c1930 Carved Mahogany Box to the XIX Hyderabad Regiment

A very nice rare mahogany box that has had the emblem of the XIX (19th) Hyderabad Regiment of the Indian Army carved in relief.

The badge consists the XIX surmounted by the George V King’s crown. Below is a scroll band containing HYDERABAD REGIMENT. Apart from this, the box is finished in a smooth finish, with rounded corners. The inside is lined with mahogany slats. It was probably used as a cigarette box. Condition is very good.

The box belonged to J.W.T. Colsey, who started WWI as a Private, but ended it as a Captain and as a Lieutenant Colonel, went on to command the 6th Battalion of the Hyderabad Regiment in WWII.
The 19th Hyderabad Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, at the time of reforms of the Indian Army after the First World War, when it moved from single-battalion regiments into multi-battalion regiments. The regiment saw service during the Second World War and the battalions of the 19th Hyderabad Regiment fought in the Middle East, North Africa, Persia, Malaya, Singapore and Burma. The regiment was incorporated into the new Indian Army in 1948, as the Kumaon Regiment.

Size: 25.5 x 15 x 6 cm (10 x 6 x 2 3/8 inches)
Weight: 803 g