Azad Hind opinion?

[Diaspora]

Hello all

Any hope these are original wartime pieces?

Thanks in advance for any info

[Giel VW]

I think this is the same type? I also have it in my "I don't know box"

[Giel VW]

Closer

[Bob Hritz]

I have collected Azad Hind awards for years. I believe the three medals posted are the first type award pieces and are WW2 era.

Later in the war, the base metal changed to zinc. It was necessary to make the swords thicker to avoid breakage and, at that time, the swords were doubled in thickness and detailed on both sides by modifying the dies.

Souval was the only maker of these awards. They were officially made and awarded until the Free India Committee was disbanded in 1961.

After 1961, Souval made these medals available to collectors and dealers. The post 1961 medals suffered in quality and the star awards no longer carried the Souval logo on the reverse discs.

Other than the tombak medals, as illustrated in the three awards posted, it is really impossible to determine if the awards, struck in zinc, were awarded in 1944 or 1960. The same can be said of the star awads.

These are not German awards by any stretch and were solely authorized to award by Chandra Bose's Free India Committee and authorised by the TR government as wearable awards. Soldbuch/Wehrpass entries of this award confirm this.

Bob Hritz

[RKC]

It is nice to see some 'originals' pop up!

I haven't had one in my hands since 1980 .. Thanks for posting them.


Ron.

[RonR]

A few more....

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[RonR]

23

[RonR]

45

[RonR]

Not sure of the vintage of this one...

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