 27” chest, fair complexion blue eyes and brown hair. His religion was Church of England.
He trained at the Depot Battery RA and was appointed as a Trumpeter on 1st April 1897 aged 16. On 28th February 1898 he was posted for service in India as part of the 9th Mountain Battery RA. In April he was based at Darjeeling, when on 29th November – 5th December he was treated in hospital for a facial wound caused by an accident with gunpowder.
Harry’s service records show he was a part of the Tirah Expeditionary Force of 1887 and 98.
The 1891 census shows the family, but not Jacob, living at 28 Yeldham Road, Fulham and Harry, aged 10 at school. Four years later on 8th May 1895 aged 14, Harry followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted into the Royal Artillery as a Boy with service number 9511. Upon his enlistment he was described as 4’ 10¼” tall, weighing 77lbs, a 27” chest, fair complexion blue eyes and brown hair. His religion was Church of England.
He trained at the Depot Battery RA and was appointed as a Trumpeter on 1st April 1897 aged 16. On 28th February 1898 he was posted for service in India as part of the 9th Mountain Battery RA. In April he was based at Darjeeling, when on 29th November – 5th December he was treated in hospital for a facial wound caused by an accident with gunpowder.
Harry’s service records show he was a part of the Tirah Expeditionary Force of 1887 and 98.
By 1895 it was beginning to be considered that the 23 bars issued to the India General Service Medal implied a need for its replacement, and in 1896 the new India Medal was awarded. The North-West Frontier between British India and Afghanistan was a source of political tension for the length of the nineteenth century and beyond, as the precarious Imperial accommodations with local tribes required continual maintenance. In 1897 a particular crisis flared up when most of the Afridi tribes on the Punjab frontier, who had for sixteen years been receiving subsidies to guard the Khyber Pass, rebelled at the same time as the Mohmand tribes beyond the Pass began a raiding campaign.
Because of the number of men available to the Afridis and the stretched demands on British forces it was some time before a response could be coordinated, but towards the end of 1897 a campaign was begun, with one force proceeding to secure the forts around the city of Peshawar, and the other dealing with those in the Tirah area. The latter column, due to shortage of water and the extreme cold of this Himalayan region, ran into great difficulties and beat a fighting retreat, costly to both sides, until they could join forces with the Peshawar column. This combined force managed to secure the Khyber forts over Christmas 1897 and peace was secured the next year. The bar for Punjab Frontier 1897-98 was awarded to all units involved in the campaign, but the retreat from Tirah was felt to merit a bar of its own.
For his part in the expedition Henry was awarded the India Medal 1896 with clasps ‘Punjab Frontier 1897-98’ and ‘Tirah 1897-98’
On 16th December 1898 he moved to Mandalay in Burma and again admitted to hospital on 28th February – 7th April 1899 for contagion and was circumcised. He was hospitalised a third time on 30th September - 7th October 1899 this time with syphilis.
Because of the number of men available to the Afridis and the stretched demands on British forces it was some time before a response could be coordinated, but towards the end of 1897 a campaign was begun, with one force proceeding to secure the forts around the city of Peshawar, and the other dealing with those in the Tirah area. The latter column, due to shortage of water and the extreme cold of this Himalayan region, ran into great difficulties and beat a fighting retreat, costly to both sides, until they could join forces with the Peshawar column. This combined force managed to secure the Khyber forts over Christmas 1897 and peace was secured the next year. The bar for Punjab Frontier 1897-98 was awarded to all units involved in the campaign, but the retreat from Tirah was felt to merit a bar of its own.
For his part in the expedition Henry was awarded the India Medal 1896 with clasps ‘Punjab Frontier 1897-98’ and ‘Tirah 1897-98’
On 16th December 1898 he moved to Mandalay in Burma and again admitted to hospital on 28th February – 7th April 1899 for contagion and was circumcised. He was hospitalised a third time on 30th September - 7th October 1899 this time with syphilis.
Harry Inder's World War I Medal Index Card
The 1901 census show Harry’s father Jacob back with his family and now a Lieutenant living at 96 Dundonald Road, Wimbledon.
On 24th June 1902 Harry was posted to Kirkee and on 1st July 1902 was mustered and transferred to the Royal Field Artillery as a Driver. On 13th February 1903 he was appointed as Lance Bombardier and on 1st December 1904 promoted to substantive Bombardier and Staff Sergeant on 1st December 1905. On 8th December 1905 he was re-engaged to complete 21 years service.
The 1911 Census shows Jacob as a Major and boarding at 30 Woodland Terrace, Old Chandlers Ford and Jane still at Dundonald Road.
In 1912 Henry was now in Shimla, where he was again hospitalised for a dog bite and sent to Kasauli for treatment and again on 12th – 30th August 2012 for a sprained ankle.
In Army Order 333 of 1913 Henry was awarded a gratuity and his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and on 8th January 1914 returned from India to UK having served in the country for 15 years 342 days.
Henry’s 21 years was due to end in 1916, but following the outbreak of world War I on 4th August 1914 he was posted to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on 5th October 1914 with the 12th Battery. It appears that with the formation of Kitchener’s ‘New Army ‘ and possibly at this own request Henry was returned to the ranks, but appointed as paid Bombardier in the field on 17th June 1915.
On 19th August 1915 he was posted to Headquarters 51st (Highland) Division RA and on 16th August 1915 promoted to acting Sergeant, followed by substantive Bombardier on 25th September 1915, attached to 113th Brigade and then Corporal 30th March 1916. He was confirmed in rank of Sergeant 10th August 1916
On 24th November 1916 he was transferred to Base Depot RA in the field; even though his 21 years were now at an end, he was retained in service under the military service act 1916. He remained in France until 13th January 1919 when on 21st February he was discharged from the Amry under King’s Regulation 392 (xxi) (Termination of his period of engagement), his address was given as 96 Dundonald Road, Wimbledon, that of his parents. He was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp ‘Aug-Nov 1914’, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
After his discharge Henry became a Clerk and on 6th November 1920 in St Andrews Church, Wimbledon married Mary Rose Annie Mold, they appear to have had no children. He re-enlisted into the Territorial Army Royal Artillery on 8th January 1926 with a new service number 1671651.
Henry continued his service in the TA as Sergeant in the 54th Anti - Aircraft Brigade, an air defence formation of the TA formed before the outbreak of the Second World War. He was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal 1935 and in Army Order 97 of 1936 his Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’ when aged 55 and likely coinciding with his retirement. The 1939 Register shows him and Mary living at 20 The Green, Merton and Morden and he is shown as a Civil Servant, where his birth date is given as 2nd May 1881 for some reason.
Harry served in one of the local Civil Defence Organisations during World War II, most likely the Hone Guard and awarded the Defence Medal at the end of the war. In Army Order 98 of 1953, when he was aged 72, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal ‘without annuity’ a backdated award and named to him with regular army service number and rank.
In later life Henry and Mary lived at ‘Thorney’, Kingsbury Episcopi, Somerset and he died on 3rd March 1957 aged 76. Mary lived another 15 years and died 1st December 1972 living at 78 Berrow Road, Burnham-on- Sea aged 77.
On 24th June 1902 Harry was posted to Kirkee and on 1st July 1902 was mustered and transferred to the Royal Field Artillery as a Driver. On 13th February 1903 he was appointed as Lance Bombardier and on 1st December 1904 promoted to substantive Bombardier and Staff Sergeant on 1st December 1905. On 8th December 1905 he was re-engaged to complete 21 years service.
The 1911 Census shows Jacob as a Major and boarding at 30 Woodland Terrace, Old Chandlers Ford and Jane still at Dundonald Road.
In 1912 Henry was now in Shimla, where he was again hospitalised for a dog bite and sent to Kasauli for treatment and again on 12th – 30th August 2012 for a sprained ankle.
In Army Order 333 of 1913 Henry was awarded a gratuity and his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and on 8th January 1914 returned from India to UK having served in the country for 15 years 342 days.
Henry’s 21 years was due to end in 1916, but following the outbreak of world War I on 4th August 1914 he was posted to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on 5th October 1914 with the 12th Battery. It appears that with the formation of Kitchener’s ‘New Army ‘ and possibly at this own request Henry was returned to the ranks, but appointed as paid Bombardier in the field on 17th June 1915.
On 19th August 1915 he was posted to Headquarters 51st (Highland) Division RA and on 16th August 1915 promoted to acting Sergeant, followed by substantive Bombardier on 25th September 1915, attached to 113th Brigade and then Corporal 30th March 1916. He was confirmed in rank of Sergeant 10th August 1916
On 24th November 1916 he was transferred to Base Depot RA in the field; even though his 21 years were now at an end, he was retained in service under the military service act 1916. He remained in France until 13th January 1919 when on 21st February he was discharged from the Amry under King’s Regulation 392 (xxi) (Termination of his period of engagement), his address was given as 96 Dundonald Road, Wimbledon, that of his parents. He was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp ‘Aug-Nov 1914’, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
After his discharge Henry became a Clerk and on 6th November 1920 in St Andrews Church, Wimbledon married Mary Rose Annie Mold, they appear to have had no children. He re-enlisted into the Territorial Army Royal Artillery on 8th January 1926 with a new service number 1671651.
Henry continued his service in the TA as Sergeant in the 54th Anti - Aircraft Brigade, an air defence formation of the TA formed before the outbreak of the Second World War. He was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal 1935 and in Army Order 97 of 1936 his Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’ when aged 55 and likely coinciding with his retirement. The 1939 Register shows him and Mary living at 20 The Green, Merton and Morden and he is shown as a Civil Servant, where his birth date is given as 2nd May 1881 for some reason.
Harry served in one of the local Civil Defence Organisations during World War II, most likely the Hone Guard and awarded the Defence Medal at the end of the war. In Army Order 98 of 1953, when he was aged 72, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal ‘without annuity’ a backdated award and named to him with regular army service number and rank.
In later life Henry and Mary lived at ‘Thorney’, Kingsbury Episcopi, Somerset and he died on 3rd March 1957 aged 76. Mary lived another 15 years and died 1st December 1972 living at 78 Berrow Road, Burnham-on- Sea aged 77.
The Story The impressive medal group awarded to Harry James Inder was acquired from Noonan’s Auction on 11th October 2023 and of interest because of the George V Army Long Service and Efficiency Medal combination, a sub-theme of this collection. It was also pleasing to have a Victorian campaign medal in a relatively ‘modern’ group.
Ancestry.UK revealed the early service records of Harry and because of the unusual surname research was relatively straightforward.
One conundrum, however, is that his service records show the entitlement to only the Punjab 1897-98 clasp and not the Tirah 1897-98. This is despite the fact he was also shown as being in the Tirah Expeditionary Force, was in the 9 Mountain Battery RA, who were present and had the clasp, albeit slightly crudely mounted, on the India Medal.
It may have been a self-award, or a later award, not reflected in his earlier service records depending upon when the clasp was authorised. It is also unlikely given the era; he would have been able to secure an original clasp to affix to the medal.
Nevertheless, a group of medals awarded to a long service Victorian Soldier who saw service pre–World War I, during the Great War and World War II. One can only take ones hat off to him.
Ancestry.UK revealed the early service records of Harry and because of the unusual surname research was relatively straightforward.
One conundrum, however, is that his service records show the entitlement to only the Punjab 1897-98 clasp and not the Tirah 1897-98. This is despite the fact he was also shown as being in the Tirah Expeditionary Force, was in the 9 Mountain Battery RA, who were present and had the clasp, albeit slightly crudely mounted, on the India Medal.
It may have been a self-award, or a later award, not reflected in his earlier service records depending upon when the clasp was authorised. It is also unlikely given the era; he would have been able to secure an original clasp to affix to the medal.
Nevertheless, a group of medals awarded to a long service Victorian Soldier who saw service pre–World War I, during the Great War and World War II. One can only take ones hat off to him.
Medal Details
- India Medal: 9511 TRUMP H.J.INDER. 9.M.B.R.A.
- 1914 Star: 9511 DVR: H.J.INRER. R.F.A.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 9511 SJT. H.J.INDER. R.A.
- Victory Medal: 9511 SJT. H.J.INDER. R.A.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- Jubilee Medal 1935: Unnamed as awarded.
- Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal: 9511 A.BMBR. H.J.INDER. R.A.
- Meritorious Service Medal: 9511 SJT.H.J.INDER. R.A.
- Efficiency Medal 'Territorial': 1671451 SJT.H.J.INDER. R.A.
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