No. 14696 Havildar PARKASH SINGH, 8th Punjab Regiment, Indian Army.

On the 6 January 1943, at Donbaik in the Mayo Peninsula, Burma, two carriers had been put out of action. In a daring rescue attempt, Havildar Parkash Singh drove forward in his own carrier and rescued the two crews under heavy fire who had had to abandon their own vehicle after it had been rendered useless.

On the 19 January 1943 in the same area, three more carriers were put out of action by an enemy anti-tank gun on an open beach. With continued anti-tank and machine gun fire, one of these carriers had managed to rescue some crew members but it was not until Havildar Parkash Singh, on seeing what had happened, intervened by abandonding his own safe position to rescue the combined crews from another disabled carrier and their weaponry.

Having brought these crews to safety, he again went out into the open, still under heavy fire, and managed to connect a towing chain onto another carrier containing two wounded men and bring them to safety, too.

Havildar Parkash Singh‘s very gallant actions, entirely on his own initiative, were an inspiration to all ranks both British and Indian.
 
On display in the Victoria Cross & George Cross Gallery
Image © Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum