Site Home
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Great War Home
Search
Add Stories & Photos
Library
Help & FAQs
Features
Allied Army
Day by Day
RFC & RAF
Prisoners of War
War at Sea
Training for War
The Battles
Those Who Served
Hospitals
Civilian Service
Women at War
The War Effort
Central Powers Army
Central Powers Navy
Imperial Air Service
Library
World War Two
Submissions
Add Stories & Photos
Time Capsule
Information
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Our Facebook Page
Volunteering
News
Events
Contact us
Great War Books
About
209556L/Dfdr. Gobind Singh VC.
British Indian Army 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
from:India
Gobind Singh was 29 years old when he became a Lance-Daffadar in the 28th Light Cavalry. He was later attached to 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
On 1 December 1917 when the 2nd Lancers was surrounded by the enemy brigade, the situation became very tense because the headquarters was about six miles from this place (Epchy-France). At this time volunteers were called for to carry a message giving the position of the regiment to the headquarters on the outskirts of Piezeire. Lance Dafadar Govind Singh and Sowar Jot Ram were selected and given two different routes. Both of them started immediately on a gallop. Jot Ram was killed as he tried to make his way to the destination. L/Dfr. Govind Singh was given the open more difficult route which was under constant enemy fire. He had travelled about half a mile of the lower ground when his horse was killed by a machine gun fire. For some time Singh lay still close to his horse, then judging he was no longer watched, he got up and began to run on foot. Immediately there was a burst of machine gun fire upon him. He trembled over as if shot and waited before getting up again and running. By repeating this process varied by wriggling along the ground, he reached the brigade headquarters.
A return message had now to be sent and he volunteered to take this too. He was given another horse and started back taking the high ground south of the valley until he reached the German post. Then dipping down and across the sunken road he had covered two-thirds the distance when his horse was shot and he had to make the rest of his way running and falling.
An hour later another message had to be sent from the regiment. Although exhausted and wounded, Govind Singh came forward again. He was told that he has already done his share but he insisted that he knew the ground better than anybody else. On the strength of this the Adjutant allowed him to go. This time he started from the lower end of the road, turned right and passed 'Catelet Copse' and went straight through the barrage in 'Epchy'. Half way through Epchy, his horse was cut in half by a direct hit from a shell just behind the saddle. Govind Singh then ran on and eventually got into dead ground in renterent which debouches into the valley. Thence he made his way out of the sight of the enemy to Peizeire. Thoroughly exhausted and badly wounded he arrived there at 11.55 AM.
He volunteered to make the journey a fourth time, but was not allowed to do so. For his conspicuous bravery and unwavering devotion to duty in saving his regiment and fellow men, Lance Dafadar Govind Singh was awarded the Victoria Cross.
"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in thrice volunteering to carry messages between the regiment and brigade headquarters, a distance of over 1 1/2 miles over open ground which was under the observation and heavy fire of the enemy. He succeeded each time in delivering his message, although on each occasion his horse was shot dead and he was compelled to finish his journey on foot." London Gazette, 11 January 1918
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
If so please let us know.
Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.
This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.