India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 1 Clasp: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, awarded to Lieutenant later Lieutenant Colonel B.H. Ryves, 14th Ferozepore Sikhs, sometime attached Supply & Transport Corps, Indian Army. Ryves who was born in Multan, India, but latterly lived in Redruth, Cornwall, saw service with the Indian Army between 1897 and 1923, and having served with the 14th Sikh’s on the Punjab Frontier during 1897 to 1898, was attached to the Supply & Transport Corps from late 1899 to the early 1900’s. He saw home service out in India during the Great War.
India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 1 Clasp: Punjab Frontier 1897-98; (LIEUT: B.H. RYVES 14TH: SIKHS.)
Condition: suspension slightly slack, lightly polished, about Good Very Fine.
Benjamin Harvey Ryves was born on 14th November 1875, and came from Multan, Bengal. He had a sister, Alice Mary Ryves, born 1878, and a brother, William Neville Ryves, born 1881. His father, Hervey Ekins Ryves, died when he was 15 in Italy. He attended Sandhurst, and in 1895 received his commission. He was appointed to the Indian Army in 1897 and attached as the 14th Sikh's as an officiating Wing Officer, whilst on probation. He was promoted to Lieutenant 4th of November, 1897. During this period he took part in the operations on the Punjab Frontier which lasted from September 1897 through to April 1898.
Ryves transferred on attachment to the Supply & Transport Corps on 4th October 1899, and he also had some proficiency in Persian, having passed the lower standard language exam. In 1900 he married his first wife, Hilda Agnes Elvira Jarrad on the 14th of December at Multan, Bengal, India. In 1901 the pair welcomed their first child, daughter Sybil Catherine Ryves.
Ryves was promoted from Lieutenant to Captain in 1904 when still with the 14th Ferozepore Sikhs. The pair's second child, Hervey Frederick J Ryves was born in Cornwall, England, 1907. In 1909 he joined the Freemasons. In 1911, despite being a Captain in the Indian Army, he lived in Mawgan, Cornwall with his family, but by 1912 was back out in India at Calcutta. Promoted to Major on 14th August 1913. His wife, Hilda died on 3rd of July 1915 in whilst he was stationed at Murree. He was married for a second time in 1916 to Irene Norah May Ross. Ryves saw non active service out in India throughout the Great War and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 14th August 1922.
Tragedy struck when on 21 April, 1923, his son Hervey died, in what was reported in the newspapers as a 'tragic egg expedition.' wherein his son fell off a cliff trying to get to a gulls nest. In the same year he was approved for retirement on account of ill health, being discharged on the 23rd of August. Ryves lived for 40 more years at Redruth in Cornwall until dying on 21 February 1961.
