A tale of two crosses

One of the more fascinating stories to emerge from the First World War relates to two Afridi brothers who won the highest military awards for gallantry – but from opposing countries.
In March 1915 the Germans pinned the Iron Cross on Jemadar Mir Mast Qambarkhel Afridi while on April 26 the same year Jemadar Mir Dast Afridi became the proud recipient of the Victoria Cross. Both brothers had displayed conspicuous valour in the battles around Ypres fighting for different armies.
This year marks the century of their epic engagements. Incidentally nearly a hundred thousand Indian soldiers fought to protect the British and the French – a fact the National Front in UK and Marie le Pen in France have conveniently forgotten.
How and why the two brothers ended up in opposite camps is intriguing and almost sounds fictional. Mir Mast joined the 58 Frontier Force the Vaughan’s Rifles which was ordered to go off to Europe at the beginning of the war. Operations started almost immediately.
And these were no ordinary operations. The world had never seen such gore and brutality before. This was the infamous trench warfare which was viciously augmented by poison gas where tens of thousands perished for a yard gained or lost. Jemadar Mir Mast was known to be very politically aware and was a strident supporter of the Turkish caliphate. He thought that the best way he could resist the British empire was by fighting it.
One night he along with fourteen fellow Pakhtuns crossed over to the German lines and in the following days he fought against his erstwhile companions in Ypres. After a particularly belligerent engagement against the British troops resulting in savage losses he was awarded the Iron Cross, the supreme German medal for gallantry, by the Kaiser himself.
His brother Jemadar Mir Dast had enlisted in the 55 Frontier Force better known as Coke’s Rifles. Both units were sent to Europe but soon he was attached to the 57 FF the Wilde’s Rifles. Mir Dast participated in many engagements but on April 26, 1915 enemy fire complemented by poison gas took a severe toll on the unit.
Mir Dast was the man of the moment. Wounded by enemy fire and affected by gas he was still instrumental in recovering eight badly wounded English and Indian officers from the battlefield. For his endeavours he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The king emperor personally pinned it on his chest.
After the war both brothers returned home to Tirah in the Khyber Agency. The Iron-Cross-holder never crossed paths with the government but Sir George Roos-Keppel, the chief commissioner, tried hard to corner him. Mir Must was determined to raise a force with Turkish and German assistance to resist the British. He even established contact with Haji Sahib of Turangzai who was fighting in the nearby Mohmand areas. The Victoria Cross veteran Mir Dust, on the other hand, was the toast of the country regaling the troops with his amazing war time experiences.
A century later two issues remain central to the tale, one physical and the moral. Physically without doubt both award holders were exceptionally daring men. The moral issue is more subjective. Mir Mast violated his oath by crossing over to the enemy but for a higher moral calling. Mir Dast was honour-bound to his oath and always felt he had ‘merely performed my duty’.
Is there a dilemma locked in? I know what I would have done in similar circumstances. How do you feel about it?
The writer is a former Khyber political agent and has served as chief secretary GB, AJK, NWFP and Sindh.
Email: shakildurrani@ymail.com