Richhpal Ram
VC (20 August 1899 – 12 February 1941) was an Indian recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
Commonwealth forces.
His family
Richhpal Ram came from
Barda village, tehsil
Satnali district
Bhiwani in
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...
. He belongs to
Jat
The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...
family of Lamba. He had 2 sons & 1 daughter.
Career
Ram enlisted on 20 August 1920 in the 4/
6th Rajputana Rifles
The 6th Rajputana Rifles were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They were formed in 1922, after the Indian government reformed the army. They moved away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment se ...
.
He was 41 years old, and a
Subedar in the
6th Rajputana Rifles
The 6th Rajputana Rifles were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They were formed in 1922, after the Indian government reformed the army. They moved away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The regiment se ...
, in the
Indian Army during World War II
The Indian Army during World War II, a British force also referred to as the British Indian Army, began the war, in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.Sumner, p.25 By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, ...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC during the
Battle of Keren
The Battle of Keren ( it, Battaglia di Cheren) took place from 3 February to 27 March 1941. Keren was attacked by the British during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. A force of Italian regular and colonial troops defended th ...
.
On 7 February 1941 at
Keren,
Eritrea,
Subadar Richhpal Ram led a successful attack on the enemy and subsequently repelled six counter-attacks and then, without a shot left, brought the few survivors of his company back. Five days later, when leading another attack, his right foot was blown off, but he continued to encourage his men until he died.
The official citation for the award, published in ''
The London Gazette
''The London Gazette'' is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are ...
'' on 4 July 1941 reads:
The medal
The Victoria Cross Medal is displayed in Delhi Cantonment Raj Rifles Officer Mess (Museum).
See also
*
East African Campaign (World War II)
References
External links
Charcoal, ink and Gouache picture of Subadar Richpal Ramin ''The Art of War'' exhibition at the
UK National Archives
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together with links to Document WO 373/28, the original citation recommending the award signed by Ram's battalion commander.
*
1899 births
1941 deaths
Indian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
British Indian Army officers
Indian Army personnel killed in World War II
People from Bhiwani district
{{India-mil-bio-stub