b. 1915 Gehrota, India. d. 24/07/1944 Citta di Castello, Italy.
DATE AND PLACE OF GC ACTION: 23-24/07/1944 Citta di Castella, Italy.
Ditto Ram (1915-1944) was born in Gehrota, India in 1915, the son of Sawan Singh and Phoolan. Very little is known about Ditto Ram’s early life, and subsequent life prior to joining the Army sometime in 1941-1942. He enlisted with the Central Indian Horse (21st King George V’s Own Horse), Indian Armoured Corps, and held the rank of Sowar.
On the night of 23rd-24th July 1944 near Citta di Castello, Italy, he was part of a night patrol that ran into an enemy minefield. Ditto Ram stepped onto a mine, blowing off his left leg below the knee, and he applied a field dressing to his own leg. On hearing calls for help from Sowar Nini, who had been wounded, he crawled forward through the minefield to help him. On reaching the man, whose left thigh had been shattered, he was joined by Lieutenant Young and they applied a field dressing to his comrade’s wound. He was in tremendous pain throughout, which made the operation both difficult and prolonged. Having completed his task, Ditto Ram lost consciousness and died a few minutes later, as did Sowar Nini.
After a lengthy delay both St John Graham Young and Ditto Ram were awarded posthumous George Crosses. Ditto Ram’s citation appeared in the London Gazette on 17th December 1945. After his death, Ditto Ram had no known grave, and is commemorated on the Monte Cassino Memorial, Italy. His George Cross is not publicly held.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: PRIVATELY HELD.
BURIAL PLACE: NO KNOWN GRAVE. NAMED ON MONTE CASSINO MEMORIAL, ITALY.
PANEL 16.
Acknowledgement:
Thomas Stewart – Image of Ditto Ram GC’s name on the Monte Cassino Memorial, Italy.