Kirpa Ram
Encyclopedia
Naik
Kirpa Ram (1916 – 12 September 1945) was a posthumous recipient of the George Cross
, the highest British
(and Commonwealth
) medal for gallantry not in the face of the enemy.
Born in 1916, Kirpa volunteered to join the Indian Army
. During the Second World War he was a member of 8th Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles
. He served in the Burma Campaign
and his unit then returned to India.
On 12 September 1945, during a field firing exercise at a rest camp at Thondebavi, Bangalore
a rifle grenade misfired and fell only eight yards from Kirpa's section. The 28-year-old soldier rushed forward, shouting at his men to take cover and attempted to throw it to a safe distance. It exploded in his hand, wounding him fatally, but his self sacrifice meant that only two men of the section were slightly wounded. The posthumous award of the George Cross was announced on 15 March 1946, the citaiton read:
In 2002 Kirpa's GC was among the contents of a trunk stolen from his widow's house at Bhupral, Bilaspur
, Himachal Pradesh
. Although investigations were made at the time, no trace was found until the medal was presented for auction in London in late 2009. The medal was due to go under the hammer on 2 December 2009, but after the widow, Brahmi Devi, was alerted to the sale steps were taken to suspend the sale.
Naik (military rank)
Naik is the equivalent rank to Corporal in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army, and previously in the British Indian Army and the Camel Corps, ranking between Lance Naik and Havildar. In cavalry units the equivalent is Lance Daffadar. Like a British Corporal, a Naik wears two rank chevrons....
Kirpa Ram (1916 – 12 September 1945) was a posthumous recipient of the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
, the highest British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
) medal for gallantry not in the face of the enemy.
Born in 1916, Kirpa volunteered to join the Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. During the Second World War he was a member of 8th Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles
13th Frontier Force Rifles
The 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions.-History:...
. He served in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
and his unit then returned to India.
On 12 September 1945, during a field firing exercise at a rest camp at Thondebavi, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
a rifle grenade misfired and fell only eight yards from Kirpa's section. The 28-year-old soldier rushed forward, shouting at his men to take cover and attempted to throw it to a safe distance. It exploded in his hand, wounding him fatally, but his self sacrifice meant that only two men of the section were slightly wounded. The posthumous award of the George Cross was announced on 15 March 1946, the citaiton read:
In 2002 Kirpa's GC was among the contents of a trunk stolen from his widow's house at Bhupral, Bilaspur
Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh
Bilaspur is a district of Himachal Pradesh state, India. It contains the manmade Govind Sagar Lake on the Sutlej River which acts as the reservoir for the Bhakra and Nangal Dam project. The road bridge on this lake at Kandraur is highest of its kind in Asia. Its headquarters are in the town of...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. Although investigations were made at the time, no trace was found until the medal was presented for auction in London in late 2009. The medal was due to go under the hammer on 2 December 2009, but after the widow, Brahmi Devi, was alerted to the sale steps were taken to suspend the sale.