Born in 1925 in Kalanaur, British Punjab, Hafiz joined the 9th Jat Regiment. At just 18, the winds of the Second World War swept him into the maelstrom of the Battle of Imphal, a brutal fight in northeeast India against the Japanese Imperial Army.

On 6 April 1944, in the hills north of Imphal, Hafiz was ordered to lead his men to take a critical enemy position, high up a bare slope which offered minimal cover. Yet, Hafiz led his men with unwavering resolve, in the face of a deadly hail of enemy fire.

A wound tore through his leg, but Hafiz pressed on, his courage a beacon for his comrades. Despite his wound, Hafiz charged a machine gun and helped to overcome the Japanese crew.

Hafiz suffered a second, graver wound to the chest, but he continued to lead, and with his last breaths, he urged his men to hold the hard-won ground.

For his extraordinary bravery, Naib Subedar Abdul Hafiz was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. At 18, he became the youngest Indian VC recipient. His medal was placed in the hands of his widow, Jugri Begum who he left behind alongside a daughter of 3 months, who he never got to hold.

His VC medals are today on display in the Imperial War Museum in London and his name is recorded on the domed pavilion at Memorial Gates, located at Constitution Hill, London.