Havildar Ganga Singh 57th Wilde's Rifles

[Chantry]

The 57th Wilde's Rifles was part of the 3rd Lahore Division, which along with the 7th Meerut Division made up the infantry component of the Indian Corps which saw service in France from 1914-1915 as part of the British Expeditionary Force.

 

Havildar* Ganga Singh and 15 other Sikh's were holding a trench position during a German attack.  The German reached the stretch of trench held by Havildar Ganga Singh and his men and in the ensuing hand to hand combat, Havildar Singh, who pre-war was a physical fitness instructor and district bayonet fighting champion, killed 5 Germans with his bayoneted rifle before the bayonet broke.  He killed a German officer and proceeded to kill another 5-10 Germans (accounts are unclear) with the sword until he was injured severely enough that he was unable to fight and was left for dead.  Havildar Singh was the only Sikh survivor and at the end of the battle there were at least 60 dead Germans in the trenches alongside the 15 dead Sikhs.

 

Having been wounded 6 (both hands, leg, chest and scalp wound) times he was brought to England covered in bandages and splints for treatment and recovery.  When asked about the fight, Ganga SIngh is reported to have said it was a good, heavy sword and I would have killed many more Germans if I hadn't been injured in the leg.   Ganga Sing was awarded either the Indian Order of Merit 2nd class (probably equivalent to our Distinguished Service Cross) or the Victoria Cross.

 

*Havildar is the Indian Army equivalent to sergeant

[Subdeacon Joe]

Thanks!

 

 

 

https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Indian_Biographical_Dictionary_(1915)/Gyan_Singh

[Utah Bob #35998]

I watched the movie Kesari the other day. Pretty good.

 

[Tall Tale Todd]

Badass