John Harman (British Army soldier)

He cleared two Japanese positions alone during Kohima siege.

John Pennington Harman was born at Beckenham, Kent, on 20 July 1914. His father, Martin Coles Harman, later owned Lundy Island. John attended preparatory school and Bedales, developed an interest in animals and the outdoors, travelled widely and gained a private pilot's licence. He enlisted during the Second World War and eventually reached India, where he volunteered for the 4th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.

In April 1944 the battalion was among the defenders of Kohima, a vital position on the road into India. On 8 April Harman was commanding a forward section when a Japanese machine-gun party established a position close to his men. He went forward alone, threw a grenade into the emplacement and killed its occupants. He brought back their weapon, removing an immediate threat to his section.

On the following morning another enemy party dug in near the British line. Again Harman attacked alone. He shot four men and killed a fifth with his bayonet, destroying the position before it could be reinforced. As he returned he was hit by enemy fire and mortally wounded. His two attacks enabled the section to hold ground that might otherwise have been lost during the siege.

Harman died on 9 April 1944 and was buried in Kohima War Cemetery. His Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously for the actions on 8 and 9 April. His father received the decoration from King George VI in 1945. Memorials in Kent, on Lundy and at Kohima connect his early life with the small defensive position in India where he made his final attacks.

Official Victoria Cross citation

In Burma at Kohima on 8th April, 1944, Lance-Corporal Harman was commanding a section of a forward platoon. Under cover of darkness the enemy established a machinegun post within 50 yards of his position which became a serious menace to the remainder of his Company. Owing to the nature of the ground Lance-Corporal Harman was unable to bring the fire of his section on to the enemy machine-gun post. Without hesitation he went forward by himself and using a four second grenade which he held on to for at least two seconds after releasing the lever in order to get immediate effect, threw it into the post and followed up immediately. He annihilated the post and returned to his section with the machine-gun. Early the following morning he recovered a position on a forward slope 150 yards from the enemy in order to strengthen a platoon which had been heavily attacked during the night. On occupying his position he discovered a party of enemy digging in under cover of machine-gun fire and snipers. Ordering his Bren gun to give him covering fire he fixed his bayonet and alone charged the post shooting four and bayoneting one thereby wiping out the post. When walking back Lance-Corporal Harman received a burst of machine-gun fire in his side and died shortly after reaching our lines. Lance-Corporal Harman's heroic action and supreme devotion to duty were a wonderful inspiration to all and were largely responsible for the decisive way in which all attacks were driven off by his Company.

The London Gazette, issue 36574, 22 June 1944, page 2961.