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Major A.S. Gurling M.C. |
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Transcript of Military Cross Citation |
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Brigade |
77th Indian Infantry |
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Division |
3rd Indian |
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Unit |
Queen's Royal Regiment attached RIASC |
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Date of Recommendation |
14 July 1944 |
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Regtl. No. |
174133 (W.E.) |
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Rank and Name |
Major Arthur Sydney GURLING |
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Action for which commended :- |
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Major GURLING is the Animal Transport Officer of 77th Indian Infantry Brigade. When the Brigade Orderly Officer and his successor had respectively been killed and wounded, Major GURLING volunteered to command the Brigade Defence Platoons. On the 24th June 44 NATYIGON Village and the railway bridge over the MOGAUNG were captured after a very hard fight in which all three depleted battalions of the Brigade were involved. Due to heavy casualties and the exhaustion of troops it was not possible for the battalions to exploit their success. It was imperative that the Japanese should NOT be allowed to take up and consolidate further strong positions in MOGAUNG Town. So Major GURLING with his DEFENCE Platoons and other miscellaneous Brigade Headquarter personnel, such as his Transport Havildar, totalling in all about seventy men, was ordered to penetrate as far into MOGAUNG as possible and consolidate their gains. This he did with such success that after a fight in which he drove out the Japanese trying to dig in, he gained 400 yards of ground and although his left flank was in the air, held his position against a counter-attack that night. He was counter-attacked again on the night 25/26th . On 26th he was ordered to attack in conjunction with a CHINESE battalion on his left. Due to a misunderstanding the CHINESE battalion did NOT attack and Major GURLING attacked alone. He attacked with such vigour that he drove out the Japanese out of three strongly defended brick houses and actually reached the NAMYIN CHAUNG 400 yards ahead before he was forced to withdraw slightly due to heavy MMG enfilade fire from both flanks. He held his gains and that night the enemy withdrew from the remainder of MOGAUNG. It was to a great degree to the courage, skill, initiative and vigour of this officer that MOGAUNG fell so soon. Throughout the Campaign he has at all times volunteered to act in a capacity beyond the normal bounds of his duties of Animal Transport Officer. At a time when the Brigade was so depleted and exhausted that there was little attack left in it his vigorous leadership of Brigade Headquarters brought it through to final success. Dated 14th July 44 WARAZUP |
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Recommended By |
Brigadier J.M. Calvert DSO Commander 77 Indian Infantry Brigade |
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Honour or Reward |
Military Cross |
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Signed By |
Major General W.D.A. Lentaigne Comd. 3 Ind. Div. General G. Giffard Commander-in-Chief 11 Army Group |
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(London Gazette 26.04.1945) |
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