The India General Service Medal 1849-1895 was designed to avoid multiplication of medals by issuing a medal and clasp with subsequent service denoted by additional clasps. The first clasp to be authorized was PEGU for the campaign in Burma from March 1852 until June 1853. More than 6,000 clasps were awarded to Sailors and Marines of the RN, Bengal Marine and Indian Marine with approximately half of the clasps awarded to the 13 Ships of the RN which participated. This conflict, which resulted in the British annexation of the Pegu province (Lower Burma) is often referred to the Second Anglo Burmese War.