An extremely rare example of an India North West Frontier 1938 operations single Military Cross, this in its presentation case with its excessively rare outer card box of issue, as awarded to Lieutenant later Captain R.H.R. Alderman, 4th (Outram’s) Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles attached South Waziristan Scouts. Alderman fought on the frontier during the operations against the Fakir of Ipi in the period from 1936 through to 1939, and having been awarded a Mention in Despatches in February 1938, went on to be awarded a very rare 1938 operations Military Cross, this being ‘for gallant and distinguished service in action in connection with the operations on the North-West Frontier of India’ and gazetted on 19 July 1938. With the Second World War he fought against the Japanese in Malaya, being killed in action on 15 January 1942, one month before the fall of Singapore. Only Military Crosses awarded for the years 1938 and 1939 have the date officially impressed, being otherwise engraved or unmarked, and this is a true numismatic rarity.
Military Cross, GVI 1st type GRI cypher, reverse officially impressed for 1938, this complete with original ribbon and wearing pin, and housed in its fitted Royal Mint presentation case, the outer lid of the case bears the original paper label confirming that this ‘M.C.’ was awarded to ‘Lieut. R.H.R. Alderman, 4/6th Rajputana Rifles attached S.W. Scouts.’ In addition the presentation case is housed in its excessively rare outer card box.
Condition: Extremely Fine, the outer card box weakened at the corners.
Richard Harold Robert Alderman was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and appointed to the Indian Army on 22 March 1934, joining the 4th (Outram’s) Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles. He soon found himself attached to the South Waziristan Scouts, one of the elite North West Frontier units, whose troops came from the local tribesmen in the area.
As such, having been promoted to Lieutenant, he fought on the frontier during the operations against the Fakir of Ipi in the period from 1936 through to 1939 and the outbreak of the Second World War.
Aldrman was awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services, the award being published in the London Gazette for 188 February 1938, and was then awarded a very rare North West Frontier operations Military Cross, this award being published in the London Gazette for 19 July 1938, ‘for gallant and distinguished service in action in connection with the operations on the North-West Frontier of India’. His award being the only one gazetted on this occasion, and one of only three the the Rajputana Rifles for the entirety of inter-war period covering the end of the First World War through to the outbreak of the Second World War.
With the Second World War, Alderman, by now promoted to Captain, saw service with the 6th Rajputana Rifles in Malaya after the Japanese invasion, and was killed in action on 15 January 1942. Having no known grave, he is commemorated by name on the Singapore Memorial.
