It would be difficult to find a finer example of cool bravery, cheerfulness, leadership and determination. His action had a profound effect on the rest of the Company, and when volunteers were called for to bring in his body, under the heaviest fire, the entire Company volunteered.
Subadar Ram Sarup Singh's gallantry will inspire the Regiment for all time.
— London Gazette, 8 February 1945
A depiction of an action at Kennedy's Peak in the Chin Hills of Burma, when Subedar Ram Sarup Singh of the Indian Army bravely led his platoon to its objective, resulting in him being mortally wounded. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The painting shows Subedar Ram Swarup Singh and his platoon attacking Japanese positions at the crest of a steep hill, which has a track running up towards the peak. The crest of the hill is also under bombardment from two aircraft that fly in the blue sky above.
b. 12/04/1919 Khere, India.
d. 25/10/1944 Kennedy Peak, Burma.
Place VC Won Tiddim Area, Burma (now Myanmar)
VC Presented 1 April 1945, Viceroy Lord Wavell, Red Fort, New Delhi, India
War/Campaign Second World War
Subedar Ram Sarup Singh Tanwar (1912-1944) was son of Thakur Jorawar Singh Tanwar; husband of Nath Kanwar, born on 12th April 1919 in Khere, Patiale District, of then undivided India, at present Khedi Talwana village in Gurugram district, india. Khedi Talwana is a hub of around 40 villages inhabited by Rajputs of the Tanwar gotra where men traditionally chose the Army as a career and they still continue to do so with pride as a duty to the nation.
Ram Sarup passed middle class from Ahir High School, Kanina, and then enlisted in 2nd Battalion of 1st Punjab Regiment on April 12, 1937. He gradually excelled in all service matters and after six years in the ranks, he was awarded the Viceroy Commission in April 1943. He was probably the youngest to have been commissioned through the ranks. Ram Sarup, now Jemadar, was the Platoon Commander of 5th Platoon in ‘B’ Company of 2nd Punjab Battalion. At the young age of 25, he was destined to lead his platoon in the last battle of his career -
A battle which was one of the fiercest fought in Burma Campaign during World War II, a battle which would be witness to his most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, earning him the coveted Victoria Cross.
During Burma Campaign in World War II, it was on the Tiddim-Imphal road that some of the fiercest fighting in the entire Battle of Imphal-Kohima took place. During one such battle, 2nd Punjab Battalion, as part of 32 Infantry Brigade ex 20th Indian Division was tasked with capturing a feature adjacent to Kennedy Peak astride the Imphal-Tiddim road. Capture of this feature, which was heavily defended by the Japanese, was vital for 20th Indian Division to further its operations. On October 25, 1944, Jemadar (acting Subedar) Ram Sarup was ordered to attack the targeted feature with his platoon. The battle account of Ram Sarup’s valour for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross, is available in the War Diary of 2nd Punjab Battalion and is corroborated by the book ‘For Valour’written by British historian Bryan Perrett.
on Memorial Gates, Constitution Hill, Green Park, London
It is due to this honour and spirit of duty that the third generation of late Subedar Ram Sarup Singh Tanwar, VC, proudly serves the Indian Army, while his fourth is gearing up to follow in the footsteps of this proud Rajput clan and Tanwar family. Besides, Khedi Talwana village has been inspired the most by the valour and martyrdom of Ram Sarup. The village is known in the region as ‘Fauji Gaon’ since every household has at least one or two serving soldiers, some for the past three generations.
Lieutenant Nawdeep Rajput Sub.Ramsarup Singh Tanwar, Victoria cross की मुर्ति पर माला पहनते हुए गांव kheri taleana 10.6.2019
Ram Sarup’s valour and martyrdom has not gone unnoticed. Not only in Khedi Talwana village, Tanwar Rajputs of 40 adjoining villages in present-day Mahendragarh district consider Ram Sarup a warrior next only to Maharana Pratap, and they look up to him as a role model of valour. The writer interacted with many adolescents in villages around Khedi Talwana and asked them “Beta, badey hokar kya banoge?” and the unanimous and prompt response was “Ram Sarup banenge”. When prodded further “Aur kyon?” The response, unanimous, and prompt yet again, “Kyonki Maharana Pratap ke baad Ram Sarup hi to asli veer paida hua
He had reached the rank of Jemadar and then acting Subedar prior to his involvement in the Burma Campaign in the latter half of 1944. On 25th October 1944, at Kennedy Peak, in the Tiddim area of Burma, he was in charge of one of two platoons ordered to take part in a diversionary attack on the Japanese.
The battle summary in War Diary of 2nd Punjab Battalion reads...
On October 25, 1944, Subedar Ram Sarup Singh was ordered to attack a feature adjacent to Kennedy Peak astride the Imphal- Tiddim road with his platoon. Ram Sarup led the attack with great dash which threw the Japanese off balance and in bewilderment they fled from the bunkered position, suffering heavy casualties. In the attack, with both legs injured, Ram Sarup did not take notice of his wounds and led the assault till the objective was captured. When the captured part of the objective was being consolidated, the enemy launched a counterattack supported by heavy fire and grenades. To beat back the counterattack, Ram Sarup activated another light machine gun to give covering fire and led the charge against the advancing enemy, himself bayoneting four. Though badly wounded in the thigh, ignoring the wounds, he maintained his fury, bayoneting four more Japanese to death. However, in that close quarter battle, Sub Ram Sarup Singh was mortally wounded by machine gun fire in the chest and neck and he died a few minutes later.
He finally succumbed to injuries on his neck and chest, but not without inspiring in his platoon a sense of gallantry and valour. Aged 32, he stopped a counter-attack with nothing but his light machine gun and fearlessness of death.
8th February 1945
This feature was of exceptional natural strength and was defended by a large force of fresh Japanese troops who had turned the hill into a fortress. Every approach was covered by medium and light machine guns sited in bunkers. The platoon of Subadar Ram Sarup Singh at once charged the position with another section. This instantaneous action completely bewildered the enemy, who fled from the bunkered positions suffering casualties in their retreat. The Subadar was wounded in the legs but took no notice of his wounds. While he was consolidating his position, the enemy opened heavy fire with grenade dischargers, and at the same time put in a strong counter-attack in three waves of twenty each from a flank.
It seemed that the platoon must be overwhelmed, but Subadar Ram Sarup Singh got another light machine gun into position and led a charge against the advancing enemy, bayonetting four himself, and checking them. Although badly wounded in the thigh, he got up and, ignoring his wound, again went for the enemy shouting encouragement to his men. He bayonetted another Japanese and shot a further one, but was mortally wounded by a burst of medium machine gun fire in the chest and neck.
Named on Rangoon Memorial (face 30), 20 miles north of Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma (now Myanmar)
Sadly, Ram Sarup Singh’s body was not recovered from the battlefield, and he is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial. His posthumous VC was gazetted on 8th February 1945. In 2013, his medal group was acquired privately by Michael Ashcroft and are now on display in the Ashcroft Gallery, Imperial War Museum.
Ram Sarup Singh's medals including VC on display at the Lord Ashcroft Gallery, Imperial War Museum, London (Aug 2014)
LOCATION OF MEDAL: LORD ASHCROFT GALLERY, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, LONDON.
Name shown as Ram Swarup Singh on Rangoon Memorial
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