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The soldier who put himself in the line of fire to protect his patrol party

Jemadar Hardev Singh refused to be attended to till all his wounded men had been provided medical aid first. Till his last breath, Jemadar Hardev Singh motivated his men to put up a determined resistance against the enemy.

The soldier who put himself in the line of fire to protect his patrol party-VPN
Author
New Delhi, First Published May 24, 2021, 4:32 PM IST

Here's a story of a braveheart that a billion Indians should be proud of. Jemadar Hardev Singh was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the 1 Patiala (RS) which along with the Jind Infantry and the Nabha Akal Infantry became part of the Punjab Regiment.

On May 21, 1948, Jemadar Hardev Singh's unit reached Zoji La and had a fierce encounter with the enemy at Gumri the following day. The unit suffered heavy casualties. Thereafter the unit undertook intense patrolling of the area between Zoji La and Machhoi. 

On May 23, Jemadar Hardev Singh's patrol party came under heavy attack from well-entrenched enemy positions at Machhoi. The patrol team engaged the enemies. More than one-third of the patrol team was either killed or wounded. 

Despite being wounded in the arm, Jemadar Hardev Singh braved a hail of automatic gunfire and mortar shelling, and the snow-covered terrain to evacuate team members to the hillside from where he could keep the enemy engaged till further reinforcements arrived.

Jemadar Hardev Singh was hit on the shoulder twice in the process. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he secured all his wounded men to the nearest cover and was the last man to crawl back to the cover. He was fatally hit by a medium machine gun burst. 

Jemadar Hardev Singh refused to be attended to till all his wounded men had been provided medical aid first. Till his last breath, Jemadar Hardev Singh motivated his men to put up a determined resistance against the enemy.

For his actions, Jemadar Hardev Singh was decorated with Maha Vir Chakra posthumously, the country's second-highest gallantry award for his exceptional courage, determined leadership and supreme sacrifice beyond the call of duty.

Flags of Honour remembers and salutes the bravery and unyielding fighting spirit of Jemadar Hardev Singh who laid down his life serving the nation.

 

 

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