The story of Sher Bachha Braveheart Soldier who saved Poonch
Tales of camaraderie and bravery from LoC in Jammu and Kashmir
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Posted by Lt Gen H S Panag
| Jul 1, 2016 in Articles |
About 1.5 kilometres to the south west of Raja’s grave where the Lion which was part of the 4 Sikh in Poonch was laid to rest, across the Betar Nala, stands the Poonch War Memorial commemorating the siege of Poonch 1947-48 and its brave defenders led by Lt Col (later Brigadier) Pritam Singh, MC – a military legend in his lifetime who faced an ignominious end to his military career.
Brigadier Pritam Singh was known as “Sher Bachha” (son of a tiger) because of his outstanding leadership during the siege of Poonch that continued from November 22, 1947, to November 21, 1948. Singh’s career was full of dramatic stories. As a young officer, Brig Pritam Singh was wounded in the battle of Singapore 1942 and was taken prisoner of war (PoW). He escaped from the PoW camp and after a gruelling journey of six months through the forests of Burma, landed in Manipur. He was awarded the coveted Military Cross for his great escape.
Years later, as a Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col ),on October 30, 1947, he went to Army Headquarters while on leave. When he heard of the grave situation in J&K, he volunteered to take his unit, 1 Kumaon,to Srinagar. The same evening, he was given his posting order and Lt Col Singh landed up with his unit at Srinagar the next day (on October 31, 1947).
The unit quickly joined the battle at Shallteng along with 1 Sikh. This battle was the turning point in the Valley and in the next three weeks the enemy was chased back beyond Uri. But there was no rest for 1 Kumaon — Pritam Singh was tasked to relieve Poonch, which was under siege via the Haji Pir Pass. After a gruelling march, 1 Kumaon fought its way into Poonch on November 21, 1947, with 419 men. However, soon the unit itself got besieged. Poonch was held by 1,400 men of J&K Forces who had withdrawn from Mirpur, Kotli and Jhangar. There were 40,000 refugees who had escaped the massacres in these towns. All surrounding heights around Poonch were held by the enemy. Rations for soldiers and civilians were just enough for one week and ammunition was down to few rounds per soldier.
This is when Singh proved Napoleon’s maxim that, “In war, it is not the men that count, but the ‘man’ that counts”. The man in question was Lt Col Pritam Singh. J&K State Forces garrison was preparing for withdrawal and 40,000 Hindus and Sikhs were awaiting certain death. Pritam Singh cancelled the orders for withdrawal, immediately reorganised the defences and took charge of the administration. He attacked the enemy positions in the immediate vicinity to secure the town. With the help of civilians, he constructed an airstrip on which the legendary pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) , Air Commodore ‘Baba’ Mehar Singh, MVC,DSO, Commander No 1 Operations Group (which was responsible for air operations in Jammu and Kashmir ) along with Air Vice Marshal (later Chief of Air Staff) Subrato Mukerjee landed in a Harvard aircraft on December 12, 1947.
On the same day, Dakota aircrafts started landing. Mehar Singh, soon established an ‘air bridge’ to Poonch with the Dakotas carrying in supplies, guns and ammunition and taking back refugees. The IAF coined the term “Poonching” — the technique of flying in the narrow valleys with transport aircraft. Mehar Singh also modified Dakota aircraft to bomb enemy positions. Pritam Singh raised two militia battalions, 11 and 8 J&K Militia, from able-bodied men of Poonch. One more unit, 3/9 Gorkha Rifles, was air landed in January — February 1948. Singh was promoted to the rank of Brigadier.
For the next one year a fierce struggle continued at Poonch. Ground was being taken, lost, to be retaken again, where blows were being absorbed and delivered back with greater ferocity, where cries came with every dawn, the battle to push the enemy further and further away and capturing the heights surrounding Poonch was being pursued relentlessly. In one year, Singh, cut off from the rest of the country, attacked and secured all the hill features that were threatening Poonch, organised the civil administration and saved the lives of 40,000 Hindus and Sikhs. He was also very fair to the Muslim population. The civilians named this daring officer “Sher Bachha”. He was finally relieved on November 20, 1948, when the road to Poonch from Rajouri was forced open by a two brigade size force under Brig Yadunath Singh.
The siege of Poonch by all standards is one greatest sieges in which the defender was victorious. Unfortunately, in 1951, Poonch’s “Sher Bachha” was court martialled and dismissed from service for alleged moral misdemeanours. When he was dismissed, what was also buried was the story of the siege of Poonch. After his Court Martial Brig Pritam Singh said: “Sometimes serious doubts assail me whether it would have been better to have let the State Forces garrison to slip out and followed it, than to have put up a tenacious fight, but I dispel them with my conviction that I have done my duty to India and that one day the truth will come out.”
We have no such traditions, but the case of Brig Pritam Singh is a fit case for Special Presidential Pardon to restore his honour. Nations that treat their heroes shabbily do not produce them in great numbers!
Next week, Lt Gen HS Panag will recount another inspiring battle fought at Poonch.
The author can be contacted on Twitter@rwac48
Disclaimer : The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Newslaundry.com. Newslaundry.com does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity.
Tales of camaraderie and bravery from LoC in Jammu and Kashmir
http://www.newslaundry.com/2016/07/01/the-story-of-sher-bachha-braveheart-soldier-who-saved-poonch/#.V3jqxzM7hsQ.facebookPosted by Lt Gen H S Panag
| Jul 1, 2016 in Articles |
About 1.5 kilometres to the south west of Raja’s grave where the Lion which was part of the 4 Sikh in Poonch was laid to rest, across the Betar Nala, stands the Poonch War Memorial commemorating the siege of Poonch 1947-48 and its brave defenders led by Lt Col (later Brigadier) Pritam Singh, MC – a military legend in his lifetime who faced an ignominious end to his military career.
Brigadier Pritam Singh was known as “Sher Bachha” (son of a tiger) because of his outstanding leadership during the siege of Poonch that continued from November 22, 1947, to November 21, 1948. Singh’s career was full of dramatic stories. As a young officer, Brig Pritam Singh was wounded in the battle of Singapore 1942 and was taken prisoner of war (PoW). He escaped from the PoW camp and after a gruelling journey of six months through the forests of Burma, landed in Manipur. He was awarded the coveted Military Cross for his great escape.
Years later, as a Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col ),on October 30, 1947, he went to Army Headquarters while on leave. When he heard of the grave situation in J&K, he volunteered to take his unit, 1 Kumaon,to Srinagar. The same evening, he was given his posting order and Lt Col Singh landed up with his unit at Srinagar the next day (on October 31, 1947).
The unit quickly joined the battle at Shallteng along with 1 Sikh. This battle was the turning point in the Valley and in the next three weeks the enemy was chased back beyond Uri. But there was no rest for 1 Kumaon — Pritam Singh was tasked to relieve Poonch, which was under siege via the Haji Pir Pass. After a gruelling march, 1 Kumaon fought its way into Poonch on November 21, 1947, with 419 men. However, soon the unit itself got besieged. Poonch was held by 1,400 men of J&K Forces who had withdrawn from Mirpur, Kotli and Jhangar. There were 40,000 refugees who had escaped the massacres in these towns. All surrounding heights around Poonch were held by the enemy. Rations for soldiers and civilians were just enough for one week and ammunition was down to few rounds per soldier.
This is when Singh proved Napoleon’s maxim that, “In war, it is not the men that count, but the ‘man’ that counts”. The man in question was Lt Col Pritam Singh. J&K State Forces garrison was preparing for withdrawal and 40,000 Hindus and Sikhs were awaiting certain death. Pritam Singh cancelled the orders for withdrawal, immediately reorganised the defences and took charge of the administration. He attacked the enemy positions in the immediate vicinity to secure the town. With the help of civilians, he constructed an airstrip on which the legendary pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) , Air Commodore ‘Baba’ Mehar Singh, MVC,DSO, Commander No 1 Operations Group (which was responsible for air operations in Jammu and Kashmir ) along with Air Vice Marshal (later Chief of Air Staff) Subrato Mukerjee landed in a Harvard aircraft on December 12, 1947.
On the same day, Dakota aircrafts started landing. Mehar Singh, soon established an ‘air bridge’ to Poonch with the Dakotas carrying in supplies, guns and ammunition and taking back refugees. The IAF coined the term “Poonching” — the technique of flying in the narrow valleys with transport aircraft. Mehar Singh also modified Dakota aircraft to bomb enemy positions. Pritam Singh raised two militia battalions, 11 and 8 J&K Militia, from able-bodied men of Poonch. One more unit, 3/9 Gorkha Rifles, was air landed in January — February 1948. Singh was promoted to the rank of Brigadier.
For the next one year a fierce struggle continued at Poonch. Ground was being taken, lost, to be retaken again, where blows were being absorbed and delivered back with greater ferocity, where cries came with every dawn, the battle to push the enemy further and further away and capturing the heights surrounding Poonch was being pursued relentlessly. In one year, Singh, cut off from the rest of the country, attacked and secured all the hill features that were threatening Poonch, organised the civil administration and saved the lives of 40,000 Hindus and Sikhs. He was also very fair to the Muslim population. The civilians named this daring officer “Sher Bachha”. He was finally relieved on November 20, 1948, when the road to Poonch from Rajouri was forced open by a two brigade size force under Brig Yadunath Singh.
The siege of Poonch by all standards is one greatest sieges in which the defender was victorious. Unfortunately, in 1951, Poonch’s “Sher Bachha” was court martialled and dismissed from service for alleged moral misdemeanours. When he was dismissed, what was also buried was the story of the siege of Poonch. After his Court Martial Brig Pritam Singh said: “Sometimes serious doubts assail me whether it would have been better to have let the State Forces garrison to slip out and followed it, than to have put up a tenacious fight, but I dispel them with my conviction that I have done my duty to India and that one day the truth will come out.”
We have no such traditions, but the case of Brig Pritam Singh is a fit case for Special Presidential Pardon to restore his honour. Nations that treat their heroes shabbily do not produce them in great numbers!
Next week, Lt Gen HS Panag will recount another inspiring battle fought at Poonch.
The author can be contacted on Twitter@rwac48
Disclaimer : The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Newslaundry.com. Newslaundry.com does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity.
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