Over one million Indian troops served overseas in WWI, of whom 150,000 served on the Western Front, of whom 9,000 were killed. The rest served in Africa, Asia, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Egypt, Gallipoli & Palestine of whom another 53,000 were killed.
Darwan Singh Negi became the 1st Indian soldier to recieve the Victoria Cross for an action in defence of Festubert on 23/24 November 1914.
India's WW1 Hero You've Never Heard Of - the story of the Garhwal Rifles 1st VC..
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Darwan Singh Negi (1881-1950) was born on 4th March 1883 at Kafaditir Pauri, Badhan, Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father was Kalam Singh Negi, a landowner and cultivator. Little more is known about his family. He was educated at a local Regimental School and became a goatherd and shepherd working for his father in the glacier valleys of northern India.
Darwan Singh Negi enlisted on 4th March 1902. Mobilisation orders were received on 9th August 1914 and the unit left headquarters at Lansdowne, a hill station near Nagina, Bharat, Uttar Pradesh on 20th August, arriving at Karachi on 3rd September. The unit arrived in Marseilles, France as part of the Indian Expeditionary Force on 14th October 1914. It travelled to Orleans on 21st October and reached Lillers on 27th October and arrangements were made to take over trenches from British II Corps.
On the night of the 23rd-24th November 1914, near Festubert, France, when the regiment was engaged in retaking and clearing the enemy out of Allied trenches, and, although wounded in two places in the head, and also in the arm,
Darwan Singh Negi was one of the first to push around each successive traverse, in the face of severe fire from bombs and rifles at the closest range.
1909, Naik Darwan Singh Negi, “B” Company,1/39th Garhwal Punjab. In the action on the night of 23rd and 24th November near Festubert when the regiment was engaged in retaking and clearing the enemy out of our trenches he was from first to last one of the first to push round each successive traverse taken in the face of severe fire from bombs and rifles at the closest range. Although wounded in two places in the head and also in the arm he continued fighting amongst the foremost and did not even report himself wounded until he met his Company commander after the action was over.
Darwan Singh Negi (1881-1950) of 39 Garhwal Rifles was awarded the VC on the same day as Khudadad Khan for his bravery at Defence of Festubert, 23rd November, 1914. But Negi became the 1st indian to physically get the Victoria Cross (7-12-1914) as Khan was too ill to receive it. but Khudadad Khan VC action was of earlier date, so that he is regarded as the first Indian recipient.
He received his VC from King George V at General Headquarters, St Omer, France on 5th December 1914, two days before his citation was published in the London Gazette.
Interestingly, when King George V of England while giving away the award to him on December 5, 1914, asked him about his wish, Naik Negi requested him to open a school at Karanprayag town near his Kafarteer village.
His wish was promptly granted and a school was opened by the British government at Karanprayag. Naik Negi belongs to Kafarteer village, 25 km from Karanprayag in Chamoli district.
He had another wish to have a rail link up to Karanprayag but it did not materialise till today. However, the Railways has sanctioned the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line.
Darwan Singh Negi, was commissioned Jemadar , backdated to 23rd November 1914 and returned to India on recruiting duties from January 1915. He promoted to Subedar on 9th August 1915. He transferred into the 1/18th Garhwal Rifles and saw active service in Iraq and Kurdistan.
He retired with a pension on 1st February 1920 and was granted land by Lord Gort VC on 8th July 1920. In recognition for his work on behalf of wounded soldiers and war widows, he was honoured with the title Bahadur in 1926.
He married Chandpur Garhwal, daughter of Ratan Singh Rawat, a cultivator and landowner, and lived in Chamoli District, Lower Garhwal. They had a son, Balbir Singh Negi, who served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army. Darwan died at his home on 24th June 1950 and was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges River.
In addition to the Victoria Cross, he received the 1914 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, General Service Medal 1918-62 with clasps “Kurdistan” and “Iraq” and George VI Coronation Medal 1937. He presented his VC to his Regiment and wore a duplicate.
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| Lieutenant Colonel Balbir Singh Negi son of Late Subedar Darwan Singh Negi |
The original medals are now held by 39th Garhwal Rifles Officers Mess, GRRC Lansdowne, India.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: GARWAHL RIFLES MUSEUM, LANDSDOWNE, INDIA.
BURIAL PLACE: CREMATED, ASHES SCATTERED IN GANGES RIVER.
Darwan Singh Museum – This museum is dedicated to Victoria Cross recipient “Darwan Singh Negi of Garhwal Rifles”. Musuem has the rarest collection from history of Garhwal Rifles its unsung Heros.
Medals awarded to Parents can be worn on the Right chest.
Two Indian soldiers remains were buried in France.
Colonel Nitin Negi, (second from right in) grandson of late Naik Darwan Singh Negi, Victoria Cross, gallant hero in the Battle of Festubert is wearing those medals.
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