Among 27 Indians awarded Victoria Cross during World War-II, five were Haryanvis, and Jemadar Abdul Hafiz, son of present day Haryana, was one among the bravest of the braves. He was the first Indian to have been awarded the Victoria Cross in a battle fought on mainland India during World War-II.
Panwar was the youngest Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross and one of three WWII VC's awarded for action in British India.
His father name was Nur Muhammad and . Abdul Hafiz, son of Choudhry Nur Mohammed, a Rajput Musalman of Panwar gotra, was born on 9 Sepetember 1919 in Kalanaur, a Muslim-majority town in Rohtak district of then undivided Punjab. His Mother name was Hamidan He was married to Jigri Begum. Kalanaur remained most developed till 1947 with two madarsas and a high school from where Abdul Hafiz passed his matriculation. At that time there was a provision of granting Viceroy Commission to eligible Indian aspirants at the entry level itself.
With Viceroy Commission on his shoulders, Jemadar Abdul Hafiz, "He served with the 9th Jat Regiment with service number 11460. just about 19 years then, was platoon commander of 10th platoon in D Company (Rajput Musalman Company) in 3 Jat Battalion.
"Jat battalions then were structured around two companies of Hindu Jats, one of Punjabi Musalmans and one of Rajput Musalmans, a mix requiring not only good purely military leadership to ensure the respect of all but sensitivity for different cultures and beliefs".
On March 7, 1944, the Japanese launched a full scale offensive on India with their 15 and 31 Divisions tasked with capturing Imphal and Kohima, respectively. By March 28, Japanese cut the 90-mile Imphal-Kohima all weather motorable road, the lifeline of the Allied Forces operating in Imphal plains.
3 Jat Battalion, as part of 5th Indian Division, was airlifted from Arakans to Imphal and was deployed astride the Imphal-Ukhrul road, five miles north-east of Imphal town, in order to block this approach to the Imphal plains. On March 29, the battalion moved further north and took up position astride a track leading to a feature named Nungshigun with the D Company forward about seven miles north of Imphal.
The 3rd Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment, was part of the 5th Indian Division during the Imphal campaign and at the time of this action were operating in the Nungshigum area to the north east of Imphal as part of a force advancing up the Litan road which was of strategic importance to both sides as it offered one of the few approaches to the Imphal plain. The attacks in and around Nungshigum Hill, of which Abdul Hafiz's was one, continued until 13th April 1944 when the hill was finally captured.
Jemadar Abdul Hafiz of 3/9 Jat won the Victoria Cross- the first Muslim soldier to do so in the Second World War ( Imphal, 1962). He won the VC in a feature named "Runaway Hill" which is located at the corner of the road leading to Isingthembi on the Pangei- Sagolmang Road (see map).
Flag in the map showing the RUNAWAY HILL
In the early hours of April 6, the enemy attacked a standing patrol of four men and occupied the feature. As this feature overlooked the company’s position, its occupation by the enemy was dangerous. Therefore, the Company Commander, Major WD Ritchie, ordered Jemadar Abdul Hafiz to attack the enemy with two sections of his platoon at 9.30 am. The battle was witness to the most conspicuous act of bravery and supreme sacrifice by Abdul Hafiz that earned him the coveted Victoria Cross. The battle account is available in the War Diary of 3 Jat Battalion and also corroborated by book “For Valour” written by British historian Bryan Perrett.(The writer is veteran Gunner, 6 Field Regiment)
According to War Diary dated 6th April 1944, 3rd battalion, 9th Jat Regiment,
" D Coys standing patrol the high ground at RK 420790 was driven offduring the night by thr enemy. At approx. 0930 hrs. D Coy counter attacked the enemy from the high ground killing at least 45-50 Japs and capturing a great deal of equipment. Our losses were 4 killed and 12 wounded including Major RITCHIE M.C. wounded. 1 Pl. B Coy supported by 1 tp of "HONEYS" did a sweep at approx 0900 hrs to the village ISINGTHEMBI RK 410800 where enemy had been reported- N.E.S.. 1 Pl. B Coy and the GR Pl at 1630 hrs ordered to NUNSHIGUM RK 4375 to take up a defensive posn". In Burma, in the early hours of the 6th April, 1944, in the hills 10 miles North of Imphal, the enemy had attacked a standing patrol of 4 men and occupied a prominent feature overlooking a Company position. At first light a patrol was sent out and contacted the enemy, reporting that they thought approximately 40 enemy were in position. It was not known if they had dug in during the hours of darkness.
"It was by Runaway Hill that the Division's third Victoria Cross was won. Before dawn on April 6, during this original encircling movement, at a time when we could not be sure when they would appear next, the Japanese attacked one of Colonel Gerty's standing patrols. By driving the Jats off, they secured a hillock that overlooked the main company position. Jemadar Abdul. Hafiz was ordered to recapture the hill with two sections of his platoon. The Company Commander ordered Jemadar Abdul Hafiz to attack the enemy, with two sections from his platoon, at 0930 hours.
An artillery concentration was put down on the feature and Jemadar Abdul Hafiz Khan led the attack. After an artillery bombardment by Bastin's 4th Field Regiment, The attack was up a completely bare slope with no cover, and was very steep near the crest. Prior to the attack, Jemadar Abdul Hafiz assembled his sections and told them that they were invincible, and all the enemy on the hill would be killed or put to flight. He so inspired his men that from the start the attack proceeded with great dash. Abdul Hafiz led his Jats in to the attack. They charged up the hillside that was bare of cover, shouting their war-cry as they neared the top.
Then the waiting Japanese opened fire with machine-guns when he was few yards below the crest and threw grenades. Jemadar Abdul Hafiz sustained several casualties was wounded at the outset. A bullet struck him in the leg, but immediatetly ordered an assault, which he personally led, at the same time shouting the Mohammedan battle-cry. The assault went in without hesitation and with great dash up the last few yards of the hill, which was very steep. On reaching the crest Jemadar Abdul Hafiz was wounded in the leg, but seeing a machine-gun firing from a flank, which had already caused several casualties, he immediately went towards it and seizing the barrel pushed it upwards, whilst another man killed the gunner.
Jemadar Abdul Hafiz then took a Bren gun dropped by one of his men who had fallen wounded and advanced against the enemy, firing as he advanced, and killing several of the enemy. So fierce was the attack, and all his men so inspired by the determination of Jemadar Abdul Hafiz to kill all enemy in sight at whatever cost, that the enemy, who were still in considerable numbers on the position, ran away down the opposite slope of the hill. Regardless of machine-gun fire which was now being fired at him from another feature a few hundred yards away, he pursued the enemy, firing at them as they retired. notwithstanding the heavy fire from the enemy positions on this hill and on a feature to the flank, he shot a number of the Japanese soldiers. And so fiercely did he lead his men that the enemy ran away: hence the name Runaway Hill. But Jemadar Abdul Hafiz was mortally wounded in the chest, still grasping his Bren gun. To his men he shouted in his own language,
"Post reorganise karo, Mein covering fire doonga"
(reorganise the post, I will give covering fire) were the last words of Youngest Indian To get Victoria Cross Jemadar Abdul Hafiz during the final assault on Nungshigun in the battle for Imphal during World War-II. But he died,. without having been able to pull the trigger.
His citation reads as follow:
The inspiring leadership and great bravery displayed by Jemadar Abdul Hafiz in spite of having been twice wounded, once mortally, so encouraged his men that the position was captured, casualties inflicted on the enemy to an extent several times the size of his own party, and enemy arms recovered on the position which included 3 Lewis Machine-guns, 2 grenade dischargers and 2 officers' swords. The complete disregard for his own safety and his determination to capture and hold the position at all costs was an example to all ranks, which it would be difficult to equal.—( London Gazette. Issue 36627, 25th July 1944 ).
This photo from the Imperial War Museums’ collections shows Mussammat Jugri Begum, widow of Jemadar Rao Abdul Hafiz Panwar, with her three-months-old daughter. Her husband died on 6 April 1944 in the Battle of Imphal, where he led his platoon as part of the 9th Jat Regiment of the British Indian Army. He never met their baby.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross, posthumously, and was the first Muslim soldier to win this decoration in the Second World War" ( Ball of Fire - Antony Brett-James 1951)
The Victoria Cross and Campaign medals awarded to Jemadar Abdul Hafiz, 3rd Bn, 9th Jat Regiment, Indian Army, have been acquired by the Michael Ashcroft Trust, the holding institution for Lord Ashcroft's VC Collection.
Geoffrey Evans and Antony Brett-James in their book "Imphal" give the account of how the feature got its name of Runaway Hill . " Undaunted, Abdul Hafiz rushed forward as best he could and with supreme bravery seized the barrel of the machine gun while a second Jat Killed the gunner. That done, he saw a bren automatic which had been dropped by one of his wounded men, and picking it up without hesitation, he opened fire on the enemy to such effect that those whom he did not kill ran away as fast as they could. For this reason the hill became known as 'Runaway Hill', a name which it retained throughout the battle".
His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of the VICTORIA CROSS to:–Jemadar Abdul Hafiz (11460), 9th. Jat Regiment, Indian Army.
Abdul Hafiz is today laid buried at Imphal Indian War Cemetery at Hatta Minuthong, Imphal. His Gravnumber is 3. Q. 2. He was 25 years of age when he died on 6th April 1944.
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