David,
Bishen Das IDSM is a well respected member of the garrison currently stationed at the Cape.
Attachment not found
His story
angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/8991-...oer-war?limitstart=0
And from my files.
Philately is the collection and study of any one or
more countries of issues whereby definite conclusions
are arrived at, in spite of the absence of official records.
A. Crippa in “Stamp Collecting and Philately” (1924).
In September 1899 the Indian Government put on standby transport for troops bound for a possible expedition to South Africa. When war was declare the transport ship “Secunda” left Bombay on the 18th September, 1899 1. with the first contingent of Indian Troops that were to serve in South Africa up until the end of the Second-Anglo Boer War. This force was to number some 10,000 men of various branches of the Indian Army; Ordinance, Veterinary and Hospital Departments and included saddlers, farriers, laundry men, cooks and butchers. Confidential Telegram No.94 of 20th September 1899 mentions that the “Director-General of the Post Office of India proposes, and the Commander-in-Chief in India recommends, two postal offices should be sent to Natal in connection with India Contingent” 2.
This proposal was turned down in Telegram 112 of 25th September 1899 “ In reply to your letter of the 21st instant, forwarding a copy of a telegram from the Viceroy of India in regard to a proposal to send two postal officers to Natal in connection with the Indian Contingent, I am directed by the Marquis of Lansdowne to acquaint you, for the information of Lord George Hamilton, that as there does not appear to be any urgent necessity for the employment of these officers with the force in Natal, he regrets that he is unable to concur in the proposal”2.
By May the following year the decision had been rescinded and four officers were requested to proceed to Cape Town. (Telegram 418) “Secretary of State for War has received telegram from General Commanding, Line of Communication, at Cape Town, saying correspondence regarding native troops requires early attention, and asking to send four clerks from various districts Indian Post Office for duty with Army Post Office. Can you carry out the arrangement?”2. So by the 9th June, 1900 four postal officers set off on the voyage to the front. (Telegram 438A) “Army Post Office, South Africa, Four Clerks leave for Cape Town, per steamer “Umlazi” leaving Calcutta 9th June. Terms offered are Rs.2 per day field allowance each, and kit allowance, Rs 50; also free rations while on field service in South Africa.”2.
The names of the four are given on the medal roll for the Queen’s South Africa Medal under the heading of the “Indian Postal Department”3.
1. Sub Postmaster Chatterjee C.H.
2. Postmaster Aladin
3. Clerk Bishen Das
4. Clerk Moodlier J.K.R.G.
All four have service clasps for “Cape Colony” In addition Aladin and Moodlier have clasps to show that they also served in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. One pair has been reported as in excistance.4
Before the conclusion of the War, the death of the Queen Empress, necessitated a second campaign medal, the King’s South Africa Medal. This was issued with two clasps; “South Africa 1901” and “South Africa 1902”. It was always issued to participants in the Second Anglo-Boer War, in conjunction with the Queen’s Medal, who had 18 months service in South Africa up until the 31st May 1902. All four Postal Department employees mentioned for the Queen’s Medal also received the King’s Medal. It is the purchase of the King’s Medal, named on the rim in impressed capital letters to “Clerk Bishen Das I.P.D.” that instigated this investigation.
The literature is sparsely littered with conflicting references to the work of these four men of the Indian Postal Department. The vast majority of the Indian Contingent was sent to Natal and yet no postal arrangement were made.
“Heavy Mails from India were received about 3 times a month through the Natal Base Office. These Mails were especially troublesome to deal with as they contained much correspondence redirected from Clubs and Barracks in India but not bearing the name of the addressee's Regiment or Unit, and also much Native Correspondence.
The Natal Government refused to permit the sale of British Stamps at all in the Colony. The
F. P. 0’s, therefore, were provided with stocks of Natal stamps only. In return for this, Natal waived all transit rates on Military correspondence. Contrary to what the officers had been led to suppose, it was found that no Indian or other Field Post Office had accompanied Sir George White’s force of 10,000 men then invested in Ladysmith, and there was, therefore, no alternative but for the A . P. O. Corps to deal with the mails for these troops as well as with those for the Relief Force. This meant an increase of 70 per cent in the amount of correspondence to be dealt with by the Natal Base, and, in addition nearly 100 bags of accumulated Army Mails were taken over from the Civil Offices.” 5
“St. Martin Le Grande”, the Newsletter of the General Post Office believed that there was an Indian Postal presence in Natal
“Our Army Post Office is not the only one in the field, as the Indian Government has made a similar arrangement in Natal for the benefit of the troops sent from India.”
Multiple bibliographic and internet searchers have produced one reference. “The Postage Stamp in War” authored by Fred J. Melville 6. Here mention is made of “The Indian forces in South Africa also had their own postal establishment, with a special series of postmarks.,”
Despite these records only four men were in South Africa and none of them in Natal.
Edward Proud, author of the text above in a letter says
“The India army personnel served only in auxiliary units in South Africa. The clerks from the Indian Post Offices were for sorting Indian letters addressed in the Indian Vernacular and were part of the British Army Postal Service. No Indian postal units served in South Africa and certainly Melville is wrong saying they were attached to the postal service unless he is referring to the few Indians operating as part of the British Army Postal service.”
In Cape Colony the work of the I.P.D is illustrated in a piece in “St. Martin Le Grande” on the Kroostad Post Office but this short insert gives an indication of the ambience
“Of quite opposite character are the Indians who call for letters. They are splendid looking men, handsome and dignified, with none of the frivolity of the African nigger. They are men to be admired. Respectful to any white man, they look upon and treat with scorn the childish African. And what a picture of neatness and colour are they dressed in wide kharki trousers, long frocks bound at the waist by a broad band of red and yellow, glittering burnishes, and a startling coloured turban. They make a pleasing splash of colour amidst the dull dress of the Tommies. To deal with the correspondence of the hundreds of Indians employed at the remount depot we have in Kroonstad one of the Indian postal men; he assists at the counter and acts as interpreter.”
An insight into Indian letter writing can be found in “Indian Voices of the Great War – Soldiers’ letter, 1914-18” by David Omissi. Here he selects censored letters of the Indian Army in France and Mesopotamia and illustrates the sophistication of Indian Troops in describing their relationship with a foreign land and war. In his closing of the introduction Omissi writes. “Some men even seemed to sense that their letters might become their memorial. As a wounded Sikh wrote to his brother: ‘I must finish my letter …In a few days I shall go back to the war…If I live, I will write again’”
Taking a note from Crippa quoted at the head of this article, I have been purchasing envelopes sent by Indians in South Africa. An attempt is made to track the movement of troops and personnel “in the absence of official records”. Envelopes from Deelfointein and Kroonstad, Pretoria and Elandsfontein, wherever Indians were posted.
And what of Bishen Das…
The Official record shows that he went on to serve again in East Africa receiving an Indian Distinguished Service Medal (1180/1918) and a mention in the Despatch of Lt-General J.C Smuts 22nd November 1916
1. London Times 18th September 1899
2. National Archive, Kew, WO 108/404
3. WO 100/296 p 13
4. Durbar 1985 Vol.2 No.2 Queen’s South Africa Medals to Indian Cavalry. Mark Sellar
5. Edward B. Proud. Editor “History of British Army Postal Service” Vol I 1882-1902
6. Fred J. Melville. “The Postage Stamp in War”
