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MacGregor Medal
Obverse and Reverse of the medal
Type	Military award
Awarded for	For military intelligence through reconnaissance, exploration and survey; later, for adventure
Country	India
Presented by	United Service Institution of India
Status	Active
Established	May 1887; 137 years ago (May 1887)
First awarded	1889
Last awarded	2020
Total	122
Ribbon

The MacGregor Medal (also referred to as the MacGregor Memorial Medal) is awarded for valuable military intelligence through reconnaissance, exploration, survey or other similar activities of national importance. Awardees have included Survey of India personnel, military attaches, consuls, political officers and Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel (including British officers before Independence). Post 1947 the medal has only been awarded to military personnel. A few medals have been awarded for escapes from enemy-occupied territory while some medals were awarded for successful operations inside enemy territory. Sometimes the awardee would be conferred the medal years after the journey had been made. Currently the domains incorporated are land, sea and air. Over the years the necessity and opportunities related to exploration have declined and this in turn has been coupled with a decline in recommendations. In this light the eligibility has been expanded to adventure activities mountain and desert expeditions, rafting, world circumnavigation, polar expedition and flights.

History

The medal was instituted in May 1887 to honour the memory of United Service Institution of India founder, Major General Sir Charles MacGregor. The original criteria for award of the medal were enunciated out on 3 July 1888 at Shimla at a meeting in the presence of Commander-in-Chief General Sir FS Roberts and the Viceroy of India. After the partition of British India into India and Pakistan, the award was adopted by India and continues to this day. 122 medals have been awarded: 7 gold medals to officers, 67 standard size silver medals to officers (including 5 VCOs and JCOs), and 48 reduced size silver medals to other ranks/soldiers. One British officer has been awarded the medal twice, A. S. Lancaster, as a major in 1938, and again as a colonel in 1946; and one British Indian, Shahzad Mir, first as Daffadar, in 1897, then again as Risaldar in 1906. For reconnaissance in 1891, Havildar Ramzan Khan, Punjab Frontier Force, was the first Indian to be awarded the medal.

Specifications

There are three versions of the medal. The standard silver medal 2+3⁄4 inches (70 mm) without any attachments, the reduced gold medal 1+1⁄4 inches (32 mm) without any attachments and the reduced silver medal 1+1⁄4 inches (32 mm) with attachments to suspend around neck. The obverse side contains an effigy of Major General Sir Charles MacGregor. Inscribed on the upper periphery is "Major General Sir Charles MacGregor KCB CSI CIE". Inscribed on the lower periphery is "In Memoriam 1887". The reserve side contains various figures of army personnel. Details of the awardee are inscribed on the outer rim. The colours of the ribbon are (from left to right) — Red, Green, Red, Green, Black, White, Black, Green, Red, Green, Red. The colours are based on the 'MacGregor tartan'.

Recent winners

• Kumar, 2020: For accomplishments in long distance running
• Tomy, 2013: first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe under sail.
• Donde, 2010: first Indian to complete a solo, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe under sail
• Monga & Kumar, 2007: world trip in a microlight aircraft

Pre-1947 recipients

Key

• No. – Award number
• Rank – Rank at the time of the award
• Year – Year in which the exploration for which the award was given took place

Only recipients with articles have been listed

Post-1947 recipients

Awards were accompanied with entries in the Register for MacGregor Medal. The entry for Captain S.L. Tugnait, awarded for 1958, reads:

"Captain S.L. Tugnait... Air OP Squadron, Regiment of Artillery. Valuable Military Recce in Northern Ladakh. Covered the route from Leh over the 21,000 ft Chang La (Sic. 17,590 ft) into the Shyok River Valley to Ponyvang Lake (Sic. Pangong Tso). From there to Quazi-Haji Langer-Quaratag Pass, and back by the Karakuram Pass to Daulat Beg Oldi - Sasar Kangri over the Sasar La into the Nubra Valley and back to Leh over the 19,600 ft Kharding La"

No.	Service	Name	Awardee details		Year	Notes
			Rank	Other details
104.		ZC Bakshi	Major	VrC, 2nd Bn, 5th Gorkha Rifles (F.F)	1949
105.		IC Katoch	Colonel	MBE, 6th Bn, 5th Gorkha Rifles (F.F)	1951
106.		MS Jarg	Captain	3rd Bn, Jat Regiment	1956
107.		IB Goel	2nd Lieutenant	Bengal Engineers Group	1956
108.		Vinod Badhwar	Captain	5th Bn, 5th Gorkha Rifles (F.F)	1957
109.		SL Tugnait	Captain	Air Op Squadron, Regiment of Artillery	1958
110.		ML Whig	Brigadier	MVC FRGS, 2nd Bn, 5th Gorkhas Rifles (F.F)	1969
111.		Prem Chand	Major	VSM, 13th Bn, Dogra Regiment	1970
112.		CS Nugyal	Colonel	6th Bn, Sikh Regiment	1971
113.		Ravindra Misra	Captain	4th Bn, 3rd Gorkha Rifles	1972
114.		Bel Bahadur Pun	Subedar	4th Bn, 3rd Gorkha Rifles	1972
115.		Narender Kumar	Colonel	PVSM, KC, AVSM (Retd) Kumaon Regiment	1978 to 1981
116.		Ram Karan Makkar	Squadron Leader	127 HU, Indian Air Force	1986
117.		Rana TS Chhina	Flight Lieutenant	127 HU, Indian Air Force	1986
118.		NJ Korgaokar	Lieutenant Colonel	SM, Garhwal Regiment	1997
119.		Rahul Monga	Wing Commander	SC, Indian Air Force	2007
120.		Soumik Ghosh	Flight Lieutenant	SC, Indian Air Force	2010
121.		Dilip Donde	Commander	Indian Navy	2010
122.		Abhilash Tomy	Lieutenant Commander	Indian Navy, KC, NM	2013
123.		Sanjay Kumar	Electrical Artificer (P) 3	Indian Navy	2020

See also

• Wing Commander Jag Mohan Nath
• Major General Rajendra Nath

References

1. ^ Chhina, Squadron Leader (Retd) Rana TS (October–December 2020). "The MacGregor Memorial Medal". United Service Institution of India. Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Vol. CL, No. 622. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
2. "Ever Observed Colorful Ribbons On Soldier's Uniform? Here's What They Mean". SSBCrack. 18 February 2017. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
3. Hamond, USI Journal (1990), p. 471.
4. Executive Committee Meetings Minutes, USI & 1988-2002, p. 152.
5. USI Journal (2020), p. 582.
6. ^ Hamond, USI Journal (1990), p. 476.
7. ^ Hamond, USI Journal (1990), p. 477.
8. Hamond, USI Journal (1990), p. 472.
9. Hamond, USI Journal (1990), p. 474.
10. Sood, President's Report USI Journal (1991), p. 4-5.
11. ^ Macgregor Medal. United Service Institution of India. Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine. Archived on 1 January 2021.
12. Hamond 1994, p. 55.
13. Hamond, USI Journal (1990), p. 474–475.
14. ^ "Award of Mac Gregor Memorial Medal". Indian Navy. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
15. ^ "Who is Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy?". India Today. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-19. He was also awarded the MacGregor Medal in 2013 which is awarded to Indian Armed Forces personnel for valuable military reconnaissance.
16. ^ Sinha, Cdr Rahul; Vispute, Narendra (September 2014). "Book Release: A Solo Circumnavigation". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
17. ^ Upasani, Wg Cdr Mahesh (September 2017). "Fabulous Fliers". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
18. Waller 1990, p. 240.
19. Dalal 1985, p. 280.
20. Hopkirk 1994, p. 276.
21. ^ Singh, Lt-Gen (retd) Baljit (28 June 2020). "Enemy at the gates and a 910-km walk". Tribune India. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
22. ^ Executive Committee Meetings Minutes, USI & 1988-2002, p. 244.

Bibliography

• Hamond, Captain Robert (January 1942). "Through Western Tibet in 1939". The Geographical Journal. XCIX (1) – via archive.org and PAHAR.
• Waller, Derek J. (1990). The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 081311666X – via archive.org.
• Hopkirk, Peter (1994). Like Hidden Fire: The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire. United States of America: Kodansha. ISBN 1568360207 – via archive.org.
• Hamond, Robert (1994). History of the MacGregor Memorial Medals 1889-1989. United Service Institution of India. Lancer Paperbacks. ISBN 9781897829073.
• Executive Committee Meetings Minutes (25 January 1988 to 18 November 2002), United Service Institution of India, pp. 146, 152, 170, 184, 227, 230, 245

USI Journals

• Dalal, Brigadier J. A. F. (July–September 1985). "Henry Treise Morshead—Macgregor Medal Recipient, 1914". U.S.I Journal. CXV (481): 280–283 – via archive.org.
• Dalal, J.A.F. (April–June 1987). "Colonel J.B.P. Angwin: MacGregor Award Recipient 1936". U.S.I Journal. CXVII (488): 194–197 – via archive.org.
• Hamond, Major (Retd) Robert (October–December 1990). "The MacGregor Memorial Medal 1889-1989". U.S.I Journal. CXX (502): 471–479. ISSN 0041-770X – via archive.org.
• Sood, Lt Gen VK (January–March 1992). "President's Report for the Year 1991: MacGregor Medal". U.S.I. Journal. CXXII (507): 2–5 – via archive.org.
• "150th Anniversary Issue: USI Journal" (PDF). The United Service Institution of India. CL (622). October–December 2020.
• "Secretary's notes/MacGregor Memorial Medalists". U.S.I Journal. LXIII (270). January–October 1933 – via archive.org.

External links

• United Service Institution of India, Official website
• Image of medal and ribbon awarded to Havildar Sein U.

• Military awards and decorations of India
• Reconnaissance