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| {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
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| {{more citations needed|date=October 2014}}
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| {{Infobox military person
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| |name= Mir Dast
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| |image= Jemadar Mir Dast, V.C., I.O.M. (c. 1908–1919, Gallaher's cigarette card).jpg
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| |image_size=
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| |alt=
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| |caption= Dast depicted on a [[Gallaher Group|Gallaher]]'s [[cigarette card]] ({{circa}} 1908–1919)
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| |nickname=
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| |birth_date= {{birth date|1874|12|3|df=y}}
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| |birth_place= [[Tirah]], [[British India]] (present day's [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]])
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| |death_date= {{death date and age|1945|1|19|1874|12|3|df=y}}
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| |death_place= [[Tehsil]], [[Peshawar]]
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| |placeofburial= Warsak Road Cemetery, Shagi Landi Kyan, [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]], Pakistan
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| |allegiance=
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| |branch= [[British Indian Army]]
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| |serviceyears= 1894–1917
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| |rank= [[Subedar]]
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| |unit= [[55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)]]
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| |commands=
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| |battles= [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]]<br/>[[First World War]]
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| |awards= [[Victoria Cross]]<br/>[[Indian Order of Merit|Indian Order of Merit, 2nd Class]]<br/>[[Order of British India|Order of British India, 2nd Class]]<br/>[[Cross of St. George|Cross of St. George, 3rd Class]] (Russia)
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| |relations=
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| |laterwork=
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| }}
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| '''Mir Dast''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|VC|IOM|OBI}} (3 December 1874 – 19 January 1945) was an Indian soldier and a recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]] for action during the [[First World War]], the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.
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| ==Personal data==
| | #REDIRECT [[Mir Dast Afridi]] |
| Mir Dast was a [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] from [[Afridi]] tribe and was born on 3 December 1874 to a Muslim family in the [[Maidan (Tirah)|Maidan valley]], [[Tirah]], of what is now [[Pakistan]]. Mir Dast enlisted in the [[British Indian Army]] in December 1894. He served in the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North-West Frontier]] and [[Waziristan]] prior to the [[First World War]], and was promoted to the rank of [[jemadar]] in March 1909.
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| ==Victoria Cross==
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| [[File:Subedar Mir Dast 1874-1945 VC IOM OBI 55th Coke's Rifles.jpg|thumb|[[Blue plaque]] in Brighton]]
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| During the First World War Dast was a [[jemadar]] in the [[55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)]], British Indian Army, attached to the [[57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force)]] when he performed the service for which he was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] during the [[Second Battle of Ypres]].
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| On 26 April 1915 at [[Ypres]], Belgium, Jemadar Mir Dast led his platoon with great gallantry during a German counter-attack, and afterwards collected various parties of the regiment (when no British officers were left) and kept them under his command until the retirement was ordered. He also displayed remarkable courage that day in helping to carry eight British and Indian Officers into safety, while exposed to very heavy fire which left Dast wounded.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29210|page=6269|date=29 June 1915}}</ref>
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| Dast was subsequently sent for treatment in the [[Royal Pavilion]], [[Brighton]] where he received his medal from King [[George V]]. His was the fourth VC awarded to an Indian since Indians had become eligible for the award in 1911.
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| ==Later life and legacy==
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| Dast was retired from active service in 1917 with the rank of [[subedar]]. He died on 19 January 1945 at Shagi Hindkyan Village, [[Tehsil]], [[Peshawar]], and was buried at Warsak Road Cemetery, Shagi Hindkyan, [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]], Pakistan.
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| Today a monument stands at the [[Memorial Gates (Constitution Hill)|Memorial Gates]] at Hyde Park Corner in London to commemorate the VCs of Indian heritage, including Mir Dast.
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| A blue plaque was erected in May 2016 in honour of Mir Dast next to the Indian Gate at Royal Pavilion Gardens in Brighton.
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}} | |
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| ==External links==
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| *[https://web.archive.org/web/20020615174441/http://haynese.winthrop.edu/india/medals/VC/1MDost.html Mir Dast]
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| *[https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/96985 ODNB entry by David Omissi]
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| {{Authority control}} | |
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Dast, Mir}}
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| [[Category:1874 births]]
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| [[Category:1945 deaths]]
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| [[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
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| [[Category:Indian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
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| [[Category:People from Khyber District]]
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| [[Category:Recipients of the Cross of St. George]]
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| [[Category:Recipients of the Indian Order of Merit]]
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