First World War British War Medal – Rifleman Gulam Hussain, 123rd Outram’s Rifles
British War Medal – 1237 RFMN. GULAM HUSSAIN. 123 OTRM RFLS.
Rifleman Gulam Hussain, service number 1237, served during the Great War with the 123rd Outram’s Rifles, an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army with a long record of overseas service. His British War Medal is officially impressed to “1237 RFMN. GULAM HUSSAIN. 123 OTRM RFLS.”, confirming his rank and regiment.
At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the 123rd Outram’s Rifles were stationed in Manipur, India, within the area of the 9th (Lucknow) Division. During this early phase of the war the regiment remained in India, moving to Shattock in March 1915, and later, in January 1916, transferring to Multan in the Lahore Divisional Area. Rifleman Gulam Hussain would have spent this period engaged in internal security duties, training, and preparation for overseas service, which was a common pattern for Indian Army units in the early years of the war.
At the end of 1916, the regiment was deployed overseas, sailing to Egypt, where it joined the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade. On the formation of the 75th Division, the regiment became part of 234th Brigade, serving in the Sinai and Palestine theatre. From 1917 onwards, the battalion took part in major operations against Ottoman forces during the Palestine Campaign. These included the Third Battle of Gaza, which began on 31 October 1917, and later the decisive Megiddo Offensive in September 1918, which led to the collapse of Ottoman resistance in the region. During these operations the sepoys and riflemen of the 123rd experienced sustained campaigning in difficult climatic conditions, combining long marches with periods of intense fighting.
The war in the Middle East came to an end with the signing of the Armistice with the Ottoman Empire on 30 October 1918. Rifleman Gulam Hussain remained with his regiment during the post-war occupation period. In June 1919, the battalion transferred to 31st Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division, still serving in Egypt and Palestine, undertaking garrison duties and maintaining security in a region unsettled by the aftermath of war.
In the middle of 1920, the 123rd Outram’s Rifles were again redeployed, this time to Mesopotamia, joining 74th Indian Brigade, 6th Indian Division. Here the regiment was involved in operations during the Arab Rebellion of 1920, when British and Indian forces were employed to suppress widespread unrest against British administration in what later became Iraq. The regiment remained in Mesopotamia until the end of 1920.
Following the post-war reorganisation of the Indian Army, the 123rd Outram’s Rifles were amalgamated in 1922 with several other regiments, including the 125th Napier’s Rifles, to form the 6th Rajputana Rifles, becoming the 4th Battalion (Outram’s) of the new regiment. Rifleman Gulam Hussain’s service with the 123rd thus places him within a unit that saw extensive active service across India, Egypt, Palestine, and Mesopotamia, spanning both the combat and occupation phases of the First World War and its immediate aftermath.
PLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.
Visit my website for better prices on most of my stock.
AJMS Medals