The Medals of IO-52968 Jemdr M L Chakravarthy IEME

Among the various fringe hobbies I have is collecting Medals. I am basically a type collector - being happy with 'one of each'. However in the medal collecting world, only 'groups' are valued. I.e. a group of medals belonging to a single reciepent. This is my first ever group. It is also the group that I reunited, otherwise today the five medals shown would have been with five different people.

Just who exactly is this Jemdr Chakravarthy, I have no idea. but an exchange of emails showing how this information can be procured is given below. Thanks to the SAGongs Email list for this.

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I had acquired this primarily to fill in gaps in my type collection, it
turned out in the process I reunited some medals together. So kept them together.

The Name is IO-52968 Jemdr M L Chakravarthy IEME

I have five medals from his group as follows

GSM47 "Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48" Clasp - IO-52968 JEMDR. M.L.CHAKRAVARTHY, I.E.M.E.
Raksha Medal 1965 - SL-791 LT. M.L.CHAKBABORTHI, G.S.CORPS.
Indian Independence Medal - I.O.52968 JEMDR.MAKHAN LAL CHAKRAVORTHY, E.M.E
1939-45 War Medal I.O.52968 JEMDR.M.L.CHAKRAVARTY, I.E.M.E
India Service Medal 1939-45 I.O.52968 JEMDR.M.L. CHAKRABARTHY, I.E.M.E

The name is spelt differently on all the five medals but is obviously the same person. No ribbons came with them, so I want to get them mounted. But before that I would like to know if there is a possibility of me missing some from the group. So any specific info from the IALs is appreciated. If that is not available, is it possible to give some sketch info going by the commission numbers - as to when he must have become a Jemadar or got commissioned in the Special List? Probably work backwards to find out when he joined the IA etc..

Regards

Jagan
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Response from Sushil T ( Funilly I have not recieved this email in the list and only saw this now. All i can say is Crikey - I should have inserted a blank 1939-45 Star ribbon in there... ah well...)

From: Sushil T
Date: Wed Aug 4, 2004 3:42 pm
Subject: Re: [SAGongs] Jemadar from EME (Lt in Special List)


Dear Jagan,

IAL 3/1952: JCOs EME, Workshop Branch, Cadre of Craftsmen. Jemdars: IO 52968 ML Chakravorty Date of sustantive rank: 24 dec. 1944. Enrolled: 14 Jan 1942

IAL 6/1957 JCOs EME, Workshop Branch, Cadre of Craftsmen. Jemdars: JC 52968 ML Chakravorty Ante dtaed seniority without effect on pay and allowances 22.4.44.

The 1939-45 Star is definately missing.

Rgds

Sushil

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Response from Cliff P

From: p c

Date: Wed Aug 4, 2004 4:35 pm
Subject: RE: [SAGongs] Jemadar from EME (Lt in Special List)

Dear Jagan

I first tried to find M.L.Chakravarty IEME in the following IA lists:
04/1943 and 04/1945. There is no trace of him therein.

I then tried the 09/1951 IAL and there he is, listed as 52968-IO Jemadar M.L. Chakravorty in the EME Workshop Branch (Cadre of Craftsmen). He first enrolled on 14.0.1942 and was commissioned on 24.12.1944. That's all I can extract from my IALs (I have only one Republic of India list).

I doubt whether, during the two world wars, the IAL clerical staff managed to keep abreast of the vast number of newly commissioned officers, and it does not surprise me that MLC was omitted in the 04/1945 list.

I cannot find anything further on your man, and there is nothing in Rufus Simon's volume one of the EME history "Their Formative Years".

I hope the above will be of some help.

Regards

Cliff
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The actual story of how I got these is a good enough tale, probably best told some other day.