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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 523

An immediate 'Tiddim Road 1944' M.M. group of five awarded to Lance Havildar L. Ram, 1st Battalion, 17th Dogra Regiment

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7152 L-Hav Lakhu Ram Dogra R); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, very fine (5)

Purchased Delhi, March 1980.

M.M. London Gazette 22 March 1945. The original Recommendation states:

'Ram commanded a 3" Mortar Det with a road block which was est[ablished] on 19 September 1944 at MS139 on the Tiddim Road. The enemy's reaction to the block was heavy and sustained machine gun and grenade fire into the position, preparatory toa determined infantry assault at about 0200hrs on 20 September.

Ram at once put down accurate and killing defensive fire which stemmed the assault. The position of the mortar having been disclosed by its flashes to the enemy, who held a dominating height, the area of the Det was at once subjected to concentrated fire from all hostile weapons to cover the renewal of the attack.

Undeterred by the heavy fire, against which his uncompleted defensive works was little protection, Ram continued to keep his mortar firing until the attack was broken up and the enemy finally retired. Morning patrols discovered that the fire of the mortar had been amply effective.

This NCO's cool efficiency when under heavy fire, and his disregard of danger contributed largely to the success of the road block.'

Lakhu Ram was a dogra rajput from Kiarban, Naura. The unit only recruited from this high caste of Hindus descended from the original Aryan invaders of India. They inhabited the foothills of the Himalayas between the Jhelum and Sutlej rivers in the Punjab. They had a long tradition of soldiering and fought for the British from the 1860s onwards; sold together with copied research and citations.

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Sold for
£850

Starting price
£550