The Bravest of the Brave: The Extraordinary Story of Indian VCs of World War I

By Maj Gen Ian Cardozo

Indian soldiers had rallied bravely before to many a skirmish outside their frontiers, but never with as much conviction and in stellar numbers than in the greatest of them all-the First World War. Some of the compulsion to fight, fiercely and loyally, and most-times with tragic consequences to themselves, was to earn the respect of-and consequent independence from-the Raj.
Which it did... in time. But the first and foremost result was the laurel bestowed by the VC, on the soldier without a recognized name or nationality, for fearless bravery in another's battle.
In this larger story, Cardozo recounts the events that saw the first and only 11 Indian bearers of the Victoria Cross, at the same time giving a nod to the 'enemy' soldier wherever it was due.
For every soldier-yours, mine, theirs-is also an officer and a gentleman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Sep 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9789386141767

Book preview

The Bravest of the Brave

The Extraordinary

Story of Indian VCs of World War I

The Bravest of the Brave

The Extraordinary

Story of Indian VCs of World War I

MAJOR GENERAL IAN CARDOZO, AVSM, SM

© Maj Gen Ian Cardozo, 2016

First published, 2016

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Dedicated to the soldiers of the Indian Army who fought with courage and commitment in World War I for the freedom of India and the world

War Memorials around the world dedicated to Indian soldiers who fell in World War I

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction

2. The Victoria Cross

3. Overview of World War I and India’s Participation in the War

4. Sepoy Khuda Dad Khan, VC

129th DCO Baluch Infantry

5. Darwan Singh Negi

1/39th Garhwal Rifles

6. Rifleman Gabbar Singh Negi, VC (Posthumous)

2/39th Garhwal Rifles

7. Jemadar (later Subedar) Mir Dast, VC, IOM

1/55th Coke’s Rifles (FF), Attached to 57th Wilde’s Rifles (FF)

8. Kulbir Thapa

2nd Battalion the 3rd Gurkha Rifles

9. Sepoy Chatta Singh, VC

1/9th Bhopal Infantry

10. Lance Naik Lala (later Subedar) VC

41st Dogras

11. Naik Shahmad Khan VC

1/89th Punjabis

12. Lance Dafadar Gobind Singh VC

28th Light Cavalry attached to 2nd Lancers

13. Rifleman Karanbahadur Rana VC

2nd Battalion, 3rd Gurkha Rifles

14. Ressaidar Badlu Singh VC (Posthumous)

14th Murray’s Jat Lancers, Attached 29th Lancers

15. Conclusion

Annexures

Bibliography

Picture Source

Foreword

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the three armies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay were integrated into one Indian Army. It was equipped with old weapons and had no artillery. After the 1857 Uprising, the Governments both at London and in India wanted their British Army in India to have an edge in weaponry over the Indian Army for obvious reasons. However, they kept the Indian Army well equipped to fight the tribesmen on the North West Frontier and to fight colonial wars for the British Empire in different countries of Asia and Africa.

War clouds were gathering in Europe in the early twentieth century. Lord Kitchener took over as C-in-C of the Indian Army in 1902. He reorganized the Indian Army for a role against the rising power of Germany. In 1914, two divisions of the Indian Army were rushed to the winter cold in France. Defying all odds, their performance in battle was excellent, earning much praise. As the war progressed, over one million Indian troops were engaged in fighting for the Empire in different countries of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Till 1911, the Indian soldier was not eligible for the highest gallantry award of the Victoria Cross. However, British officers and British NCOs serving with Indian units were eligible for the VC. Lord Roberts earned his Victoria Cross after the siege of Kanpur in 1858. The highest gallantry award available for an Indian soldier was the Indian Order of Merit. This was the equivalent of the VC for them. It is remarkable that Subedar Kishenbir Nagarkoti of 1/5th RGR (FF), later 1/5th Gorkha Rifles, won the Indian Order of Merit, four times. As a special case, the fourth Bar was made in gold and presented to him with the approval of the British sovereign. This was a unique feat which has never been repeated. Had Indians been eligible for the VC at that time, this would have meant his getting the VC four times. As far as I know, it is very seldom for anyone, then or now, to be given even one Bar to the VC. However, I believe that a British Group Captain of the Royal Air Force serving in South East Asia Command during the Second World War had a VC and Bar. He had taken part in the Battle of Britain in which the average life of a pilot was a mere twenty-one hours. He had been with our Corps Headquarters in Indonesia in 1946.

The British Government decided to make Indian soldiers eligible for the VC in 1911. This was perhaps because a World War was looming on the horizon and the Indian Army would have to play an important role.

General Cardozo has done commendable research on the history of the Victoria Cross. He has written a brief overview of the course of military operations in the First World War, providing a good backdrop to highlight the splendid contribution made by the Indian Army in that war. There are some rare photographs of events and battle scenes in this book. The citations of the 21 Indians who earned this highest gallantry award for the bravest of the brave soldiers, provides authenticity to the book. The incredible saga of bravery of the Indian soldier made his countrymen proud and established the fame of the Indian Army in the world.

The British for more than a quarter of a century resisted the induction of Indians as officers in the Indian Army. At its second annual session, the Indian National Congress passed a resolution in 1886 demanding that the officer cadre of the Indian Army be opened for Indians. Thereafter this demand was made at almost every annual session of the Congress party. It was also taken up frequently by Indian legislators in the Central Legislative Assembly. After the First World War, Indians started getting commissioned in the Army from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England. This was a small trickle for over a decade. This got much increased when the Indian Military Academy was established at Dehra Dun in 1932. A substantial number of Indian officers now started passing out from this Academy. The first batch from this institution got commissioned in 1934. Field Marshal Manekshaw was from this batch. During the Second World War, the floodgates were opened and over ten thousand Indians were commissioned. Over two million Indian soldiers served for the Empire in that war. Winston Churchill referred to the then Indian Army as the biggest volunteer army known to history. As many as 28 Victoria Crosses were won by our soldiers in this war. The Indian Army played a silent but significant role in India becoming Independent after that war.

This scholarly book is a very useful record of the achievements of the Indian Army and it should be read widely by students of Indian military history. It should be available for study at all military libraries.

Preface

The Victoria Cross was established in 1855 but Indians became eligible for this prestigious award only in 1911. It is to their credit that soon after they became eligible, eleven Indians won the VC during the Great War of 1914-1918 for outstanding acts of courage in the face of the enemy.* Out of the eleven Indians of pre-Independent India who won the VC, five were from units which moved to Pakistan after the Partition of the subcontinent.

Indian soldiers fought for the prestige attached to the honourable profession of arms. To them, death did not matter as long as their conduct in battle vindicated the honour of their regiments.