Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War Burma M.M. awarded to Havildar Fiaz Bux, Machine-Gun Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment, originally recommended for the Immediate award of the I.D.S.M.

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (16736 Hav Fiaz Bux Sikh R) obverse a little polished, otherwise very fine £1200-1500

M.M. London Gazette 19 April 1945: No. 16736 Havildar Faiz Bakhsh, 11th Sikh Regiment, Indian Army.

The recommendation for the award of the Immediate M.M. (originally recommended for an Immediate I.D.S.M.) states:

‘At Kabwet on night 15/16 Jan 1945, Hav Faiz Bakhsh was in command of a section of medium machine-guns. His section held part of the perimeter and was attacked throughout the night and early morning. This Havildar displayed coolness and courage in directing his section’s fire. In the morning the two men manning one gun were killed by a grenade and the remaining three men of the gun team wounded.

Despite grenade, rifle and automatic fire, Hav Faiz Bakhsh himself brought in the dead bodies of his comrades. Although urged not to try to recover the gun he again crawled out, lifted out the gun and tripod and fixed a rope by which he and another man were able to pull the gun back to safety. His complete disregard of personal safety set an example to all his company.’

The following extract, describing this action, is taken from The Sikh Regiment in the Second World War, by Colonel F. T. Birdwood, O.B.E.:

‘At 8 p.m. on the 15th January, five grenades from dischargers suddenly straddled Battalion Headquarters. Immediately after, light machine-gun fire opened onto the perimeter from the east. The Battalion M.M.G.s on that flank opened up, and the battle was on. After feeling for a soft spot, attacks were pressed in on the Battalion Headquarters sector and the west approaches to the village. Attacks came in under a shower of grenades from dischargers thickened up with mortars, but the ground was well covered by fire, and the repeated attacks met with no success. Next morning, fifty-six Japanese dead were counted at a distance of between 10 and 20 yards from the perimeter.’