Khattaknamah Akorkhel Khattak
Excerpts from the book: INDIAN RECIPIENTS OF THE MILITARY CROSS BY SUSHIL TALWAR VOLUME1:
Immediate MC was recommended and awarded.
A History of the 1st (PWO) Battalion, The Dogra Regiment 1887-1947, by C.T. Atkinson, pp. 146:
Among the other transfers and new appointments, that of Lieutenant Ghulam Qadir, who joined from the 2/1st Punjab (formerly 66th Punjabis), on 6th December (1940), was notable; he was to distinguish himself greatly in Burma and to fall in action.
pp. 148-149:
Besides this the suppression of civil disturbance, including attacks on railways and other Government property, kept it occupied and interfered with training, and 1/17th were not sorry to be ordered forward in September to the Patenga peninsula South of Chittagong, to take over positions near an airfield. Japanese “Fighters” raided this airfield in October, but the 1/17th escaped casualties. They then moved forward to take part in a tentative effort to dispute the Japanese possession of the coast plain, or at any rate forestall any attempt at invasion. Captain Hargrave was now of ciating as Adjutant, Lieutenant Milton having been transferred to service with African troops, Lieutenant Garnham being Quartermaster; Captains Gell (A), Prithi Singh (C) formerly a Subadar in the Battalion, Ghulam Qadir (D), Lieutenants Jones (B) and Thom (HQ) were commanding companies.
pp. 163:
On 26th January again when two platoons were attacking ‘Wrencat Two’ and ‘Three’, Subadar Narain’s platoon came under heavy re and was held up, the Subadar being killed; on this Jemadar Swaran Singh, commanding the other platoon, rushed across, reorganized the platoon and led it and some of his own men forward. Heading four bayonets charges, he reached and cleared one strongly held ‘bunker’ and held on some time, beating off counter-attacks, until his force was so reduced that he could hold on no longer. He then withdrew his men, including all the wounded, covering the retreat himself. Sepoy Gawanda, who was in charge of a mortar, finding he could not use his weapon when our men and the enemy were all mixed up, went forward to join in the attack, using a rifle and bayonet and then a Sten gun with good effect, but was killed on top of the enemy’s bunker, which was subsequently carried. Sepoy Kirpa, orderly to Major Ghulam Qadir, also distinguished himself greatly: having taken a message to a forward platoon, he concluded that he had better make the most of having got so far, so he collected some grenades and, pushing forward alone, hurled them into the bunker and returned unharmed.
If the ‘Wrencat’ defied all efforts to secure it, the 1/17th’s gallantry and determination were warmly praised by the Brigade, Divisional, Crops and Army Commanders, who described its efforts as ‘magni cent’ and fully in accord with the fine traditions of the regiment. Major Ghulam Qadir, who led four separate attacks, later received the MC.
pp. 174:
Burma-Imphal: The middle of May brought some strenuous fighting. The Brigade was trying to clear away roadblocks and other obstructions in the Kanglatombi area, and on May 17th, ‘D’ Company, under Major Ghulam Qadir, co-operated effectively in an attack, disposing of some 20 Japanese at a cost of four casualties.
pp. 177:
Burma-After Imphal: The Japanese, completely surprised by this move, attacked repeatedly in force, besides shelling the position vigorously. They could not shift ‘C’ and ‘D’, who hung on grimly, but the battalion suffered a loss second only to that of Colonel Cropper when Major Ghulam Qadir was killed by a shell re on September 19th. Highly efficient and a very gallant leader, he had won a great place in the Battalion. Some remarkable tributes have been paid to his memory both as a soldier and as a man. A Pathan in a Hindu battalion, the Dogras would have followed him anywhere, and, as one officer had written, ‘He was thought of very highly by all ranks. His was an amiable and attractive personality with a natural sense of humour, essentially a soldier, and an absolutely first-class one at that.’
pp. 198:
List of Officers: Ghulam Qadir, MC, Lieut. (sic) (from 2/1st Punjab) 6/12/40, killed in action, Burma, 19/9/44.
Ghulam Qadir, the husband of Mrs. Ghulam Qadir (sic), of Amir, in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province, was killed in action on 19 Sept. 1944; he was 31 years old. He is commemorated on Face-49 of the Rangoon Memorial. (Details of the NOK from the GWGC records.)
(Contributed by Najeeburehman Khan Adamzai)
