© Crown Copyright Imperial War Museum (Ref
HU2052)
[Newspaper Report
Times 21May1949]
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Lieutenant George Albert Cairns VC,
Chindit |
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Extract from
Supplement
to
The London Gazette
of Tuesday, the 17th of May, 1949
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The War Office, 20th
May, 1949
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The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award
of the VICTORIA CROSS to :- |
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Lieutenant George Albert CAIRNS (198186) , The Somerset Light
Infantry, attd. South Staffordshire Regiment.
On the 5th March, 1944, 77 Independent Infantry Brigade, of which
the 1st South Staffordshire Regiment formed a part, landed by glider
at Broadway (Burma).
On the 12th March, 1944, columns from the South Staffordshire
Regiment and 3/6 Gurkha Rifles established a road and rail block
across the Japanese lines of communications at Henu Block.
The Japanese counter-attacked this position heavily in the early
morning of the 13th March, 1944, and the South Staffordshire
Regiment was ordered to attack a hill-top which formed the basis of
the Japanese attack.
During this action, in which Lieutenant Cairns took a foremost part,
he was attacked by a Japanese officer, who, with his sword hacked
off Lieutenant Cairns left arm. Lieutenant Cairns killed this
Officer; picked up the sword and continued to lead his men in the
attack and slashing left and right with the captured sword killed
and wounded several Japanese before he himself fell to the ground.
Lieutenant Cairns subsequently died from his wounds.
His action so inspired all his comrades that, later the Japanese
were completely routed, a very rare occurrence at the time.
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