Havildar Abdul Rahman (1921–1946) was a soldier of the
British Indian Army who was
posthumously
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' (E ...
awarded the
George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has be ...
, the highest
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English ...
(and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...
) award for bravery not in combat. He was awarded the decoration for the gallantry he showed while saving three other men from a burning vehicle on 22 February 1946 in Kletek in
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
.
He was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the
9th Jat Regiment
The 9th Jat Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government reformed the army, moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.
World War II
The Regiment saw a ...
, which had fought in the Battle of Cauldron against Rommel's forces and saw action at Imphal. His GC award was announced in the
London Gazette
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
of 10 September 1946.
His surname is sometimes spelled "Rehman".
Abdul Rehman also won the
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...
in Burma in 1944.
[ ]
References
See also
*
List of George Cross recipients
The George Cross (GC) is the second highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry not " in the presence of the enemy" to both members of the British armed forces and to British civilians. Posthumous awards have ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahman, Abdul
Indian recipients of the George Cross
Indian Army personnel of World War II
1921 births
1946 deaths
British Indian Army soldiers
Recipients of the Military Medal