Gobind Singh (VC)

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Gobind Singh VC
Born	(1887-12-07)7 December 1887 Damoi, Nagaur district, Rajasthan, India
Died	9 December 1942(1942-12-09) (aged 60)
Allegiance	British India
Service/branch	British Indian Army
Rank	Jemadar
Unit	28th Light Cavalry now 7th Light Cavalry 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

Gobind Singh VC (7 December 1887 – 9 December 1942) was a soldier in the British Indian Army, and recipient during the First World War of the Victoria Cross, the highest British and Commonwealth award for gallantry in the face of the enemy.

Gobind Singh was a Rathore Rajput and hailed from a small village named Damoi in the Nagaur district) of Rajasthan, India. He was part of a squadron of Jodhpur Lancers (Sardar Risala) which was transferred to 3rd Madras Cavalry in Oct 1902, later renumbered as 28th Light Cavalry in 1903. He was 29 years old when he became a Lance-Daffadar in the 28th Light Cavalry, the present 7th Light Cavalry. He was later attached to 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) during the First World War.

The Battle of Cambrai was an all-important battle not only because it was an effort by the allied forces to break the Hindenburg Line of the Germans, but also because it was there that tanks were used successfully for the first time in the history of warfare.

On the night of 30 November and 1 December 1917 east of Poizière, Épehy, France, Lance-Dafadar Gobind Singh was in the midst of the Battle of Cambrai, when his regiment was cut off and surrounded by the enemy. An urgent message had to be sent to the brigade headquarters giving the position of the regiment. The route was a 2-mile stretch over open ground, under constant observation and enemy fire. Singh volunteered and not only delivered the message but also undertook a return message and a subsequent one. He survived enemy machine gun fire directed at him on all three occasions although his horses were killed every time. He was one of six men from India to receive the Victoria Cross during World War 1.^[1]