The rare Second World War Syria-Lebanon Campaign 1941 Advance on Damascus Indian Distinguished Service Medal group awarded to Sepoy Mohman Shah, 3rd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment, 5th Indian Infantry Brigade, 4th Indian Infantry Division. Mohman Shah was one of 18 recipients of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal for his battalion for actions during the advance on Damascus, his battalion having also gained four Indian Order of Merit 2nd Class awards, and five Military Crosses. He may well have gone on to see service in North Africa in the fighting around Tobruk from the autumn of 1941 onwards. His award of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal was gazetted on 30th December 1941, with an amendment to the original gazette entry being published on 14th July 1942.
Group of 4: Indian Distinguished Service Medal, GVI 1st type bust, with officially impressed naming; (13632 SEP. MOHMAN SHAH, 3-1 PUNJAB R.); 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; War Medal.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Mohman Shah, name also spelt Moman Shah, saw service during the Second World War as a Sepoy (No.13632) with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment, as part of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade within the 4th Indian Infantry Division during the fighting against the Vichy French in Syria. The battalion had originally fought in the Sudan during 1941 when the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade formed part of the 5th Indian Infantry Division, but returned to 4th Indian Division command when it took part in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. The 3rd/1st Punjabis would remain part of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade through to February 1942.
It was during the fighting against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon that Mohman Shah won the Indian Distinguished Service Medal, one of 18 such awards made to his battalion, which together with the 4th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles, bore the brunt of the fighting within the brigade during the campaign.
In the aftermath of the fighting in the Sudan, the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade had been hurried back to Egypt and was then hurried across to Syria and participated in the advance on Damascus in June 1941. From 14th to 17th June 1941, the British 4th Armoured Brigade was attached to the division.
Sepoy Monan Shah’s original recommendation for the Indian Distinguished Service Medal is not available to view, however his battalion won 18 such awards during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, in addition to four Indian Order of Merit 2nd Class awards, and five Military Crosses. His award was originally published in the London Gazette for 30th December 1941 however in error his name was listed as ‘No. 13682 Sepoy Mahmud Khan,1st Punjab Regiment’, this error was corrected in the London Gazette for 14th July 1942, when the error was corrected, his details being published as: ‘No. 13632 Sepoy Moman Shah, 1st Punjab Regiment’, his award being confirmed as earned in Syria during the period from February 1941 to July 1941.
In the aftermath of the fall of Damascus, the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade rejoined the main body of the 4th Indian Division which was fighting around Tobruk.