The very good Second World War Battle of Central Burma Advance on Monywa 4th January 1945 Military Medal and Final Assault of Monywa 20th January 1945 Casualty group awarded to Lance Naik Mohammed Ajaib, 9th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment, Indian Army. Lance Naik Ajaib won his hard earned Military Medal, when in action on the Budalin-Monywa Road at mile point 16 and a half on the 4th January 1945, in an action which blocked some Japanese reinforcements from getting through to Budalin from Monywa. Having allowed a lorry of Japanese troops to pass his concealed position, and to be then effectively destroyed by men manning the road block further down the road, he then dealt with the only two survivors from the lorry which had contained 14 Japanese and one member of the Burmese National Army. Only one Japanese soldier and the Burmese Nationalist escaped the ambush, and they ran back up to the concealed position manned by Ajaib. He stepped out and tackled and restrained the Burmese National Army soldier who was taken prisoner, however the Japanese soldier, who was hot on the heals of the first, then rushed Ajaib with his rifle with fixed bayonet. Ajaib stood his ground and parried the bayonet thrust with his Sten gun, deflecting it but not enough to avoid a wound to the head as the bayonet glanced over him. Ajaib then, in spite of his wound, continued to fight and single handed killed his man, who fought with fanatical bravery. His grim determination and guts in capturing the Burman, and killing the last Jap soldier ensured that no news of the failure of these reinforcements to get to Budalin reached Monywa. Ajaib’s ‘immediate’ award of the Military Medal, was however posthumously announced in the London Gazette on 19th April 1945, as in the meantime he had been killed in action during the final assault on Monywa on 20th January 1945.
Group of 5: Military Medal, GVI 1st type bust, officially impressed naming; (20305 L-NK MOHD AJAIB PUNJAB R); 1939-1945 Star; Burma Star; Defence Medal; War Medal.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Mohammad Ajaib was a Punjabi Mussalman, who came from the village of Ghakar in the district of Jhangral in Jhelum, he being the son of Phalwan Khan and Raj Begum, and husband of Gul Begum. He saw service during the Second World War in the Indian Army as a Lance Naik (No.20305) with the 9th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment.
The 9th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment was raised in 1941, and during its period of existence through to 1947, saw service in Ceylon, India, and Burma. In Burma it fought as part of the 32nd Indian Infantry Brigade within the 20th Indian Division.
The 20th Indian Division was moved into Burma in July 1943, and initially fought in the Battle of Imphal between March to July 1944 when a part of the 4th Corps. It then transferred in July 1944 to the 33rd Indian Corps. In December 1944 it began the fight for Central Burma, and having moved into a bridgehead across the Chindwin River at Kalewa, then advanced south and cleared Japanese rearguards from Monywa, which was a major river port on the east bank of the Chindwin. It was during this period, known as the Battle of Meiktila, that Lance Naik Mohammed Ajaib won his hard earned Military Medal, when in action on the Budalin-Monywa Road at mile point 16 and a half on the 4th January 1945, in an action which blocked some Japanese reinforcements from getting through to Budalin from Monywa.
The recommendation reads as follows: ‘On 4th January 1945, L/Naik Mohd Ajaib was in command of a standing patrol, covering the battalion defending locality, 1.5 miles to the North. At about 2330 hrs a vehicle approached from the South at great speed. Appreciating that it would be better dealt with at the road block within the defended locality, L/Naik Mohd Ajaib withheld fire, allowed the vehicle to pass and informed Battalion H.Q. by telephone. As a result of the warning given by the L/Naik the vehicle was dealt with so effectively at the road block that out of the 14 Japs in the lorry, one Tap officer and twelve O.R.s were killed on the spot and only one with a member of the Burmese National Army broke back out of the Battalion defended area and ran towards the standing patrol. On hearing footsteps L/Naik Mohd Ajaib stood his post to, and as the leading man approached him he stepped forward, grappled with him and held him down. Hot on his heels arrived the Japanese. L/Naik Mohd Ajaib immediately handed over his captive and went for the Japanese who came at him with his bayonet. L/Naik Mohd Ajaib parried the point with his Sten gun. The point was only partially deflected and the L/Naik was wounded in the head. In spite of being wounded he continued to fight and single handed killed his man, who fought with fanatical bravery. L/Naik Mohd Ajaib;s initiative in holding his fire in the first case, and timely warning of the approach of the lorry was a major contributory factor which resulted in the annihilation of the occupants of the vehicle. His grim determination and guts in capturing the Burman, and killing the last Jap soldier ensured that no news of the failure of these reinforcements to get to Budalin reached Monywa.’
In the aftermath of this action the Irrawaddy River on 14th February 1945, when to the west of Mandalay. It then fought its way southward along the east bank of the Irrawaddy until it linked up with the 15th Indian Corps which had liberated Rangoon in early April 1945.
Lance Naik Mohammad Ajaib’s ‘immediate award’ of the Military Medal was confirmed on 20th January 1945, and then posthumously published in the London Gazette for 19th April 1945, as he had been killed in action during the final assault on Monywa on 20th January 1945, when aged 22. He now lies buried in the Imphal Indian Army War Cemetery.