description
Physical description
Single-breasted Service Dress jacket of khaki drill featuring a stand-and-fall collar with double hook and eye fasteners, epaulettes, front fastening of five buttons, pleated breast pockets with scalloped button flaps, large bellows skirt pockets with rectangular button flaps, pointed cuffs, side vents and a central vertical box pleat running the length of the rear. All buttons are of the leather 'football' style.
Fitted to the epaulettes are gilt rank insignia of one star, denoting the rank of Jemadar (British Army equivalent of 2nd Lieutenant), while to the outer edge of the epaulettes are attached metal shoulder titles with the text 'ISS' over 'FARIDKOT'. Above the left breast pocket are the award ribbons of the following: Order of British India; Indian Order of Merit; Delhi Durbar Medal 1911; India General Service Medal 1854-1895; India General Service Medal 1895-1902; 1914-15 Star; Coronation Medal 1937; Transport Medal 1899-1902.
Small amounts of rust staining to the rear of the jacket.
History note
The Faridkot Sappers and Miners were created from troops previously serving with the disbanded Faridkot Imperial Service Lancers and Infantry, joining the Imperial Service Troops scheme in 1900. Composed primarily of Jat Sikhs, they numbered 184 when they were deployed to German East Africa in 1914 as part of Indian Expeditionary Force B, where they developed a specialism in bridge building. By the time they returned to India in 1918, the unit had been awared 29 decorations for gallantry.
The Imperial Service Troops scheme was created in in 1888 from many armies of the Independent Indian States in British India. Those participating were trained under British supervision and deployed to the North-West Frontier and even China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.
