Lot 3862

Description

India. Group of Six: Indian Distinguished Service Medal (GVIR) 1939-49; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; India Service Medal 1939-45. 11898 Hav. Pala Singh 11 R. Sikh R. impressed on first medal, all other medals unnamed. Very fine.

Havildar Pala Singh. 11th Sikh Regt (2nd Royal Bn). IDSM LG 08Feb1945 "This Havildar was in command of a platoon in C Coy which was ordered to carry out a night attack on the night of 11/12 Sept on the enemy held feature MS Columba 8379. Early on during the advance the Company met with strong enemy resistance from houses in the village of Il Foggio 8478 in which four enemy Spandau Posts were located , and Hav Pala Singh's platoon was ordered to overcome this resistance. He quickly decided that one section could best be employed on this task, which would involve hand to hand fighting. Leaving the other two sections to cover his attack by fire he himself led the remaining section round by a flank onto the first of the Spandau posts. Moving from house to house, armed with a machine carbine and grenades taken from the sections not employed, he himself knocked out two machine gun posts killing two enemy at each gun post, and the remaining two Spandau positions were hurriedly vacated by the enemy, enabling the Coy's advance to be continued. The following night the Company was strongly counter atacked by the enemy during its withdrawal, and Hav. Pala Singh was reported on by the FOO as having at once moved to a flank, without any orders, where for 30 minutes, until the counter attack was beaten off, he was seen, single handed with a bren gun and a pile of stick bombs, to be holding off a strong enemy threat with the utmost bravery. This NCO's personal heroism and initiative, and his complete disregard of heavy enemy shelling and counter attack over a period of 48 hours continuous enemy activity, were a magnificent example of cheerfulness and courage to the whole company". Together with a copy of the original citation signed by officers up to Field Marshall Alexander, and photocopy of page from London Gazette, 8 February 1945.