At Henu, near Broadway (Burma) on March 12th, 1944, the South Staffordshire Regiment, which formed a part of the 77th Independent Infantry Brigade, together with the 3rd/6th Gurkha Rifles established a road and rail block across the Japanese lines of communication. The following morning the Japanese counter-attacked heavily, and the South Staffordshire Regiment were ordered to attack a hill-top which formed the basis of the Japanese assault. During this action a Japanese officer attacked Lt. Cairns, and with his sword hacked off his left arm. Lt. Cairns killed this officer, picked up the sword and with it killed or wounded several Japanese, still at the head of his men, before he himself fell to the ground. He subsequently died from his wounds. His action so inspired all his comrades that later the Japanese were completely routed, a very rare occurrence at that time.
George was recommended for the Victoria Cross, but the paperwork was with General Wingate when his plane crashed in 1944. The site could not be reached until after the war, and two of the witnesses to George’s heroism had also been killed in later actions.
George’s widow persuaded the military authorities to investigate and, on 20 May 1949, his became the last Victoria Cross of the Second World War to be gazetted.
George was originally buried in Sahmaw War Cemetery but in 1954 the grave was moved to Taukkyan War Cemetery Plot 6. Row A. Grave 4.
Note that George Cairns VC is buried inTaukkyan war cemetery. The memorial stone placed by his family is in Brighstone IOW and was cleaned by the VCT.
