Indian Victoria Cross Winners
Honouring Indian Victoria Cross Soldiers in World War One.
For the past six months I have been researching Indian Soldiers who were awarded the Victoria Cross in World War One. Thank you to the Heritage Lottery Fund who awarded a grant of £10,000, allowing us to research and host a community exhibition focusing on the stories of the 11 men that were awarded the Victoria Cross. It was exhibited for 3 months at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and was featured on BBC Asian Network - discussing how important it is for the local community of Birmingham to learn more about histories not taught in mainstream education.
This exhibition is my first exhibition and raises public awareness of the contribution made by Indian Soldiers during First World War, especially in the South Asian communities. The Victoria Cross is the highest military gallantry award for any soldier. Up until 1911 the Victoria Cross was only open to British Soldiers but in that year it became possible for South Asian soldiers of the British Indian Army to be awarded it for the first time. Prior to this the highest award for and Indian Soldier was an Indian Order of Merit (I.O.M).
Items were loaned by National Army Museum and the community members were able to see a replica uniform worn by Indian Soldiers at that time.
The very first Indian Soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross was Khudadad Khan. Sepoy Khan was a machine gunner and part of 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis. He retired as a Subedor and died in 1971 in Pakistan. His citation in the London Gazette reads:
“On 31st October, 1914, at Hollebeke, Belgium, the British Officer in charge of the detachment having been wounded, and the other gun put out of action by a shell, Sepoy Khan, though himself wounded, remained working his gun until all the other five men of the gun detachment had been killed”
Khudadad Khan was awarded his Victoria Cross on the same day as Darwan Singh Negi VC.
