The Poona Horse in the Battle of Buttur Dograndi September 1965

[Sine Nomine]

The Poona Horse in the Battle of Buttur Dograndi
BY: Mr ASHOK NATH
SOURCE:www.defencejournal.com
With intensified shelling and the general confusion prevailing, Buttur Dograndi was shortly after abandoned by 8 Garhwal and the tanks of C Sqn Poona Horse pulled back to Jessoran. In the meantime Major Ajai Singh of C Sqn Poona Horse had been in touch with Col A B Tarapore, informing him about movement from Chawinda to Pasrur and he requested for reinforcements . A Sqn of Poona House with its 2IC Captain Gurdial Singh was despatched.

If I may be allowed to digress a little, the commanding officer of Poona Horse , Lt Col 'Adi' Tarapore was originally from the Hyderabad State Forces which he joined in 1942. Although he wanted to serve in the cavalry, he was commissioned in 7th Hyderabad Infantry. He probably would have continued to languish in the Infantry but for an incident which took place when his battalion was being inspected by Maj Gen El-Edros the C in C of the State Forces. Adi's company was carrying out routine training at that time, at the grenade throwing range. One of the sepoy's - a fresh entrant -momentarily panicked and failed to lob the grenade correctly, resulting in the grenade falling into the throwing bay. Adi immediately jumped into the throwing bay and picking up the grenade, threw it away to safety. However, the grenade burst as it left his hand, and he was peppered with flying shrapnel in his chest. General El Edross who had witnessed this incident, summoned, Adi to his office, after he had recovered from his injuries and personally congratulated him for his courage and presence of mind. Adi availed of this opportunity to request for a transfer to an armoured regiment, and General El Edross had him posted to the 1st Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers.

During WW2 the 1st Hyderabad Lancers saw service in the Middle East. At this time the Regiment was commanded by a British Officer, possibly a racist, whose manners and conduct left much to be desired, particularly when compared to the rest of the Hyderabadi officers, most of whom comprised the aristocracy of the State. The CO was rude in his behaviour and often commented adversely on the fighting capabilities of the 'natives' under his command. On one occasion he even insulted the Nizam. Adi Tarapore who was present took strong exception to this and told his CO, 'You have insulted my country and my King-and I do not mean George VI'. This incident created a furore. The Regiment was kept in isolation and all their ammunition was withdrawn. The matter was finally settled after a visit by Gen El Edross to General Montgomery. In 1951 some of the Hyderabad States Force units were merged with the Indian Army, and Adi was posted to the Poona Horse.

Colonel Tarapore was a brave forthright officer, and kept to the traditions that armour commanders are expected to lead from the front. Throughout the war he had set a personal example in the regiment by keeping the cupola open of his tank, unconcerned about the heavy shelling - and the rest followed his example. On one occasion he was even injured by shrapnel in the arm, but after getting it bandaged continued as if nothing had happened.

Now getting back to Jessoran and Buttur Dograndi-As soon as Adi had ordered A Sqn to move and join C Sqn, he told his adjutant , 'let us also go and join them'. This put the RHQ together with A and C Squadrons. The whole area now had been targeted, with medium and heavy artillery pounding their positions, anti- tank fire and even some of the newly acquired Cobra A/T missiles were let off on tanks of the Poona Horse. Two tanks of C Sqn were hit. Unconcerned Adi dismounted from his tank to check the infantry positions on the ground, at this time his command tank, 'Koosab' was hit injuring Amarjit Bal, his intelligence officer in the leg, his gunner and operator were also wounded. With this intense shelling and casualties mounting, he decided to fall back to Jassoran. He had to leave 'Koosab' behind because the driver could not start it. This tank is now a war trophy in Pakistan.

BUTTUR DOGRANDI
SECOND ATTACK

Major Khan of 8 Garhwal Rifles in the meantime had managed to regroup his scattered companies and it was decided that A Sqn Poona Horse along with 8 Garhwal would launch another attack on Buttur Dograndi which had in the meantime been occupied by some elements of 3 FF.. D company of the 8 Garhwalis led the advance and met only minor opposition and the village was retaken. When Capt Gurdial reported this success back to RHQ, to his surprise there was no response. Apparently while the attack was progressing Adi Tarapore who was at Jassoran left his tank to get some fresh air and tea. At 1720 hrs, on 16th September, just as tea was being passed around, an enemy medium artillery shell landed on the offside of the tank. Adi and two jawans of B Coy 9 Dogras died instantaneously, due to concussion caused by the blast. The quarter master Captain Jasbir Singh who had begged to be allowed to come up for at least one action and was functioning as Adi's signals officer for the day was hit by splinters on the face, arms and chest and he subsequently succumbed to his injuries .

Adi Tarapore was awarded a posthumous PVC ( Param Vir Chakra) the highest gallantry award of the Indian Army for collected acts of inspiring leadership and bravery. His citation read: 'Lt Col A B Tarapore had personally led the Regiment into the thick of fighting during the battle of Phillaurah, when the Regiment broke through the defences held by a superior force of armour and infantry. Though he was wounded during this action, he carried on commanding the regiment through some very intense fighting, carrying his arm on a sling. In the battle of Chawinda he twice led the tanks of the Regiment right into the middle of the enemy's killing ground, defying the enemy's violent efforts to prevent the outflanking of Chawinda'.

With the Garhwalis capturing Buttur Dograndi the shelling intensified, and the village could not be held for long, although the Garhwali's had previously beaten off a counter attack by 3 FF supported by some tanks . Maj Abdul Rafi Khan of the 8 Garhwal Rifles who had taken over command on the death of the battalion CO's decided to move the men over to the sugarcane field and dig in to avoid further casualties which were mounting due to heavy and accurate shelling. The battalion had also gone without food for three days, their emergency rations of 'sakar paras' was also exhausted. That they could carry on was due to the sugar cane in the surrounding fields which sustained them!

Since the Garhwalis had not got food, and the JCO Quarter Master of the Garhwalis bringing their meal was injured by artillery, Gurdial personally volunteered to deliver a hot meal to them. He was unaware that the Garhwalis had left the village for the cane fields and that Buttur Dograndi had been reoccupied by 3 FF.( There was no wireless communication between Poona Horse and 8 Garhwal Rifles, since the latter's wireless equipment had been destroyed by shelling). He reached the village with the food just before dark. His tank was hit and set on fire by men of 3 FF or by a tank of 25th Cavalry and had to be abandoned, the crew escaped in the darkness but Gurdial was caught (possibly, this was the captured officer whom Maj Shamshad Ali mentions seeing blindfolded with 3 FF).

On 17th September, Pakistan's 4th Corps artillery sporadically fired on the Garhwali positions with medium and heavy guns. Later during the day some enemy armour also appeared with infantry (This would have been the troop of 25 Cav under Shamshad and elements of 3FF under Capt Rahim Shah). The Garhwalis fought on with their small arms, well concealed as they were in the thick crops. Two tanks ( 25 Cavalry) entered the defended area and started spraying the Garhwalis with their machine guns from close range. Rifleman Balwant Singh Bisht took up a rocket launcher and managed to put one of these tanks out of action. He was himself blown to pieces by a shell shot from the tank gun. Casualties were heavy on both sides but 3FF and the tank troop had to withdraw against the determination of the Garhwalis.

The battle ebbed and flowed till about 1400 hours when there was a discernible lull in the enemy shelling. Taking advantage of this pause Maj Khan sent an officer to appraise the officiating commandant of Poona Horse about the situation. On learning of the predicament of the battalion, he ordered a withdrawal from Buttur Dograndi and despatched some tanks to cover the withdrawal and two tanks from Poona Horse were also detailed for the evacuation of casualties.

The withdrawal started by 1600hrs, all the walking wounded of 8 Garhwal were sent out first through Jassoran and then across the railway line. However as soon as this had commenced heavy shelling started again. Major Khan busied himself with loading of the seriously wounded in the tanks while the rest of the battalion started moving back covered by tanks. A shell fired from an RCL (these must have been the tank hunting parties sent out by 3FF) caught Major Khan in the process of helping a wounded man to

be taken inside it. He was fatally wounded and along with the remaining wounded men had to be left behind in the battlefield. So died another brave, courageous and humane officer. He was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.

Thus fell the curtain on the battle of Buttur Dograndi, September 1965. Many brave men on both sides bled and died there on what was perhaps one of the fiercest engagements of the 1965 Indo Pak war.

The casualties given below of some of the battalions/regiments who took part, show the casualties caused. This gives us some idea of the intensity of the fighting.

The Poona Horse. Killed 2 officers, 3 JCO's and 9 other ranks. Details of wounded not available. 8th Battalion The Garhwal Rifles. Killed 2 officers and 47 other ranks. Details of wounded not available.

3rd Battalion The Frontier Force Regiment: Killed 3 JCO's and 64 other ranks, wounded 3 JCO's and 100 other ranks.

25th Cavalry, No casualty details are available.

Historical Lineage's of some of these regiments:

The Poona Horse Lineage is that of two regiments which amalgamated in 1922, namely the 33rd QVO Light Cavalry and 34th PAVO Poona Horse.

33RD QVO LIGHT CAVALRY

Raised at Sirur on 4 May 1820 by Major Peter Delamotte.

1820: 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry.

1861: 3rd Regiment of Bombay Silladar Light Cavalry.

1861: 3rd Regiment of Bombay

Light Cavalry.

1876: 3rd (The Queen's Own) Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry

1903: 33rd Queen Victoria's Own

Light Cavalry.

1911: 33rd Queen Victoria's Own

Light Cavalry.

1921: 33rd/34th Cavalry.

1922: 17th Queen Victoria's Own

Poona Horse.

1927: The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry).

1947: To Indian Army.

1950: The Poona Horse (17 Horse)

34TH PAVO POONA HORSE

Raised at Poona (now Pune) on 15th July 1817 as a result of the treaty between the HEIC and The Peshwa Bajee Rao II.

1817: The Auxiliary Horse

1818: The Poona Auxiliary Horse.

1847: The Poona Irregular Horse.

1861: 4th Regiment of Poona Silladar Horse.

1861: 1st Regiment of Poona Horse.

1862: The Poona Horse.

1885: 4th Bombay Cavalry

(Poona Horse).

1890: 4th (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse).

1903: 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse.

1921: 33rd/34th Cavalry.

1922: 17th Queen Victoria's Own

Poona Horse.

1927: The Poona Horse ( 17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry).

1947: To Indian Army.

1950: The Poona Horse ( 17 Horse)

8TH BATTALION THE GARHWAL RIFLES

Raised on 1 July 1948 as 8th Battalion The Royal Garhwal Rifles. Became 8th Bn The Garhwal Rifles in 1950. The Regiment (Garhwal Rifles), itself was raised in 1887, to give the Garhwali Hillmen a right to their own regiment. This was strongly propagated by the famous Field Marshal Sir FS Roberts VC, who realised that many Garhwalis used to serve in Gurkha regiments, and a large proportion of the early awards to Gurkha regiments were actually won by Garhwalis. In the First World War, the Garhwal Rifles had one of the finest fighting records of any regiment in the Indian army as a result of this and their outstanding bravery in France and Flanders, the Garhwal Rifles was one of the two Indian Infantry regiments who were given the title of Royal. In the 1930's the regiment fell into disfavour with the British because a detachment of Garhwali troops who were employed for IS duties at Peshawar refused to open fire on an unarmed civilian mob who were protesting for the unlawful arrest of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Soldiers recruited into the Garhwal Rifles are from the Garhwal Hills, one of the most beautiful areas of the Himalayas and are known for their hardiness, simplicity and upright manner

3RD BATTALION THE FRONTIER FORCE REGIMENT ( 3 FF)

Raised as 1st Infantry, Frontier Brigade at Hoshiarpur on 14th Dec 1846 by Major J S Hodgson.

1847: 1st Regiment Sikh Local Infantry.

1857: 1st Sikh Infantry, Punjab

Irregular Force.

1865: 1st Sikh Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force.

1901: 1st Sikh Infantry.

1903: 51st Sikhs (Frontier Force).

1922: 51st Prince of Wales's Own Sikhs (Frontier Force)

1922: 1st Battalion 12th Frontier Force Regiment.(Prince of Wales's

Own Sikhs)

1945: 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own) Frontier Force Regiment.

1946: 1st (Para) Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own ) Frontier

Force Regiment.

1947: Transferred to the Pakistan Army.

1956: 3rd Battalion The Frontier Force Regiment.

25TH CAVALRY: Exact details of the raising of this regiment is not known, but it is obviously one of those regiments raised after 1956 .

EPILOGUE

Col 'Adi' Tarapore's body was cremated according to his wishes and the ashes taken to his family in Poona. One of his wishes had been that if he were to die in combat, his son should join the Poona Horse. Major A R Khan's young widow Mrs Qamar Jehan Khan received her late husband's VrC ( Vir Chakra) by the President of India in 1966. The Poona Horse now uses the suffix ' Fakhr E Hind' unofficially with its title. Although I note from Maj Shamshad Ali Khan's articles that Indian 1st Armoured Division was referred to by this title by Pakistani Officers and not specifically Poona Horse!

I wonder if anybody reading this account and who served with 3 FF and was present in 1965 when the battalion moved in to retake Buttur Dograndi, recalls what happened to those wounded men and the fatally wounded Major A R Khan of 8 Garhwal who had to be left behind. Were these men taken care of and did the Major die later in hospital, was he given a burial with honours that he deserved?

ABOUT THE Author

Ashok Nath,MA, FRGS, now settled in Sweden for the last 21 years, studied at Colvin Taluqdars School Lucknow, and later at St Stephen's College, Delhi. He served briefly in the Armoured Corps leaving India for Sweden where he was a research scholar at the University of Stockholm. His family had served for generations in the Indian Army. He is also an honorary Piffer. His interest is in the military history of the sub-continent, and has travelled extensively in India and Pakistan. He believes in a rapprochement between India and Pakistan and is writing a book on the regimental lineage's, badges and battle honours of Indian and Pakistan Army regiments.

 

[Sine Nomine]

@AUSTERLITZ @Joe Shearer @The SC
@asad71 @Levina @niaz @Nilgiri @Signalian @django @hussan guy @Desert Fox @DESERT FIGHTER @Horus

 

[Joe Shearer]

@AUSTERLITZ @Joe Shearer @The SC
@asad71 @Levina @niaz @Nilgiri @Signalian @django @hussan guy @Desert Fox @DESERT FIGHTER @Horus

I have read the account before but there can never be too many times to read this soul-stirring account. Many thanks.

 

[Sneaker]

Is this the battle where Poona Horse shot a heli using tank's main gun, killing some high ranking (I am remembering a general) PA officer?

PS: Image available in this site itself, but can't see it in the thread!

 

[Areesh]

Is this the battle where Poona Horse shot a heli using tank's main gun, killing some high ranking (I am remembering a general) PA officer?

Only General that has died in Indo Pak conflicts I guess is General Iftikhar Janjua

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Khan_Janjua

He was the one who captured Chamb area in 1971 war and the liberated area is part of AJK today and is called as Iftikharabad now named after him.

 

[Sine Nomine]

I have read the account before but there can never be too many times to read this soul-stirring account. Many thanks.

Mainly due to the fact one was fighting against whom,along whom he fought in Burma camping and in African Campaign.
Well these are accounts in which someone was pushed to fire on his batch mates.

 

[Sneaker]

Only General that has died in Indo Pak conflicts I guess is General Iftikhar Janjua

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Khan_Janjua

He was the one who captured Chamb area in 1971 war and the liberated area is part of AJK today and is called as Iftikharabad now named after him.

Who was PA's GOC 15 Division on 12th Sep 65? He was the one killed by Poona Horse..

 

[asad71]

In '65I had fought in the Sialkot Sector. My observations:

a. Cobra was given only to 13 FF, a R&S Bn, towards the end of the war. This unit was deployed in the left flank of PA deployment, ie, between R Ravi and Sialkot town. Untrained JCOs were asked to operate these. However, the controller of this wire guided anti-tank missile needed to be soft and delicate which the JCOs wee not. This resulted in the Cobras flying all over. But the effect of the first ATGM in SA was a tremendous demoralizing effect on IA armor - enhanced by Indian press reports crying over the employment of ATGM.
b. 3 FF, PA, originally belonged to 25 Para Bde. The unit, commanded by Col Zulfiqar, was deployed at Jassar ahead of Narowal town.
c. 17 Horse leading the IA 1 Armd Bde advance to Phillora was shot up. So was 4 Horse. With Tarapur killed and many tanks destroyed, the remnants of Poona Horse was placed under command 26 Inf Div to cover the approach between R Ravi and Sialkot town. However, these remnants of 17 Horse were further mauled by PA's anti-tank minefield, RRs of 13 FF and the attacking 4 Baloch of PA. Even Chafe light tanks of 20 Lancers, PA, used tactically, thwarted all attempts of this IA Div to turn a flank of PA deployment (8Div & 15 Div).
d. I have myself witnessed some of these tanks getting destroyed. After cease-fire, I had entered a disabled Poona Horse tank to find a Holy Quoran kept by the Muslim JCO using the tank.

 

[Areesh]

Who was PA's GOC 15 Division on 12th Sep 65? He was the one killed by Poona Horse..

Don't know. You tell me. The helicopter crash that I know of is of General Iftikhar who liberated chamb area of Kashmir.

 

[Sneaker]

Don't know. You tell me. The helicopter crash that I know of is of General Iftikhar who liberated chamb area of Kashmir.

Major General (or is it Brigadier?) S M Khan??

 

[Areesh]

Major General (or is it Brigadier?) S M Khan??

Did a quick search and didn't find anyone of that name. Only General I know to die in Indo
Pak wars is conqueror of Chamb Major General Iftikhar Janjua.

 

[Spasha]

Is this the battle where Poona Horse shot a heli using tank's main gun, killing some high ranking (I am remembering a general) PA officer?

PS: Image available in this site itself, but can't see it in the thread!View attachment 389250

The heli was shot down on 12 Sept. The pilot and its passenger Col Staff 6 Armored Division escaped from the heli after it was shot down while landing. The pilot was suppose to land at Kaleowali, 2 miles short of Phillora but had mistskenly overflown the the landing site and began landing close to Poona Horse positions in Phillora. Both men got to their lines crawling through sugarcane fields. The GOC of 15 Div on 12 Sept was Maj Gen Tikka Khan and GOC of 6 Armored Division was Maj Gen Ibrar Hussain. Both remained uninjured during the entire war. The same pilot also crashed his heli in Dec 1971 war in East Pakistan when he hit electrical wires

Men of 8 Garhwal Rifles ( blindfolded) taken prisoners by 3 FF during the battle of Buttar Dogran di being driven to 3 FF HQ housed in Chawinda Railway Ststion

Tank of Col Adi Tarapore at Army Musuem Lahore

Tank of Capt Gurdial Singh of Poona Horse at display in Lahore

 

[Spasha]

Hereunder is the account of Major Shamshad Ali Khan of 25 Cavalry ( then a Second Leutinant) who fought the battle of Buttar Dogran Di (1500 yards west of Chawinda) on 17 Sept 1965 as a Troop Leader, the same battle as described by Maj Ashok Nath of 17 Poona Horse:

Battle if Buttar Dograndi


17TH September:

After spending the night in leaguer area Matteke the regiment broke leaguer much before first light. After the death of Khaliq on 16th Sept, C Squadron was left with only one troop which was under my command. On this day the regiment had only 17 battle worthy tanks. Rest of the tanks were either destroyed/damaged or were mechanical break-downs. One tank of my troop, commanded by Dafadar Amin was damaged during the attack on Buttar Dugrandi and therefore I had only 3 tanks with me on the morning of 17th Sept.

After breaking leaguer I was ordered to advance on the track towards Chawinda. I had covered only few hundred yards when I was ordered by my Squadron Commander to reach Nogaza and report to the infantry commander there. I was placed under command 3FF. As I reached little ahead of Nogaza I spotted Commanding Officer 3FF on the track along with Captain Rahim Shah. They also had an Indian Captain, blindfolded prisoner, with them. I dismounted from my tank and reported to CO 3FF.

Without wasting time he took me and Rahim Shah on the railway line and pointed towards Jassoran. He ordered us to attack immediately and capture the village at all cost. The railway line was to be the FUP. I pointed out to him that Jassoran was held by a strong tank force supported by infantry. I had seen two squadrons in the village the previous day. An infantry company supported by three tanks was insufficient to capture Jassoran. I further told him that Buttar Dugrandi, which would be on our left flank while we attacked, was also occupied by enemy tanks and infantry. We had attacked that village last evening but failed to evict the enemy which now would not allow us to reach Jassoran. In reply he said, “Buttar Dugrandi has been cleared during the night and you attack Jassoran immediately”. He then left both of us and went away.

By now I was much wiser than what I was 10 days ago. Captain Rahim Shah had reached the battle front merely 2 to 3 days ago and was deployed in reserve.

I gave him a short resume of the happenings on 16th Sept. I also told him that he should forget about what his CO had said and carry out a realistic appreciation of the situation with me. “Area Jassoran is strongly held by a squadron of tanks and infantry. Buttar Dugrandi is also held by tanks and infantry. It has not been cleared during night. Ground between railway line and Jassoran is flat without cover except a clump of three to four trees at GR 870025 (old map). The entire area is cultivated with maize crop 3 to 4 feet high. We have a company and three tanks to attack. “No artillery support is available”.

I suggested the following method of attack which was willingly accepted by captain Rahim Shah. We shall form up behind the railway line and approach Jassoran by caterpillar movement between tanks and the infantry, infantry remaining in lead. The company will cross the railway line and cover a distance of two to three hundred yards and then take up position. The tanks will then cross the railway line and take up position with the infantry. Infantry will again advance two to three hundred yards under cover of tanks and take up position to be joined by tanks. This method will continue till we reach Jassoran. Enemy encountered enroute will be dealt with collectively to the best of our ability.

I had suggested this method because I felt that the tanks could be destroyed from point blank range by the enemy antitank weapons which were expected to have taken position in the crops. Tanks would not be able to locate them even at 100 yards due to crops. My argument was accepted by Captain Rahim Shah. We then separated to brief our troops and form them up for attack.

As we lined up behind railway line, I spotted Lt. Basit of 13 FF parked behind my tank with his cobra missile which I had seen for the first time. He had orders to go with us in attack. I asked him to follow my tank. I now realize that tank infantry marrying up was not done at all. Only two commanders talked for 5 to 10 minutes decided on method of attacks and that was all.

As we formed up behind the railway line, intense artillery fire was directed on us by the enemy. Obviously it was to come, we were forming up under the nose of Indian Artillery Observer located in Buttar Durgrandi. Men started running in all directions. Lt. Basit my course mate vanished with his cobra detachment. With great courage Captain Rahim Shah shouted and waved at his troops to go to ground and not to run about. I also waved at infantry from my tank to go to ground. The company was brought under control by Captain Rahim Shah who moved them to railway line once again when artillery fire stopped.

At this time Defadar Ismail who was in FUP near Nogaza reported to me that he could see a Centurian tank in village Dugrandi and the gun was facing towards him. I was annoyed to hear such a transmission under those conditions. At such short distance (1000 yards) he should have immediately engaged the enemy tanks and more so when the gun was pointing towards him. I am surprised why the enemy tank did not open fire at us while we were in FUP. Probably he wanted to be dead sure of the kill.

In the FUP we were behind railway line embankment and presented a smaller target. Enemy was waiting for us to cross the railway line. Anyway I ordered Ismail to fire immediately. He scored a direct hit. I may mention here that it was the tank in which Lt. Col Tarapur of 17 Poona Horse was killed. Time was between 0800 to 0830 hours. The attack started as planned. Not a shot was fired at us when we crossed the railway line and until we reached north of Buttar Dugrandi. We had covered 800 to 1000 yards after crossing railway line.

My tank was in position and the infantry company was moving ahead of me with their rifles on guard through the maize crop. I suddenly noticed that the company turned about and started running backward. Several soldiers fell on ground. They were hit at point blank range. Some were injured, others were helping their injured comrades. It was a dreadful scene which I witnessed standing in cupola of my tank. I was helpless. I could do nothing because the enemy which had engaged our infantry at point blank range was positioned in the trenches with maize crop all around. I could not see them, nor did our infantry spot them until they mounted the trenches and were suddenly fired at. They were totally surprised. Captain Rahim Shah came running towards my tank and stopped on right side of it. He vigorously signaled me to advance. His men had been killed and he appeared emotional and enraged. I knew that the enemy was within 100 yards from where our infantry had turned around but was not visible to me due to crop. I ordered the driver to advance and also signaled Defadar Ismail to move forward on my left.

I had hardly covered 100 yards and reached line of Buttar Dugrandi where from our infantry had turned about. I found myself on enemy trenches. Indian soldiers popped their heads and one of them tried to aim at me. I ducked down and asked for a hand grenade. The operator gave me a disappointing reply that they were not primed. Time was too short to prime grenades. I ordered the gunner to fully depress the main gun and fire few HE (High explosive) rounds on the trenches.

At this time my tank came under tank fire from Jassoran. I ordered the gunner to leave alone the enemy infantry and try to locate enemy tanks in Jassoran failing which just fire blindly in the clumps around Jassoran. At this time I noticed Captain Rahim Shah, who had followed my tank, was standing on the right side of it and was vigorously trying to indicate something in my front. Since my gunner was continuously firing, I was not able to see in front due to smoke and dust around my tank.

In excitement captain Rahim Shah mounted my tank and told me that there were tanks in front. I jumped from the tank along with Rahim Shah who then pointed towards two centurions only about two hundred yards moving from north to south with their guns trained towards my troops. In no time they were going to engage my troop. I looked around in desperation. Ismail’s tank was only 20 yards away at the rear of my tank. He was standing in cupola. I ran towards him through enemy trenches and pointed out enemy tank to him. He waved in acknowledgement, in fact he had already located them. He fired two shots one after the other. Both were direct hits. Captain Rahim Shah and I heaved a sigh of relief.

There was a depression in the ground, probably dry pond, (GR 868028 old map) where those two tanks were in position. As we advanced from Railway line we could not locate them due to the fact that enemy tanks were in turret down position. They must have located us advancing but were unable to fire as the line of sight was obstructed due to depression and crop all around them. As we reached very close to them they had to come out of the depression to engage us, but it was too late for them.

Meanwhile my troop was continously firing at Jassoran. While I was in the process of mounting my tank, one shot hit the right side bogy wheel breaking the track in the process. I immediately jumped from the tank and landed on ground. Driver Muneer reversed the tank but the track got entangled with the sprocket and locked it. Muneer in desperation revved the engine to maximum. He tried to move the tank backward as well as forward but all in vain. I was helplessley watching all this standing next to the tank when I saw the enemy fire another shot at the tank but missed the target. I got extremely uneasy and excited beacuse the next shot could hit the tank and kill the crew. I immediately went in front of the tank and asked the driver to bail out. As the crew landed on the ground, a shot hit the turret squarely sending the tank into flames instantly.

I gazed in despair. I do not know when my crew went back, but I was standing alone in a state of shock when Captain Rahim Shah shouted at me to hit the ground. I fell to ground next to Rahim Shah behind the cover of a BANNA.

The enemy fired over our heads. Ismail's tanks was also hit and damged. He fired smoke and reversed behind railway line. Kamal's tank was still in the rear and was saved. We were pinned down. Enemy was 20- 30 yards away in trenches while our infantry was poistioned behind BANNAS and on flat ground. My tank was burning in no -mans- land. The enemy was dug in the middle of four feet high crop. It was not possible for us to locate them.

When our infantry mounted the enemy trenches, it was fired upon at point blank range. It is just not possible to react when one is surprised and fired at from such close range. In such a situation most people will either go to ground or retreat for safety. In very few cases some desperate or exceptionally brave soldier may decide to charge frontally. The enemy had the advantage of being static and knowing that we were advancing and would be ready to fire at whatever distance he might have decided to engage his targets.

Opposing troops in the area of Buttar Dogran Di had suffered heavy casualties but stuck to ground. Both sides knew that they were very close to each other, but the crop obstructed the view and therefore could not see or fire at each other. After sometime, there was lull in battle. I told Capt Raheem Shah to remain in position. "I shall go back and bring more tanks". I crawled a long distance to get out of enemy fire. Started walking back towards railway line. Suddenly somebody shouted and challenged me to halt. 3 FF Machine Gun detatchment was positioned in the field pointing their gun towards me. I threw my binoculars on the ground and raised my hands. I requested them not to fire. There was an argument between the two soldiers manning the MG. One was keen to fire at me while the other opposed him. Luckily, their Hawaldar appeared from the field and shouted at them not to fire. He abused them and said " dont you know that he is our sahib, he was going in a tank short time ago". I thanked my stars and moved ahead.

Enroute I met two FF soldiers carrying a third one who was badly injured and had received a burst in the stomach. There was no stretcher and therefore it was not easy for the two soldiers to carry an unconscious injured one, with combat load on all three of them. I therefore helped them upto railway line.

I then contacted my Squadron Commander, who had reached NoGaza by then. The RHQ was located there. There was nothing to report because everything was happening within their sight. I asked my Squadron Commander to give me more tanks. It was not that I was keen to attack again and get shot up. I definitely wanted to help Captain Rahim Shah to extricate from the trap he was caught up in. I was told to go away and relax under the big tree where our command vehicle was also parked, because there were no tanks to command.

At about 1200 hours we saw a Centurion tank appearing from Buttar Dogran Di. I moved towards Nogaza. One person was flying white cloth from commanders cupola and therefore nobody fired at the tank. When the tank reached us, we found that Lance Dafadar Gazanfar and Sowar Iran Gul were manning the tank. It was the same tank which was hit by Ismail in the morning. The tank belonged to CO Poona Horse who was killed as the shot pearced the armour. How did Gazanfar reach this tank?

On 16th Sept, Gazanfar was located in Buttar Dograndi and his tank was shot up. The crew bailed out but one of them was so badly injured that he could not walk back nor could Gazanfar and other crew members carry him along. Moved by the spirit of commradeship and probably sense of guilt, Gazanfar decided to reach his companion the next day with the hope to find him alive and recover him. When he reached the village, he found his colleague dead but no enemy around. He approached the tank and found it abandonded. Iran Gul was a driver by trade and both decided to drive the tank to own side. This incident proves that there was no enemy east of Buttar upto railway line at 1200 hours on 17 th Sept. The enemy vacated this village during night 17/18 and withdrew to Jassoran.

In the evening I requested my CO to relieve me for rest. In any case, there were no more tanks with C squadron for me to command. I flatly declared that I was exhausted and no more fit to fight. I was sent to Pasrur for two days and rejoined the regiment on the morning of 20 Sept. On my return, I came to know that a final effort was made by the Indians to capture Chawinda, in the form of a purely infantry attack on the night 19/20 Sept.



And yet another account from my freind Brig Joginder Singh Bhullar of 8 Garhwal Rifles who fought the battle of Buttar Dogran Di on 16 and 17 Sept 1965. Bhullar is the man who destroyed Maj Shamshad' tank on 17 Sept and an hour later was shot up by Captain Rahim Shah of 3 FF. I put Shamshad, Rahim Shah and Bhullar in contact with each other in 2016. As a result Brig Bhullar invited all of us over to India on launching of the book "The Monsoon War" authored by Capt Amarinder Singh and Gen Tajinder Singh Shergill. Only Shamshad could make to India. It was really a scene to be witnessed when the enemies of yester-years met with so much of love and affection. Shamshad and his family were introduced to his opponents that he faced in battles fought around Chawinda 51 years back. What a reunion it was.

Battle of Buttar Dogran di
By Brig J.S Bhullar 8 Garhwal Rifles


This is a personal account of a moderately intense battle by a young Capt who himself was wounded while commanding B Coy, 8th Garhwalis. This battle lasted two days,16 and 17 Sep ’65 and saw three commanding officers killed. First there was Col Taraporewala of Poona Horse and then there was Col Jerry Jhirad of 8th Garhwalis blown to pieces by a direct tank shot just after they had finished conversing on the afternoon of Sep 16. Then on the afternoon of Sep 17, Maj Abdul Rafey Khan, who had assumed command of the Garhwalis the previous day ,was killed again by a direct hit from a tank when he was personally with his Intelligence Officer and the RMO, loading casualties onto a tank on the after noon of Sep 17. Col Taraporewala was awarded an immediate PVC while Col Jhirad was given a Mention in Despatches and Rafey was given a VrC. A Story Straight from the hip – without frills or cover ups.

Buttur Dograndi is a small inconsequential village lying off the road between Chawinda and Pasrur in Pakistan. On Sep 16, Poona Horse and the Eighth Garhwalis, minus even their own supporting weapons, were tasked to capture it as it lay behind Chawinda and on the road to Pasrur because 6 Infantry Division under Gen SK Korla, would be attacking Chawinda from the front.

Typical sledge and hammer tactic to isolate Chawinda from its rear while it was hammered from the front. Sadly while the attack on Chawinda was a pathetic fiasco, the outflanking move to block it also ended in tragedy. In Churchill’s ‘My Ealy Life’ I ha read that it is near impossible to be twice wounded on the same day. This was to be proved wrong in capitals because I was twice wounded within a couple of hours and both times pretty nastily – once while repulsing the morning Counter attack and then while lying patched up near the Doc who was attending to the wounded

Funnily on 16 Sep, while my company was the Van Guard, with Poona Horse busy fighting their own battle, we had to come to a halt as we found that no one was following us. Thus with my three platoons spread eagled holding a broad front, with Lt Gurmukh Balis’ 5 Platoon near a sugar cane field on my Right and Hav Sarweshwar’s 6 Pl near a tube well on my Left, I was with Gabar’s 5 Pl also near a well – waiting for the rest of the unit to catch up. A while later, quite alone and all by himself and without so much as informing me, Maj Abdul Rafey Khan, the unit 2I/c who is now the CO as Jerry has been hit and evacuated in a 3 ton truck, comes from the rear and takes Gurmukh’s platoon without my knowing anything. He goes on to take the outskirts of the village of Buttur Dograndi, all by himself. The platoon suffers some eight casualties from the fire of a Recce and Support Battalion. End of Story!

The war had started on Sep 1 and the armored division had been launched a week later. In that time, the Indian Army had accomplished little. The Pak offensives in Chamb Jaurian had been blunted. Their offensive in the Khem Karan Sector had got mired in the post monsoon wet fields when their Pattons became sitting ducks. Hence defensively we had done better than Okay.

Our offensive on the Lahore front had been stopped by the Ichogil Canal. The one in the Sialkot sector had failed to make headway. Which speaks much about our professional competence at the time.

Six years later in ’71, Sam Manekshaw was to wrap up the Bangla Desh war and capture over 90,000 POWs in under two weeks. The Israelis took a week in the ’67 war and two weeks, even when they were caught on the wrong foot, to rally from behind to claim the ‘73 Yom Kippur War.

Armor offensives are supposed to do one of two things. Either, by passing around strongly held nodes, they drive deep into enemy territory and capture lightly held important areas to make the enemy react and fight by our rules. Or they destroy enemy armor in mobile fast moving tank battles prior to going in for the soft underbelly.

In the Yom Kippur War, the Israelis waited for Egyptian armor to move beyond its SAM umbrella and then made mince meat of it in a fast moving fluid tank battle. In fairness to the Egyptians, they moved forward only because the Syrians were yelling for them to do so in order to take pressure off them.

In our case, whatever the plans in the Sialkot sector, we seemed to have done neither as we neither penetrated deep nor destroyed any armor – most probably because there was none.

After the first week of drift, a decision seemed to have been made to use 6 infantry Division to capture Chawinda. While attacking Chawinda, it would be cut off from Pasrur by Poona horse and the Garhwalis. While Poona Horse was from the armored brigade, the Garhwalis were from the Lorried brigade. They had never trained nor worked together, so essential while fighting alongside.

We had mostly trained with Third Cavalry but they were still in the Khem Karan Sector where they won laurels shooting up the bogged down Pattons of the First Armored Division of Pakistan.

The Everest of professional stuidity was when the Garhwalis were launched without any transport (other than the CO’s jeep) and without even their own integral supporting weapons ie antitank guns, machine guns, mortars. The only other vehicle was the Battery Commander Maj Kochar’s jeep. This guy was awarded a VrC but since he was mostly with me on 16 Sep, I can vouch safe that he was never ever in contact with his guns. And the guy never even gave his jeep for the CO’s evacuation!

As Slim writes, ‘the most pathetic people in the world are Gunners w/o Guns’ Now the story of ‘B’ Company 8 Garhwal Rifles.

The Garhwalis harbored at Chak Deo Singh on night of Sep 15. I had a couple goats, found in the village, slaughtered for a Company Bara Khana. Dear Bakhtawar laid out roast hen for me.

After mid night, I led a strong patrol to near Jassoran. While checking out some dilapidated houses, we found a patrol of 9 Dogra resting. We just managed not to shoot up one another. This was the motorized unit of the armored brigade, which a year back, had returned from a stint in Gaza and with its outstanding athletes, it had out shone in various events. But now these guys certainly did not know what the hell they were doing there.

That night, Som’s Alpha and Suresh’s Delta were used by Jerry to do a recce in force. They went up to the railway line, took some casualties and fell back.

Morning of 16th, Jerry looked happy as he gave his orders. He was wearing a jungle hat and for the first time had on a holstered pistol. Most of us wore steel helmets. I preferred using only the inner part which was very light but which gave no protection. As regards a weapon, I slung an SLR as the carbine was prone to stoppages.

Jerry, cheerful as ever, ordered Bravo to lead behind the Poona Horse Centurions. Bravo was to form the firm base for the attack on Buttur Dograndi. I asked, rather cheekily, as to where exactly he wanted the firm base. Jerry smiled and said I was not to worry as he would be there right beside me. Alas!

Around 9 am the tanks of Poona Horse, with their pennants fluttering, took off, two abreast, charging full steam ahead and raising clouds of dust. It was an impressive, memorable sight. After that I only saw two tanks, one of Maj Ghorpade’s and one of Capt Ajay Singh, who was, to become the Armd Div GI in mid 70s.

As the last of tanks disappeared and the dust settled, I followed with Gabar‘s platoon in the van. Morale was very high. To my surprise and shock I found Som (OC Alpha), Sindhu, the Adjutant and some others, alongside. Most everyone was urging me on despite the fact that there was some arty and mortar shells coming our way. This was specially as we crossed the Chawinda – Jasoran road.

As I haveobserved enemy employment of arty was super duper. There seemed to be some observation guys watching us as we advanced and they were directing accurate fire on us. There was also some air activity which showed that Pakistan was now serious and no longer amused by our antics.

There was as usual no sign of our air despite a divisional attack having been launched and our mission going in deep. Sindhu was lugging one of my LMGs, ready to poop off at any Pak plane. Som was saying I must at least get an MVC for capturing enemy mortars which he swore were just around the next grove.There was a lot of euphoria. I had to tell myself that I was the joker in command, others being mere guests and that I must not get carried away.

It was in such spirits that we swung along. After a while our speed slowed as we had been advancing under a blazing sun. It was around then that I got a message from my rear that there seemed to be no one following behind us. To take stock, I cried halt next to a well which had a few trees. I swung Sarweshwar Prasads platoon to another well with a broken down hut and with a scraggly clump a couple hundred yards to my left. There was a sugar cane grove a hundred or so yards to my right and I ordered Gurmukh Bali’s platoon to that area. We were about 1500 meters short of Buttur Dograndi.

As we waited, word reached us that Jerry had been hit. Evidently he had finished a pow wow with Col Taraporewala of the Poona Horse. He had then got back in his jeep. Surely some alert enemy tank or antitank gunner had spotted him because the jeep was immediately hit by an anti tank shot. The jeep was torn to pieces and Jerry was nearly cut in half. But Bir Singh the driver had his big toe injured, Vijay Chandra, the IO was unscathed. Puran, the radio operator got a slight ear injury. Surely fate!

Jerry though cut in half was breathing and alive. I am not sure how he was taken to a 3 Ton vehicle. While being evacuated in this vehicle, that late evening, he breathed his last. He had only once asked for water.

It saddens me no end to narrate that a few days after the war, Jerry’s brother in law, Mr George Solomon, came to collect the body. He was led to a hastily dug shallow pit which had Jerry’s remains bundled in a hessian cloth sand bag. These were then taken by him and buried as per Jewish custom in the Jewish cemetery near Kota House in New Delhi. A year later I attended the religious ceremony for Jerry, when Mrs Jhirad reserved the adjacent grave for herself.

Around the time Jerry was hit, the enemy gunner had probably also marked Colonel Taraporewala’s tank because that too got a direct hit, killing him instantaneously. He got a PVC and Jerry was given a Mention-in-Despatches!!!. Know that the COAS was from the Armoured Corps and Shri YB Chavan was the Defense Minister!

Back to my company. My left platoon was drawing enfilade MMG fire from its left, probably from a machine gun on the outer fringes of Chawinda. I went over and directed the men to spread out more and away from the clump. The stolid Abal had taken a bullet on the temple. The poor guys brain was splattered all over. Yet he lay there breathing heavily. I remembered how couple months earlier he, all by himself, had one by one, got back his whole Kabadi team after he had been left all by himself. Tall and big built for a Garhwali, he was the quiet, introverted sort. We buried him under a pile of loose bricks, thinking we would give him a better burial once the situation stabilized.

Back in my headquarters, I got a report that there were couple deserted jeeps lying in some bushes, couple hundred yards forward to the left. I went over to the nearest tank to see if we could get them functional and found myself face to face with the squadron commander, one Maj Ghorpade. This worthy at once sailed into me charging me and my men with cowardice. He said we had not adequately protected his tanks and even the skirting on his tanks had holes.

I was totally taken aback and in no mood for such crap. Specially since I had lost my CO and some of my own men. I told him it was not my job to give him protection – specially by day. Tempers ran high and I found my SLR ominously pointing at him. It was the artillery battery commander, Major Kochar, who was in my area and who intervened. He separated and pacified both. This altercation notwithstanding, it saddened me to learn some years later that Major Ghorpade had, for some reason, committed suicide. Major Kochar got a Vir Chakra despite the fact that his artillery’s contribution, this day and the next, was zilch.

Through out the action, the BC was out of radio contact with his guns and regiment while we were being bludgeoned. How could he get us any artillery support? I maintain that Pak arty made our artllery look like an also ran.

To return. After this bit of melo drama, I got another shock when some one reported that he could not see any body from Gurmukh Bali’s platoon on the Right, in the sugar cane field area. I walked across to check and sure enough there was not a soul in sight. It looked as if the whole platoon had vanished into thin air and was not to be found on the face of the earth.

More shocked than ever, yet deep down I felt ashamed of my professional competence. Here was I who had lost one third of his command without knowing a thing. What sort of a Napoleon was I? Mentally shattered, I returned to the center platoon.

There was some machine gun fire coming from the area forward of my Left Platoon. I took a few boys and went ahead to investigate. Finding one of our Centurions standing nearby, I asked to speak to the tank commander, who was no other than Ajay Singh. I later came across him as the Grade 1 in the Division and then as Corps commander in Tezpur. I told him I suspected enemy infantry ahead and requested him to rake the area with his machine gun. A tall burly Sardar loomed up and holding the 30 Browning casually in both hands, he began to nonchalantly rake the area ahead left to right and near to far. I can recall no more memorable or inspiring sight than this stolid professional casually doing his thing in the most professional manner.

After I had come back, I espied, coming towards us, a sole rifleman with a bandolier like load of water bottles. It was the gallant Bahadur, who had been with me in my commando days. Even with his puny frame, he was a very brave, die hard, no nonsense long distance athlete. He was to die the next day under the most gallant circumstances. Unfortunately, like our RMO, he got no award.

It was from him that I learnt that unknown to us, Rafey had come from behind and led Gurmukh Balis’ platoon to the outskirts of Buttur Dograndi. Of course this platoon had come under murderous machine gun fire and taken seven casualties out of a total strength of some 20. The platoon was pinned down and badly off for water. Bahadur had volunteered to go back and get some water.

Before I could get the bottles filled from the well, I saw Gurmukh and some boys trailing back. I gave him hell for not letting me know. He said Rafey had given him no time. Just then I saw Rafey come directly from the front. I was boiling and ready to sail into him but when I saw his face, ashen and soaked with sweat and grime with his shirt caked with mud and wet, I held my piece.

Rafey looked at me, said nothing but sailed into the other company commanders, who had by now come up, lambasting them – rather unfairly. He ordered Charlie and Delta to immediately form up and clear the area he had come from. After having reorganized I was to pass through these companies with Som’s Alpha and take up defense nearest the village.

We reached the designated area and began to dig down. It had been a long day and I was bone weary but managed to check the deployment. At midnight, Bhaktawar served me some khichri. For the first ever time, I spent the night in the open trench. There was desultory shelling all night through and I did not think that if I slept out, I would have the energy to roll in, should need arise.

Morning of Sep 17 was bright and clear and there was a deadly stillness in the air. Having done my stuff, I wandered over to the battalion headquarters. There I found most officers had already gathered. A down cast mood prevailed and there was no contact with brigade. It was a very serious situation.

Som tried to be cheerful but to no avail. Rafey was serious, sombre, quiet. Then the shelling started. At first slow, it gradually picked up momentum. I did not want to say it but as no one spoke, I said that it looked as if we were about to be counter attacked and had better get back to our companies. Rafey looked at me and said nothing. Slowly we got up and dispersed.

As I reached my company, the shelling became heavy and we began to get plastered. And then I saw what during exercises we had done so many times while attacking some objective or the other. In the distance, well spread out was a line of enemy walking towards us slowly but steadily. They were more towards my Left and nearest to Gabars’s platoon. I yelled orders to hold fire – not waste ammunition – and to make each round count. More so as we were carrying only pouch ammunition, which came to 50 rounds per rifle and 500 per light machine gun. The unit reserve of 40 and 400 rounds respectively was supposed to be in our ‘F’ echelons vehicles but these had not followed us!

When the enemy line was about a hundred plus yards away, we began to fire and the line went to ground ie they lay down behind any small bund or whatever cover they could get and began to return our fire. The jokers seemed unwilling to close in and make a fight of it.

Ahead and to a little left of Gabar’s platoon was a sugar cane field and several of the enemy took cover behind these sugar cane. They came forward, stood up and waved, shouting to Gabar, who was manning a light machine gun, that they were the Jats of the Indian Army. Poor, straight forward, gullible Gabar was taken in, hook line and sinker. He ordered his platoon to stop firing..

I first thought of sending Gaina, my runner, to tell him to engage them as they damnwell were the enemy. But knowing Gabar was the stubborn sort, I knew that he would argue with Gaina. So I decided to go my self. I raced forward and standing above his trench, I heard him tell me that they were our Jats and the dust and dirt had made their olive greens turn khaki. I peremptorily told him not to be stupid and to commence firing forthwith. He did so and right then and there, an enemy machine gun burst caught him full in the chest. Seeing him slump, I raced back zigzagging.

Thus the situation remained. We were exchanging small arms fire and Pak artillery was no longer bothering us as their troops were too close. Suddenly a shiver went through the whole company because coming towards us were two Pattons, one behind the other. I was surprised to see them come rather hesitantly and very very slowly.

Poona Horse was evidently fighting its own battle somewhere and we were on our own. I got Gulab, with his antitank grenades to my command post. I thought of taking the shot myself but thinking that it would be bad for morale if I missed, I coached Gulab who was pretty jittery and forgot to rest his rifle in the corner of the trench. As he fired, we saw the grenade take a slow curved flight towards the leading tank. For a second I thought that my range estimation had been low. But no, the grenade managed to just reach the tank and it hit and burst on the tank tracks. The tank shuddered and came to a dead stop.

I told Gulab to duck deep as I expected the tank to swivel its main gun in our general direction and blow us to smithereens and kingdom come. For a second, nothing happened. Then we peeped up and to our astonishment saw the crew of the tank clamber down and run back to the rear tank. This tank then slowly pulled back in reverse. Well nigh the whole company took pot shots. I am ashamed to say that our shooting standard was pathetic as no one hit anything.

With the damaged tank standing there, the desultory shooting by both sides went on. I thought of going onto the tank and taking charge of its machine gun, turn it towards the enemy and shoot them up ala Audie Murphy of Second War fame. Alas, I did not rate myself as a very practical sort and so had no confidence in my ability of using an unfamiliar weapon.

I found that Sarweshwar Prasads platoon on the Right was becoming jittery. I needed to infuse some courage as Subedar Rameshwar, my second in command, who was there, was also running scared. I got out of the trench and standing tall, yelled encouragement. I told them they were safe in trenches but would be shot down going back in the open. Just then a bullet singed past my right temple, missing my fore head by a mere fraction of a millimeter.

This was getting dangerous. It sent a shiver down my spine. There was a lot of muck, artillery as well as small arms, flying around. No need to be worried as most went by harmlessly. But this near miss told me that this guy had spotted me as an officer and now had me in his sights and was aiming personally at me. I rationalized that for a while at least, I must lay low till this guy’s attention went else where. I slipped into the trench, waited and watched.

Alas, after a short while, the Right Platoon was again making pulling back noises. I felt that the risk notwithstanding, I just had to instill some confidence in the poor guys. So, once again I stood up in the open with Bhaktawar and Gaina by my right. The enemy gunner had been waiting for this opportunity. But now there were three of us and greedy guy that he was, he wanted to take all three. His burst caught me on my right arm.

It felt as if a cannon ball had struck and my right arm was severed and falling down. Desperately I grabbed it with my left hand as I fell into the trench. Bhaktawars shoulders and Gaina’s left upper arm had been hit but luckily they only had flesh wounds. I got Gulab to take off the sling from my SLR and turned it into a make shift sling for my arm. The poor guy was scared to help me walk back in the open. I told him to keep me towards the enemy so that the bullets would have to pass through me before he got hit. He gave me his shoulder and we walked back to the make shift aid post. I yelled to Subedar Rameshwar to take command.

When I crossed Rafey, his expression was of absolute dumb founded shock. His mouth had fallen wide open and his eyes showed their whites. Maybe he thought if I could get hit, then it must be pretty bad. He seemed totally dumb struck. We had a mutual regard and may be it was just too much for him. But I felt a deep pang as I thought I deserved at least a nod or its OK or something. It was the last time I was to see him.

A word about Rafey’s passing away. Around 3 pm or a wee later, after he had ordered the position to be abandoned, he himself remained and was busy loading our wounded onto a Poona Horse Centurion. Vijay the IO and Sonkar the doctor, were with him. It was then that an enemy tank or antitank gun caught him plumb in the middle. It was so bad that as per the RMO he could not even be lifted. Yet he was alive though unable to even whisper. He merely waved to both these officers to get the hell out. Because now they could see the enemy infantry coming – slowly and cautiously. Sonkar later said that as a professional his estimate was that Rafey could not have lived for more than ten minutes.

They gave Rafey a VrC but I heard that there were some stupid idiots who enquired how a muslim could stay behind!!!

And consider young Vijay. The poor guy had seen his two bosses decimated on two consecutive days.

.At the aid post, poor Sonkar was super busy as there were a whole lot of chaps needing his attention. He saw me and as he put a splint and bandages, I asked, “Doc, is it a simple fracture or a compound fracture?” Without bothering to smile, he responded, “Don’t worry – it is part of both!”

The morphine made me dizzy and I moved away some distance and went down in the open. There was no cover at the aid post and as I lay half conscious, an artillery shell landed so close that I probably escaped because I was probably in its umbrella. It covered me with more mud and dust and small shrapnel pierced me all over.

Luckily my legs remained unhurt but both hands were now useless with some minor broken bones and flesh wounds. To be twice hit within a couple hours shattered my sense of invulnerability but it horrified me to imagine an enemy with a bayonet.. I called to the Doc to come bandage me some more. He was not amused as he seemed to be running out of bandages. But he did come and do the needful. Watching his seriousness, I refrained from banter.

My legs being OK, I moved further away to an open sparse field which had some crop for shade. The battle went on. Some chaps came over and cheered me up. Som made several trips. I learnt that the situation was not good. Some guys gave me water. The glucose packet I had picked up in the village street some days back, came in very useful.

As I lay there I wondered that the Dear Omnipotent Almighty God had probably blinked and only then I had got hit. Once was bad enough but twice within the day was a wee much. And now, should the enemy move in, I could only expect to be bayoneted. Thoughts of my folks and how they would take it came flooding in.

Life had been very kind and good yet I did not seem to over much mind an early departure. The morphine effect, maybe?

Late after noon, Gurmukh came and said that time for me to get back if I could walk. He said withdrawal had been ordered as we were hurting bad. Most guys had already pulled back. Only Rafey and some others remained. Rafey was helping the wounded on to some Centurions which had come by.

With Gurmukh giving me a shoulder, I started the walk back. Each time the arty shells whistled by, I wanted to go to ground. Gurmukh berated me saying I was the joker who always said that you would never hear the shell which will hit you. Because it will do so and the sound will follow. Those whistling by were the sweet ones.

For the first time in these two weeks of intense activity, I had cracked. With frequent rests, Gurmukh helped all the way and without him I doubt if I could have made it. Crossing the Chawinda – Jassoran road was frightening. This area seemed to have been well registered and was apparently under observation. Because if even an ant moved, it drew a barrage.. As one such shelling ended, Gurmukh urged we cross over quick.

A little later, we saw one of our Centurions. After it got due permission, I was taken on board. I thanked and bade farewell to the gallant Gurmukh, who himself was to be killed under the most pitiful circumstances, in Kashmir in ’91. That is a really very sad pathetic tale.

The tank commander was an NCO and I had no energy for small talk. He was doing his thing and his boss had evidently asked him to reach a point on the outskirts of Chawinda and await instructions. It seems I must have dozed off because suddenly I found myself in a Jat company position. I wondered why we had come here as this was really and truly being hammered by enemy artillery.

What we had been through compared to this was table tennis. The tank crew and I went under the tank for safety and the Jats grim and gritty in their trenches. After some half hour, the tank got orders to reach the unit night harbor area. Maybe the experience was to teach me how deafening and murderous is real shelling.

I found all Poona Horse officers gathered around their officiating commanding officer who seemed a nice, kind, mature man. He was hearing every body out re the days doing. Quite a few Garhwali casualties had been brought in on their tanks and this decent soul ruled that all casualties would be loaded on two tanks under a young Lieutenant, who would then take them to the nearest medicos.

Being an officer, I was allowed in thru the commanders hatch. As I moved my foot from the seat onto the floor, I stepped on a body. I loudly requested that the dead body be removed, I heard a JCO, who was Soms platoon commander and who had trained me for my weapons course, plead saying he had a wife and kids. Sad but plenty of such stuff which is a reality in every war.

It showed that the battalion no longer seemed to exist. I learnt that the unit had lost its cohesion and was dispersed all over. Evidently dear Som was now the commandiing officer as Suresh was reported to have gone off for some first aid.

Poor Som, or rather lucky Som, because the guy made CO in this war and then again in ’71 after Suresh, who had made CO, once again got evacuated.

Sadly for this gallant unit, the CO sent by Army HQ to get it up and going after Buttur Dograndi, was no other than a guy who had been brought down earlier for some financial impropriety when he was CO of the Third. But now he was again given command. Poor battalion!

It had gotten dark by this time and I was afraid that we might be going in circles if not deeper into Pakistan. Bhagwan Mall, who, though not wounded, had managed to get on the other tank which had the Poona Horse officer, entered into an argument with that officer as to the direction we were going. The young officer told him to mind his business or get off the tank.

After some going around this way and that way, the guy got his bearing and without further ado, around midnight, we reached the forward medical post.

I had reached adequate medical aid after some 15 hours of being patched by the regimental medical officer. How could the more seriously hit survive such ordeals? At this medical post, the doctors were very kind but the bandages had to be removed and a fresh dressing given to all my wounds. It was very, very painful. The smaller the wound, the more pain it gave. At last after a hot cup of tea, I was put on a stretcher and in an ambulance which luckily was a new model, comfortable and capable of moving around without breaking down.

As it drove us, for the last time, at least in this war, I heard the Pak artillery open up and this time surprisingly on such a small unimportant road. Though we could not have been under observation, yet the guys probably knew of this road being used and hence were plastering it at random for our general entertainment.

Some how my own second in command, Subedar Rameshwar though not wounded, had managed to get on this ambulance and seemed to be intent on getting the hell out of the theater. At each shelling, he begged the driver to drive faster and faster. But as each bump caused me immense pain, I managed to tell him to shut up or get off the damn vehicle. In a year or so the guy became the next Subedar Major of the unit!

Around six am we reached the main dressing station. Fortunately the doctors did not open my dressings. After some refreshment I was put on another ambulance which took me to the army hospital at Samba. I slept through the entire ride.


Sikandar Pasha