Darwan Singh Negi

2021-10-29T13:58:57Z

2409:4050:E0C:2AD3:11C2:88BD:7D1E:ED2D: Just made things right DARWAN SINGH NEGI was the First Indian Recipient of Victoria crosd

{{Use Indian English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Darwan Singh Negi
| image = File:Illustrated War News, Dec. 23, 1914, page 38, left side - Darwan Sing Negi.jpg
| caption = Image from ''[[The Illustrated War News]]'' of 23 December 1914 showing the injured Negi being carried into the [[Royal Pavilion]], [[Brighton]] then in use as a hospital for wounded troops.
| birth_date = {{birth date|1881|11||df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1950|6|24|1881|11||df=y}}
| birth_place = Kafarteer, [[Uttarakhand]], India
| death_place = Kafarteer
| burial_place =
| allegiance = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| serviceyears =
| rank = [[Subedar]]
| unit = [[39th Garhwal Rifles]]
| commands =
| battles = [[World War I]]
| awards = [[File:Victoria Cross (UK) ribbon.png|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
'''Darwan Singh Negi''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (November 1881{{snd}}24 June 1950) was the First Indian soldier ever to receive the Victoria cross from the hands of H.M. The King Emperor on the field of battle<ref>{{Cite web|title=Darwan Singh Negi VC: World War 1 Victoria Cross Winner|url=https://www.theindianhawk.com/2020/07/darwan-singh-negi-victoria-cross.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-23|website=The Indian Hawk: Defence News, Indian Defence News, IDRW, Indian Armed Forces}}</ref> and was among the earliest [[British Raj|Indian]] recipients of the [[Victoria Cross]] (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

Negi was approximately 33 years old, and a [[Naik (military rank)|naik]] (equivalent to [[corporal]]) in the 1st Battalion, [[39th Garhwal Rifles]], [[British Indian Army]] during the First World War when he performed the deeds during the [[Defence of Festubert]] for which he was awarded the VC. The citation reads:

{{quote|[[George V|His Majesty the KING-EMPEROR]] has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned soldier of the Indian Army for conspicuous bravery whilst serving with the Indian Army Corps, British Expeditionary Force: —

1909, Naik Darwan Singh{{sic}} Negi, 1st Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.

For great gallantry on the night of the 23rd{{ndash}}24th November, near [[Festubert]], France, when the regiment was engaged in retaking and clearing the enemy out of our trenches, and, although wounded in two places in the head, and also in the arm, being one of the first to push round each successive [[Traverse (trench warfare)|traverse]], in the face of severe fire from bombs and rifles at the closest range.
|London Gazette, 7 December 1914.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=28999 |supp=y |page=10425 |date=7 December 1914 }}</ref>|source=}}

He was awarded the medal on the same day as [[Khudadad Khan]] VC; but the latter's VC action was of earlier date, so that he is regarded as the first Indian recipient.

Negi retired with the rank of [[subedar]], equivalent to a British captain.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Darwan Singh Negi VC: World War 1 Victoria Cross Winner|url=https://www.theindianhawk.com/2020/07/darwan-singh-negi-victoria-cross.html|access-date=2020-08-10|website=The Indian Hawk: Defence News, Indian Defence News, IDRW, Indian Armed Forces}}</ref> Both his son Balbir and Balbir's son Nitin served in the [[Garhwal Rifles]] of the Indian Army; both achieved the rank of colonel.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} His Victoria Cross is held by his family. The regimental museum of [[The Garhwal Rifles]] in [[Lansdowne (town)|Lansdowne]], [[Uttarakhand]] is named the Darwan Singh Museum in his honour.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Darwan Singh Negi VC: World War 1 Victoria Cross Winner|url=https://www.theindianhawk.com/2020/07/darwan-singh-negi-victoria-cross.html|access-date=2020-08-10|website=The Indian Hawk: Defence News, Indian Defence News, IDRW, Indian Armed Forces}}</ref>

== War Memorial Inter College Karanprayag ==
During the First World War, on 5 December 1914, Darban Singh Negi, the hero of the [[Garhwal Rifles]], was honored with the [[Victoria Cross]] by the Emperor George V of England and Queen Mary, India's first Victoria Cross winner in the land of [[France]] himself. At the same time, Victoria Cross accepted the demand of the War Memorial English Middle School in [[Karnaprayag|Karnprayag]] and a [[Rishikesh–Karnaprayag line|rail route to Karanprayag]] in memory of the [[World War I|First World War]] and its martyrs.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280301/page/n420 First ever Indian to get Victoria cross from the hands of H.M. the king Emperor in the field of battle]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020615175623/http://haynese.winthrop.edu/india/medals/vc/1DSNegi.html Darwan Singh Negi]
* [http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/gginatof.htm Burial location]
* {{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-34860666 | title=Three generations united by the hell of war | author=Alastair Lawson | publisher=BBC News | date=22 December 2015 | accessdate=22 December 2015 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Negi, Darwan Singh}}
[[Category:1881 births]]
[[Category:1950 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:British Indian Army soldiers]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Indian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Uttarakhand]]

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Darwan Singh Negi