Darwan Singh Negi: The Garhwali Soldier Who Won the Victoria Cross

The night of 23 November 1914 was cold and wet in northern France. Near the village of Festubert, German troops had taken a stretch of British-held trenches, and the men of the 39th Garhwal Rifles were ordered to win them back. Among them was a 31-year-old naik from a small village in the Garhwal hills.

By morning, he had been wounded in the head twice and in the arm, and he had become one of the first Indians ever to win the Victoria Cross. His name was Darwan Singh Negi.

Who was Darwan Singh Negi?

Darwan Singh Negi was born on 4 March 1883 in Kafarteer village, in the part of Garhwal that is now Chamoli district, into a farming family. Like many young men from the hills, he joined the army; he enlisted in the 39th Garhwal Rifles in 1902, at the age of 19.

The Garhwal Rifles were still a young regiment then. Its training centre had been set up at Lansdowne only in 1887, and its soldiers came from villages much like his: terraced fields, steep paths, long winters. By 1914 he had risen to the rank of naik, roughly a corporal.

What happened at Festubert in 1914?

In autumn 1914 the Garhwal Rifles went to France with the Indian Corps to fight in the First World War, and on the night of 23-24 November they were sent to retake trenches near Festubert that the Germans had captured. It was close, brutal fighting. The trenches zig-zagged in sharp turns called traverses, and every turn could hide enemy soldiers with bombs and rifles.

The Garhwalis had to clear the trench one traverse at a time. Darwan Singh Negi was among the first to push round each corner, facing bombs and rifle fire at very close range. He was wounded twice in the head and once in the arm. He kept going.

By morning the trench had been retaken. Only after the fighting ended did he report his wounds.

How did he win the Victoria Cross?

For his courage at Festubert, Darwan Singh Negi was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for bravery, gazetted on 7 December 1914. At the time, Indian soldiers had only just become eligible for it.

He received it the same day as Khudadad Khan of the 129th Baluchis. Because Khudadad Khan's action came a little earlier, he is usually counted as the first Indian VC, and Darwan Singh Negi among the very first. Either way, a Garhwali village boy now stood among the most decorated soldiers in the empire. It is widely recorded that King George V, visiting the front that winter, presented the medal to him in person in France.

What happened after the war?

He returned to India in early 1915, worked on recruitment for the regiment, later served in Iraq, and retired as a subedar in 1926. During the Second World War he came back to help with recruiting again.

He died on 24 June 1950 in his home village of Kafarteer, where he was cremated. His son Balbir also served in the Garhwal Rifles and rose to the rank of colonel, and the family still keeps his Victoria Cross.

Where can you see his story today?

At the regimental museum of the Garhwal Rifles in Lansdowne, called the Darwan Singh Sangrahalaya after him, next to the regiment's War Memorial. It holds medals, uniforms, old photographs, captured weapons and battle histories of the regiment, from the First World War onwards.

• Where: at the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre, a short walk from Lansdowne's market.
• When: limited hours, usually closed on Sundays and public holidays. Check locally before you go.
• Remember: Lansdowne is an army cantonment. Follow signs and don't photograph military areas.

Lansdowne itself is a quiet hill town about 40-44 km above Kotdwar, with forest walks, the Tip-n-Top viewpoint and old churches, so it's easy to make the museum part of a weekend.

Why his story matters in Garhwal

Because it's the story of thousands of hill families whose sons have served in the army for generations. In many Garhwali villages, a soldier's photo in uniform still hangs on the wall of almost every home.

Darwan Singh Negi is the most famous of them, but at Lansdowne you'll feel the presence of all the others too. Stand at the War Memorial for a moment before you head up to Tip-n-Top for the sunset. It changes how the hills look.