Mahmood Khan Durrani
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel
Mahmood Khan Durrani, GC
(1914–1995) was a South Asian recipient of the George Cross
, awarded for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. He was a 26 years old Captain serving in the 1st Bahawalpur Infantry, British Indian Army
(now 8th Battalion The Baloch Regiment
of Pakistan Army
) in Malaya during World War II
, when he was awarded the medal for heroism while a Prisoner of War of the Japanese Army
.
Mahmood Khan Durrani was a Pakistani, belonging to the Durrani
tribe. He was born on 1 July 1914 in Multan
in the Western Punjab
. After completing his schooling, he joined the Army of Bahawalpur State. When the Second World War broke out, he accompanied his battalion, which was dispatched to North Malaya
in March 1941, in anticipation of the looming war with Japan
.
(INA). He refused to co-operate with the INA
and actively worked to thwart their political and military aims, for which he was subjected to severe torture and mistreatment, which left his health permanently affected.
Captain Durrani was presented with his George Cross by Field Marshal Lord Wavell in 1946 at a special investiture ceremony held at the Red Fort, Delhi
.
After his repatriation, Durrani resumed his military career and on partition of India
in 1947, he opted for Pakistan
. He continued to serve in the Pakistan Army, retiring in 1971 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
A poet and noted writer, he died on 20 August 1995, aged 81 years old. His autobiography, The Sixth Column, was published in the UK in 1955.
The only George Cross recipient to have survived Japanese captivity, Durrani was one of the first George Cross Committee members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association. His George Cross is on display in the Imperial War Museum
's Victoria & George Cross Gallery.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Mahmood Khan Durrani, GC
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...
(1914–1995) was a South Asian 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...
, awarded for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. He was a 26 years old Captain serving in the 1st Bahawalpur Infantry, British 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...
(now 8th Battalion The Baloch Regiment
Baloch Regiment
The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
of Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
) in Malaya during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when he was awarded the medal for heroism while a Prisoner of War of the Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
.
Mahmood Khan Durrani was a Pakistani, belonging to the Durrani
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
tribe. He was born on 1 July 1914 in Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in the Western Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
. After completing his schooling, he joined the Army of Bahawalpur State. When the Second World War broke out, he accompanied his battalion, which was dispatched to North Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in March 1941, in anticipation of the looming war with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Details
During the British retreat in Malaya following the Japanese invasion in December 1941, Captain Mahmood Khan Durrani and a small party of soldiers managed to evade capture for three months before their location was betrayed to the Japanese sponsored Indian National ArmyIndian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
(INA). He refused to co-operate with the INA
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
and actively worked to thwart their political and military aims, for which he was subjected to severe torture and mistreatment, which left his health permanently affected.
Citation
"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the GEORGE CROSS, in recognition of most conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner, to:-- Captain MAHMOOD KHAN DURRANI, 1st Bahawalpur Infantry, Indian States Forces."
Account of Deed
- "For outstanding courage, loyalty and fortitude whilst a prisoner-of-war.
- With a small party he was cut off during the withdrawal in Malaya. They succeeded in remaining free in hiding for three months until betrayal, when they were arrested and confined. Refusing to join the I.N.A this officer devoted himself to rendering valuable service. He then conceived and put into execution, a plan for thwarting the Japanese plans for infiltrating agents into India. After many delays and set backs due to falling under suspicion he ultimately achieved much of his objective. Presumably as a result of the suspicion that he had been responsible for the failure of their plans, he was arrested by the Japanese. For ten days he was subjected to third degree methods including starvation, deprivation of sleep and physical torture such as the application of burning cigarettes to his legs. Subsequently he was given a mock trial and condemned to death but the execution was postponed in order that information should be extracted. He was then tortured by various particularly brutal methods continuously for several days. The exact time is uncertain as there were periods of unconsciousness, but it was certainly lasted for some days. No information whatever was obtained from him. Thereafter he was kept in solitary confinement for several months, with occasional interrogations and was given little medical treatment and just enough food to sustain life.
- When finally liberated he was found to be permanently affected in health and still bears the marks of physical torture. He will never be the same again. Throughout he was fully aware of the possible consequences of his actions and, when discovered, he preferred to undergo protracted and cruel torture rather than confess his plans and save himself, because he still hoped that he might achieve his purpose. To confess would have endangered others' lives and might have influenced the enemy to change their plans.
- His outstanding example of deliberate cold-blooded bravery is most fully deserving of the highest award."
Captain Durrani was presented with his George Cross by Field Marshal Lord Wavell in 1946 at a special investiture ceremony held at the Red Fort, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
After his repatriation, Durrani resumed his military career and on partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, he opted for Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He continued to serve in the Pakistan Army, retiring in 1971 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
A poet and noted writer, he died on 20 August 1995, aged 81 years old. His autobiography, The Sixth Column, was published in the UK in 1955.
The only George Cross recipient to have survived Japanese captivity, Durrani was one of the first George Cross Committee members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association. His George Cross is on display in the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
's Victoria & George Cross Gallery.