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{{short description|Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Kamal Ram
|birth_place = Bholupura, [[Rajputana Agency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
|death_place = Bholupura, [[Rajasthan]], [[India]]
|image = Victoria Cross Winners NA17270.jpg
|image_size = 300px
|caption = [[George VI|King George VI]] pinning the Victoria Cross on Sepoy Kamal Ram, 26 July 1944
|birth_date = {{birth date|1924|12|17|df=y}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|1982|07|01|1924|12|17|df=y}}
|allegiance = {{flag|British India|23px}} <br /> {{flag|India|23px}}
|serviceyears =194?-1972
|rank = [[Junior commissioned officer#Honorary commission|Honorary Lieutenant]]
|branch = {{army|British India|23px}} <br /> {{army|India|23px}}
|unit = [[8th Punjab Regiment]]
|battles = [[World War II]]
* [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]]
|awards = [[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]
}}

'''Kamal Ram''', [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (17 December 1924{{snd}}1 July 1982) was an [[List of Victoria Cross recipients of the Indian Army|Indian recipient]] of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces. He was the second-youngest [[List of Victoria Cross recipients of the Indian Army|Indian recipient]] of the award. He was from the Gurjar community.

== Life ==

[[Image:Victoria Cross 1939-1945.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Kamal Ram's name is inscribed on the [[Memorial Gates, London|Memorial Gates]] at [[Constitution Hill, London|Constitution Hill]] in [[London]].]]

Kamal Ram was born into a [[Gurjar]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.india.com/viral/kamal-ram-91st-birth-anniversary-remembering-brave-indian-sepoy-and-victoria-cross-recipient-791750/amp/ | title=Kamal Ram 91st birth anniversary: Remembering brave Indian Sepoy and Victoria Cross recipient | date=17 December 2015 }}</ref> family on 17 December 1924, in the village of Bholupura, [[Karauli district]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now in [[Rajasthan]], [[India]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vconline.org.uk/kamal-ram-vc/4587254429 |title=Kamal Ram VC}}</ref> His father's name was Shiv Chand.{{sfn|Bawa|1972|pp=84}} During the [[World War II|Second World War]], he served in the 3rd Battalion, [[8th Punjab Regiment]], [[British Indian Army]] (now the 3rd Battalion, [[Baloch Regiment]], [[Pakistan Army]]). He was 19 years old, with the rank of [[Sepoy]], when, on 12 May 1944, his battalion assaulted the formidable [[Nazi Germany|German]] defences of the [[Winter Line|Gustav Line]], across the [[Gari River|River Gari]] in [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]]; and he performed the deeds for which he was awarded the VC.
{{sfn|Ahmad|2006|pp=280}} The citation reads as follows:

{{blockquote|text=
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to:{{ndash}}

No. 35408 Sepoy Kamal Ram, 8th Punjab Regiment, Indian Army.

In Italy, on 12 May 1944, after crossing the River Gari overnight, the Company advance was held up by heavy machine-gun fire from four posts on the front and flanks. As the capture of the position was essential to secure the bridgehead, the Company Commander called for a volunteer to get round the rear of the right post and silence it. Volunteering at once and crawling forward through the wire to a flank, Sepoy Kamal Ram attacked the post single handed and shot the first machine-gunner; a second German tried to seize his weapon but Sepoy Kamal Ram killed him with the bayonet, and then shot a German officer who, appearing from the trench with his pistol, was about to fire. Sepoy Kamal Ram, still alone, at once went on to attack the second machine-gun post which was continuing to hold up the advance, and after shooting one machine-gunner, he threw a grenade and the remaining enemy surrendered. Seeing a [[Havildar]] making a reconnaissance for an attack on the third post, Sepoy Kamal Ram joined him, and, having first covered his companion, went in and completed the destruction of this post. By his courage, initiative and disregard for personal risk, Sepoy Kamal Ram enabled his Company to charge and secure the ground vital to the establishment of the bridgehead and the completion of work on two bridges. When a platoon, pushed further forward to widen the position, was fired on from a house, Sepoy Kamal Ram, dashing towards the house, shot one German in a slit trench and captured two more. His sustained and outstanding bravery unquestionably saved a difficult situation at a critical period of the battle and enabled his Battalion to attain the essential part of their objective.
|sign=London Gazette, 27 July 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette| supp=y |issue=36627 |page=3501 |date=27 July 1944 }}</ref>}}

[[File:King George VI is driven past cheering Indian troops on his way to a ceremony to invest Sepoy Kamal Ram with the Victoria Cross, Italy, 26 July 1944. NA17265.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[King George VI]] is driven past cheering [[British Indian Army|Indian troops]] on his way to a ceremony to invest Sepoy Kamal Ram with the [[Victoria Cross]], Italy, 26 July 1944.]]

[[George VI|King George VI]] presented him with the medal in Italy in 1944.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defencedynamics.mod.uk/multimedia-library/419-Sepoy_Kamal_Ram_VC |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101208180940/http://www.defencedynamics.mod.uk/multimedia-library/419-Sepoy_Kamal_Ram_VC |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 December 2010 |title=Sepoy Kamal Ram VC |website=nationalarchives.gov.uk |access-date=26 October 2014}}</ref> He remained in the [[Indian Army]] post-independence, rising to the rank of ''[[Havildar]]'' (sergeant) before receiving a promotion to ''[[Jemadar]]'' (now ''[[Junior commissioned officer|Naib subedar]]'') on 18 May 1960,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=197 |date=6 August 1960 |publisher=[[The Gazette of India]]}}</ref> and further promotions to ''[[Subedar]]'' on 1 March 1964 and to ''[[Junior commissioned officer|Subedar-major]]'' on 1 January 1970.<ref>{{cite news|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)|page=503|date=12 December 1964|publisher=[[The Gazette of India]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)|page=313|date=7 March 1970|publisher=[[The Gazette of India]]}}</ref> He retired in 1972 with the rank of ''[[Junior commissioned officer#Honorary commission|Honorary Lieutenant]]'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)|page=101|date=15 August 1972|publisher=[[The Gazette of India]]}}</ref> and died in 1982.

== The medal ==

His Victoria Cross is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the [[Imperial War Museum]], [[London]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vconline.org.uk/kamal-ram-vc/4587254429 |title=Kamal Ram VC}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{cite book|last=Bawa|first=Sundar Singh|title=Tradition never dies: the genesis and growth of the Indian army |publisher=Lalvani Publishing House|year=1972|isbn=978-0856550775|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g_K9idUdSvUC}}
* {{cite book|last=Ahmad|first=Rifat Nadeem|title=Unfaded Glory: The 8th Punjab Regiment 1798-1956|publisher=Naval & Military Press|year=2006|isbn= 1783311045|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gph7rgEACAAJ}}

== External links ==

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020618045523/http://haynese.winthrop.edu/india/medals/VC/2KRam.html Kamal Ram]
*{{Find a Grave|8543406}}
*[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ggingtom.htm Burial location]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ram, Kamal}}
[[Category:Indian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Karauli district]]
[[Category:Gurjar]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]

Kamal Ram - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 14:30, 14 August 2023