Subedar Subedar ( ) is a military rank in the militaries of South Asia roughly equivalent to that of a warrant officer. Historically classed in the British Indian Army as a Viceroy's commissioned officer, the rank was retained in the Indian Army an ...

Subramanian, (18 December 1912 – 24 February 1944) was the first Indian to be awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

.World War Two – India 2
at www.wewerethere.mod.uk Subramanian served with Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners, a unit of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. On 24 February 1944, during the Allied campaign in Italy he won the George Cross at Mignano by throwing himself onto a mine about to detonate and thus successfully protecting others from the blast. His award was gazetted posthumously on 30 June 1944. He was also awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal.

Footnotes

References

*Kempton, Chris, ''The Victoria Crosses and George Crosses of the Honourable East India Company and Indian Army'', Military Press, 2001, *Turner, John Frayn, ''Awards of the George Cross, 1940–2009'', Casemate Publishers, 2010. 1912 births 1944 deaths British Indian Army soldiers Indian Army personnel killed in World War II Indian recipients of the George Cross Recipients of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal Landmine victims Military personnel from Chennai {{India-mil-bio-stub