Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Jemadar

Unit:

13th Frontier Forces Rifles, Indian Army

Awarded on:

May 1st, 1945

Citation:
At Kanlan Ywathit, in Burma, on the night of 16th-17th February, 1945, Jemadar Parkash Singh, 13th Frontier Force Rifles, was in command of a platoon of a rifle Company occupying a Company defended locality.
At about 23.00 hours the Japanese, in great strength and supported by artillery, mortars, medium machine guns and, subsequently,flame throwers, initiated a series of fierce attacks on the position. The main weight of the attack was directed against Jemadar Parkash Singh's platoon locality.
At .about 23.30 hours Jemadar Parkash Singh was severely wounded in both ankles by machine gun fire and was unable to walk about in his sector. His Company Commander, on being informed of his, ordered Jemadar Parkash Singh to be relieved and brought into a trench beside Company Headquarters, from where he kept shouting encouragement to all his men. A short time afterwards, owing to his relief having been wounded, Jemadar Parkash Singh crawled forward, dragging himself on his hands and knees, to his platoon sector and again took over command.
At 00.15 hours, when his Company Commander visited the platoon area, Jemadar Parkash Singh was found, propped up by his batman—who had also been wounded, firing his platoon 2-inch mortar, the crew of which had both been killed, shouting encouragement to his men and directing the fire of his platoon. Having expended all the available 2-inch mortar ammunition, Jemadar Parkash Singh then crawled around the position collecting ammunition for his platoon from the dead and,wounded. This ammunition he distributed himself. As one complete section of his platoon had by now become casualties, Jemadar Parkash Singh took over their Bren gun and held the Section's sector of the perimeter singlehanded until reinforcements were rushed up by the Company Commander. He fired the gun at this stage from a position completely in the- open as he was unable to stand up in a trench. He was again wounded in both legs, above the knees, by a burst of machine gun fire.
In spite of intense pain and the loss of much blood from his wounds, Jemadar Parkash Singh continued firing his Bren gun and dragging himself from place to place only-by the use of his hands, as his legs were now smashed and completely useless. At the same time he continued to encourage and direct his men, regrouping the remnants of his platoon around him so that they successfully held up a fierce Japanese charge which was launched against them.
At 01.45 hours Jemadar Parkash Singh was wounded for the third time in the right leg and was so weak from loss of blood that, he was unable to move. Bleeding profusely and lying on his right side with his face towards the enemy, he continued to direct the action of his men, encouraging them to stay their ground. Although it was obvious that he was now dying, Jemadar Parkish Singh shouted out the Dogra War Cry which was immediately taken up by the rest of the Company engaged in hand-to-hand fighting within the perimeter of is locality. His example and leadership at this period so inspired the Company that the enemy was finally driven out from the position.
At 02.30 hours Jemadar Parkash Singh was wounded for a fourth time, this time in the chest, by a Japanese grenade. He died a few minutes later after telling his Company Commander not to worry about him for he could easily look after himself.
Throughout the period of intense hand-to-hand fighting and heavy machine gun and grenade fire from 23.00 hours until the time of his death at 02.30 hours, Jemadar Parkash Singh conducted himself with conspicuous bravery and complete disregard of his severe wounds, and there is no doubt that his ceaseless encouragement of his platoon, his inspired leadership and outstanding devotion to duty, though himself mortally wounded, played an outstanding part in finally repelling the Japanese with heavy casualties."