Jemadar Prakash Singh

Jemadar Prakash Singh, from 14th Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles of the 20th Indian Division was fighting a fierce battle against the Japanese in Burma, in February 1945, during World War-II. His division had established a bridgehead across a river and were fighting fiercely to defend it. Their forward observation party, who had been directing artillery support, were all killed and thus no more artillery support was possible. He was commanding a platoon when he was hit in both ankles. The Company Commander then ordered Lt. H.H. Khan to take over command from him.

But he too was hit and Jemedar Prakash Singh resumed command, by dragging himself from section to section on hands and knees. The Company Commander came back to the sector and found him firing the platoon's 2" mortar, of which all the crew were killed. He was also shouting encouragement to the men and directing fire. When no ammunition was left for the mortar, he crawled round the position collecting ammunition from the killed and wounded and re-distributing it. The Bren gun section being all casualties, he took over their sector and worked the gun single-handed. Since he could not stand up in the trench, he had to expose himself outside it. He was again wounded in both legs, above the knees.

Both his legs were now quite useless, but he hauled himself about by his arms only, encouraging and re-grouping what was left of his platoon. They stopped another fierce Japanese charge. He was hit again in the right leg was getting weak from loss of blood but went on encouraging his men. Fighting was hand-to-hand once again and he shouted the Dogra war-cry so loudly, that the whole of C-Company took it up and drove the Japanese from the position. He was hit again in the chest by a fragment of a grenade. His Company Commander reached the platoon and knelt beside him. Jemedar Singh told him not to worry, he could look after himself - and with those words he died, at 2:30 a.m. on the morning of 17 February 1945. Jemedar Prakash Singh was honoured with Britain's highest medal for valour, the Victoria Cross. Jai Hind!! Jai Jawan!!