Post by anthony on Mar 14, 2008 12:19:03 GMT
The Victoria Cross citation for Lt George Albert Cairns gives the date of 13 March 1944 as the date of the action that resulted in his award. He was mortally wounded and died the next day. However, the Commonwealth War Grave Commission records his date of death as 19 March 1944, six days later. Both the British and Indian Official Histories reveal that the counter attack on Pagoda Hill took place on 18 March which is consistent with the Commonwealth War Grave Commission date of death. The reason for the five day discrepancy is almost certainly due to the fact that Lt Cairns’ award was the last award of World War 2 coming in 1949 five years after the action. The original recommendation was destroyed when Orde Wingate was killed in a plane crash and it was reconstructed in 1949 when the case was reopened.
