"In Italy, on the evening of the 9th April, 1945, a Company of the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry assaulted the east flood bank of the Senio river, north of San Polito. Three minutes afterwards another Company was
to pass through and assault the west flood bank. In this sector the Senio river is about 15 feet broad, 4 to 5
feet deep and flows between precipitous flood banks 30 to 35 feet high. Both flood banks were honeycombed with an intricate system of German
dugouts and defense posts, with a mine belt on the inner face of the
east flood bank above the dugout entrances. Sepoy Namdeo Jadhav was a Company runner and when his Company
crossed the river he was with his Company Commander close behind one of
the leading sections. When wading the river and emerging on the west bank the party
came under heavy fire from at least three German posts on the inner face
of the east bank. The Company commander and two men were wounded and
the rest, with the exception of Sepoy Namdeo
Jadhav, were killed. This gallant Sepoy immediately carried one of the wounded men
through the deep water and up the precipitous slope of the bank through
the mine belt to safety. He then made a second trip to bring back the
other wounded man. Both times he was under heavy mortar and machine gun
fire. He then determined to eliminate the machine gun posts, which had
pinned down the Companies, and to avenge his dead comrades, so, crossing
the exposed east bank a third time; he dashed at the nearest enemy post
and silenced it with his Tommy Gun. He was, however, wounded in the
hand and, being unable to fire his gun any further, threw it away and
resorted to grenades. With these he successively charged and wiped out
two more enemy posts, at one time crawling to the top of the bank to
replenish his stock of grenades from his comrades on the reverse slope. Having silenced all machine gun fire from the east bank, he then
climbed on to the top of it and, in spite of heavy mortar fire, stood in
the open shouting the Mahratta war cry and waving the remainder of the
Companies across the river. This Sepoy not only saved the lives of his comrades, but his outstanding
gallantry and personal bravery enabled the two Companies to hold the
river banks firmly, and eventually the Battalion to secure a deeper
bridgehead, which in turn ultimately led to the collapse of all German
resistance in the area."
From Sepoy Jadhav's Victoria Cross citation, awarded on 15 June 1945.
May you be at peace,
Brian & Mel
Bust of Jadhav at the Aundh military station in Pune.
Memorial upon the Senio River eastern bank in the vicinity of San Potito.
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