Nand Singh

Nand Singh captured three Japanese trenches despite suffering severe wounds and later sacrificed his life leading another infantry assault during the first Indo-Pakistani War.

Born in Bahadurpur, Punjab, on 24 September 1914 according to several biographical records, Nand Singh enlisted in the 1st Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment, on 24 March 1933. During the Second World War, he served in the Burma campaign, where his courage under fire earned him the Victoria Cross.

On the night of 11–12 March 1944, Japanese troops occupied a commanding hill position overlooking the Maungdaw–Buthidaung Road. Singh, then a sepoy serving as an acting naik, led the forward section assigned to retake it. Wounded in the thigh, he advanced alone and captured the first enemy trench with his bayonet. Despite further wounds to his face and shoulder, he captured two additional trenches. His actions enabled the remainder of the platoon to regain the position. His Victoria Cross was announced on 6 June 1944.

After Indian independence in August 1947, Singh continued his military career in the Indian Army and rose to Jemadar. Serving with 1 Sikh during the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, he commanded a forward platoon of D Company.

On 12 December 1947, during an operation near Uri, his battalion encountered heavily defended enemy positions. Singh led his platoon in an attack to relieve the threatened troops. Despite intense fire and heavy casualties, he reached and captured the objective. Moments later, he was killed by enemy machine-gun fire.

For his courage, leadership and sacrifice during the Kashmir operations, Nand Singh received the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously. The decoration was instituted in 1950 with retrospective recognition of gallantry during the 1947 conflict.

His Victoria Cross and Maha Vir Chakra commemorate two separate acts of extraordinary battlefield leadership, one during the Second World War and the other in the service of independent India.

Official Victoria Cross citation:

In Burma on the night of the 11th/12th March, 1944, a Japanese platoon about 40 strong with medium and light machine-guns and a grenade discharger infiltrated into the Battalion position covering the main Maungdaw-Buthidaung road and occupied a dominating position where they dug foxholes and underground trenches on the precipitous sides of the hill. Naik Nand Singh commanded the leading section of the platoon which was ordered to recapture the position at all costs. He led his section up a very steep knife-edged ridge under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. Although wounded in the thigh he rushed ahead of his section and took the first enemy trench with the bayonet by himself. He then crawled forward alone under heavy fire and though wounded again in the face and shoulder by a grenade which burst one yard in front of him, took the second trench at the point of the bayonet. A short time later when all his section had been either killed or wounded, Naik Nand Singh dragged himself out of the trench and captured a third trench, killing all the occupants with his bayonet. Due to the capture of these three trenches the remainder of the platoon were able to seize the top of the hill and deal with the enemy. Naik Nand Singh personally killed seven of the enemy and owing to his determination, outstanding dash and magnificent courage, the important position was won back from the enemy.