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Col Sorab Shapurji Nazir was affectionately known to his many friends and patients as "Sola the Bomb” because of his frank and forthright nature. A member of the Indian Army Medical Corps (IAMC), one of his superior officers said of him that Nazir does not "call a spade a spade but calls a spade two spades.”

There was yet another side to this remarkable man whom I had the good fortune of knowing intimately for nearly 60 years — caring physician, devoted husband, loyal friend, chivalrous to the core and brave beyond compare. Coupled with all these qualities the man was modest to a fault. Through nearly 40 years of close association I never knew about his distinguished performance at the Battle of Tiddim in Burma during World War II when he was awarded the Military Cross (MC), the highest award for gallantry given to a non-combatant officer.

The MC was never displayed on Nazir’s letterhead or name plate, nor was it ever mentioned in conversation. When I operated on him for both an inguinal and an incisional hernia he went into shock. I was at his bedside when he mumbled something about Tiddim and thrice repeated the words "military cross.” Before his discharge from hospital I brought up the subject and his wife Roshan reluctantly revealed that he had indeed been awarded the MC at the Battle of Tiddim in Burma on October 26, 1944.

Years later, when we were seated in my garden in Trichur having a cup of tea, I brought up the topic. "Soli, won’t you tell an old friend what happened at Tiddim for which you were given the MC?” I enquired. He laughed and replied, "It was so long ago that I can hardly remember.” But slowly, with coaxing, and interspersed with many witty self disparaging remarks, the story poured out. The engagement had lasted for six days when the 1/17 Dogra Regiment was under incessant fire from the Japanese who had surrounded their position. The accompanying citation (see "Cool courage”) tells this part of the story. What the citation does not reveal is that on October 9, 1944 Lt Col Wallace, commanding officer of the 1/17 broke through the Japanese cordon with most of his men. Capt Nazir remained behind with his orderlies and the wounded that had survived the attack.

The next day Nazir took command and moved the wounded with the help of his medical aides in the opposite direction to the one Wallace had taken, outguessing the Japanese who he presumed were waiting for him to use the expected line of retreat and thereby fall into a trap. Over 50 men, including the wounded, were brought to safety two days later, marching through Japanese infested jungle. Wallace recommended Nazir for an immediate MC because the average life expectancy of an army officer in the thick of the Burma campaign was just five days! Nazir was airlifted out of the battle zone, the MC pinned on him by the commander-in-chief Lord Louis Mountbatten at a small ceremony, and airdropped back into the combat area the very next day.

Nazir survived the war, was de-categorized on grounds of health and since there would be no more promotions he chose to retire prematurely from the army. He served as a doctor in a charitable hospital in Coimbatore and as school doctor at the Lawrence School in Lovedale.

When his wife Roshan died in 1988 he dropped the MC into her grave. Nazir, who was born on August 25, 1915, lived in Coonoor for many years and died at the age of 92 on January 21, 2008. A victim of Alzheimer’s disease, he had become a shadow of the man he had once been. The original citation was extracted from the army archives by John Stedman, husband of Ketayun (née Cawasji), who has researched and written a book on the Parsi graveyard in Ootacamund.

Cool courage 

TONZANG-TIDDIM ROAD, North Burma, 2-8 October 1944

Capt Sorab Shapurji Nazir, IAMC, attached to 1/17 Dogra Regiment

On October 2 and 4, 1944 two companies of the Dogra Regiment established a road block on the Tiddim Road and remained isolated in this post until October 8. Capt Nazir was the officer in medical charge of the force and throughout this period he added further lustre to a reputation previously undisputed in this battalion for cool courage and unflinching devotion to duty.

Shortly after the road block was established on October 2 the post was subjected to severe fire from automatics, grenade dischargers and snipers. Capt Nazir moved from one exposed position to another in the face of observed fire and was unremitting in his care of the wounded. On October 4 the position was again under shell fire and was being machine gunned from ground overlooking it. The RAP (regimental aid post) was full and wounded were located in other trenches. Capt Nazir was seen on three occasions to leave his RAP and to move under heavy fire to attend to the wounded in these isolated positions.

On October 8 the position was fired on by Japanese medium artillery. The first shells killed two and wounded 12. Capt Nazir immediately left his trench and although shells were still falling on the position, he remained working in the open until he had dealt with the wounded and evacuated them to a place of greater safety.

Capt Nazir’s example of personal bravery was an inspiration to all and his unfailing cheerfulness had a sustaining effect on the morale of the troops during a very difficult period.