By Brigadier Prakash Tularam Ghogale (Retired)
Battle of Hilli was the bloodiest battle of 1971 War as per the then GOC-in-C Eastern Command Lieutenant General Aurora and arguably the fiercest Indo-Pak battle ever fought! The defences were held by 4 Frontier Force, with their morale during the attack being sky high since the action took place between 22 and 25 November 1971. The Pakistanis made much of this battle, especially the Battle of Morapara, which was the strongest position and the hub of the defences of Hilli town! Their fallen Company Commander here, late Major Akram was the recipient of the only Nishan–e-Haider (posthumous) awardee in the entire then East Pakistan.
68 of my dear comrades sacrificed their lives and 130 were wounded and 8th Battalion Brigade of the Guards was awarded 3 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs), 2 Vir Chakras(VrCs), 1 Sena Medal and 7 Mention in Dispatches including attached troops. The Battalion also received Theatre Honour “East Pakistan” and Battle Honour “Hilli” and had the unique privilege to participate in the Victory Day Parade on 26 January, 1972, along with two other decorated battalions, 2 and 10 Para Commandos. We were also the first Battalion to present a Guard of Honour at the Amar Jawan Jyoti! Some Defining Moments which remain etched in my memory are as follows:-
1. As our valiant troops crossed the cattle fence, interspersed with mines, booby traps in waist deep water in front of Morapara position, murderous heavy machine gun fire came from enemy defences. The troops hit the ground! Alpha Company Commander, Major HKD Manjrekar stood up and by sheer grit and cold courage ordered his troops to follow him till he was cut to ribbons by enemy fire. He crawled to the nearest bunker, lobbing a grenade to silence the machine gun. We could hear the last shrill voice of this hero on the radio set, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!” while exhorting his troops. Recommended for the highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra posthumously; regrettably, this courageous Assault Company Commander did not get any award. I carried his ashes to his Mumbai Sion home and told his aged parents how bravely he fought. They queried “why no award?” I had no reply!
2. 2nd Lieutenant Shamsher Singh Samra, Major Manjrekar’s dare devil forward left Platoon Commander, had by then was on objective being incredibly 50 YARDS, ahead of his troops as testified by Pakistani 4 Frontier Force Prisoners of War interned in a Camp in Bareilly, post the War. Short of the objective, he received a machine gun burst on the right side of his chest. Unmindful, he moved forward and destroyed a bunker. Attempting to destroy a second bunker, he got another burst. Found near the bunker with a sten gun in one hand and a grenade in the other. Awarded Maha Vir Chakra for exemplary valour! His imposing posture is immortalized with a statue in Officers Training Academy, Chennai as also a trophy in the unit. Army Welfare Housing Society in Ludhiana is named after this dare devil youngster.
3. The fog of the battle made the situation desperate. Cometh the hour, cometh the man! The third Platoon Commander of Alpha Company, 2nd Lieutenant Parma Nand Gupta got through to the Commanding Officer via Radio Operator Lance Naik Sri Lal of the fallen Company Commander, who ordered him to gather remnants of the Company and assault. The unassuming Gupta, with barely six months service, launched a most audacious attack on the enemy defences. Found leaning against a tree with bullets riddled from top to toe! Recommended for the second highest gallantry award; however no award! Years later, the then Defence Minister Mr Bansi Lal, visited his house in Yamuna Nagar and presented a sword to his mother with the inscription “2nd Lieutenant PN Gupta, Maha Vir Chakra.” Ironic indeed!
4. Since the situation was not improving, the third Company under Major KK Rao was launched, who pressed home the attack despite being severely wounded. He refused to be evacuated and sacrificed his life, being awarded a Sena Medal. One of his soldiers, Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey rose to the occasion, destroying one enemy bunker by lobbing a grenade and two other bunkers with the Recoilless Gun he took from his fallen comrade. However, the intrepid hero was himself blown to smithereens by an enemy Recoilless Gun. Pandey was awarded a well-deserved Maha Vir Chakra for his intrepid action and the Army Housing Society in NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh is named Ram Vihar in his honour.
5. A word about my Sahayak who got a bullet in his chest in the assault. He just said “Saab, Goli lag gayi!” Indian troops are so brave! He survived and the bullet was still embedded close to his heart! He passed away recently.
Such was the bravery of my dear comrades. As one fell, the other rose. Some heroes – Subedar Raj Bahadur, VrC(P), Subedar Nayeem, Lance Naiks KN Tiwari and Mahadeo Singh, Havildars Harpal, Chabhi Lal and Upadhyay and Naik Ramdin to name a few. The General Officer Commanding 20 Mountain Division, Major General Lachhman Singh Lehl, VrC visited the hospital. He was requested by a wounded soldier to check on the battlefield if any of the fallen soldiers had their back towards the enemy and that there would be no one! He checked and in his book “Indian Sword Strikes in East Pakistan” states “how right he was. No wonder 8 Guards fought so well!” The names of the 68 fallen heroes have been etched in blood and stone at the National War Memorial, New Delhi along with a write up on the ding dong battle of 42 hours till capture. It took me two long years to amend the inscription on the Battle in the War Memorial which earlier stated that we had not been victorious in the battle! My fallen Comrades will now sleep in Peace! Finally, in all earnestness, I would say “From the Rising Sun to the Setting, we shall remember their Sacrifices!”
Article by:
Brigadier (then Captain) Prakash Tularam Ghogale,VSM.
Adjutant 8th Battalion Brigade of the Guards in 1971 War.
Special thanks to Dr Jai Singh, Managing Director and Trustee of IIEBM for arranging this article (www.iiebm.com)
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