The Victoria Cross

(in India)

(1912-1947)

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Until 1912, the Victoria Cross could not be awarded to Indian members of the Indian Army and was restricted for award only to Europeans (and occasional "Anglo-Indians") in the Indian Army and, with few exceptions, to Europeans in general. While this fact should not diminish the bravery of the 95 (or is it 101?) English officers who won the award for services with Indian Army Regiments before that date. (There is considerable confusion over the numbver of VCs awarded to H.E.I.C./Indian Army officers before 1912 and numbers range from 95 to 101; this is linked to the inevitable confusion of the fairly common practice of "attached" or "seconded" service.)

For Indian soldiers, who were not allowed the VC, theolder  Indian Order of Merit was the award "of choice" to reward bravery before 1912 when (1837-1911) 42 first class IOMs were alwards (one with a special bar), 130 second class, and 2740 third class.

The Royal Warrant of 21 October 1911 (published in the London Gazette of 12 November 1911, p. 9369, but not publically announced in India until the coronantion durbar in Delhi the following month) destroyed the "color bar" for Victoria Cross awards in the Indian Army and allowed Indians to receive this decoration. Accordingly, the first class of the Indian Order of Merit was terminated by Army Order No. 757 of 3 August 1912 (w.e.f. 12 December 1911) and the remaining classes were renumbered.

The Victoria Cross is a well known and deservedly famous decoration, and there seems to be no good reason to include much in the way of description of history here. Other VC links are given below for those who wish such background.

From 1912 until 1947, 40 VCs were awarded to Indian soldiers, while in the same time frame 12 awards came to the British officers of the Indian Army. VC awards for the Indian Army during this period break down as follows:

 Indian

 European

 Total

1856-1913  

0

 95 (101?)

 95 (101?)

1914-1919  

11

7

18

1920-1938  

1

3

4

1939-1947  

28

2

30

After the Partition of India 1947 awards of the Victoria Cross ceased and with the attainment of full status of the successor states as self-governing republics, awards of the Victoria Cross ceased, to be replaced by the Param Vir Chakra in India and the Nishan-i-Haider in Pakistan. Some VCs continued to be awarded to South Asians, to Gurhkas serving with British forces. These lie beyond the scope and focus of this study, so they are generally excluded here.

As of 1 July 1997, only ten Indian (i.e., South Asian) VC holders survived:

  1. Captain Agansingh Rai, VC (Nepal)

  2. Jemadar Ali Haider, VC (Pakistan)

  3. Havildar Bhanbhagta Gurung, VC (Nepal)

  4. Captain Bhandari Ram, VC (India)

  5. Captain Gaje Ghale, VC (India)

  6. Captain Ganju Lama, VC, MM, PD (India [Sikkim])

  7. Havildar Lachman Gurung, VC (Nepal)

  8. Captain Rambahadur Limbu, VC, MVO (Nepal) -- a November 1965 award for Borneo (lying outside the scope of these pages)

  9. Lieutenent Tulbahadur Pun, VC (Nepal)

  10. Subadar Major Umrao Singh, VC (India)

From 1912 to 1947, the following Indian soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross:

Bibliography:

Related Sites:

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last revised 27 September 1999
Ed Haynes