96 Hours with Death

Last week, for the first time in World War II, an Indian was awarded the coveted Victoria Cross, which goes only to performers of most extraordinarily courageous exploits in action. The exploit:

Second Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat, 22, of the Royal Bombay Sappers, was told, one day during the British conquest of Ethiopia, to clear a road of Italian mines. The Italians had sown the dangerous metallic seeds as prodigally as some hardy grain. In one stretch of four miles Lieut. Bhagat dug up 14 separate mine fields each containing 300 mines spread over 250 yards on each side of the road.

After the first 48 hours of this risky work, Lieut. Bhagat's commander wanted to relieve him. "He had had not a wink of sleep since the job started," the commander said. "His eyes were popping from his head. He had difficulty in speaking." But Lieut. Bhagat refused to be relieved, because "I have learned the Italians' system in laying mines and any relieving officer would have to learn it all over again."

Lieut. Bhagat continued gambling with death for 96 hours without halt. He was ambushed once, blown up once, had his eardrum split. The commander called Premindra Singh Bhagat's labor "the longest continued feat I have ever seen of sheer cold courage."

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