1965 War – Battle of Buttur Do Grandi – Sep 16 /17 …
This Post was begun in Asvini Hospital in 1965. It continued to be updated based on additional information.
A Comment from Pakistan
It was most heartening to receive a mail from Sikander Pasha, a Lahore based retired engineer with interest in Indo Pak Military History. He wrote –
“While surfing the net, I bumped into your most interesting and amusing writings describing the operations of 8 Garhwal Rifles during the 1965 conflict. Totally impressed, I eventually managed to get your Mail ID as I wanted to congratulate you for penning down your admirable memories. Coming to your articles, I would first like to draw your attention to the one describing the battle of Buttar Dogran di on 17 Sept. You write: -‘
“This battle lasted two days – 16 and 17 Sep ’65 and saw three Commanding Officers killed – Col Taraporewala. Poona Horse, and Col Jerry Jhirad, 8th Garhwalis were blown to pieces by direct anti tank shots just as they had finished conversing on the afternoon of Sep 16′.
“On afternoon of Sep 17, Maj Abdul Rafee Khan, who had taken command of the Garhwalis the previous day , was hit – again by a direct hit from a 25 Cav tank or an R and S Anti Tk Gun – just as he was physically loading casualties on a Pune Horse Tank for evacuation together with Lt Vijay Chander, the IO and Capt Sonkar, the RMO’.
“Both the latter two were unscathed and Rafy himself waved them off and Doc Sonkar later attested that the way Rafy’s body was torn asunder, he could not have lived more than 30 minutes ……………. “
Back to My Story – Part I
Our Armour Offensive of Sep 8 had, as mentioned in another post, literally was a disaster. Having crossed the IB at 3PM instead of 6AM, we ground to a halt literally after a day or two. Nothing could be more appalling.
Armor offensives are supposed to do one of two things. Either, bye passing 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 mobile tank battles prior to going in for the soft underbelly.
In the Yom Kippur War, six years later, the Israelis waited for Egyptian armor to move beyond its SAM umbrella and then decimated 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, we seemed to have done neither – we neither penetrated deep nor destroyed any armor – rather we were stale mated by elements of a R and S Bn and a single Armd Regt – 25 Armd Regt and went around in confusion.
In this Sector after the first week of drift, a decision seemed to have been made to use 6 Mountain Division to capture Chawinda – with two of its own brigades and two borrowed from elsewhere. While attacking Chawinda our Command wanted to cut it off from its rear by sending Poona Horse and 8 Garhwalis to establish a block at Buttar Do Grandi.
While Poona Horse was from the armored brigade, the Garhwalis were from the Lorried brigade and they had never trained, lived or worked together – which is so vital for fighting alongside in mobile operations.
The Everest of professional cupidity 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 and mortars – and only with Pouch Ammo!
The only vehicle was the Battery Commander, a Maj Kochar’s jeep. This guy was awarded a VrC. Since he was mostly with me on 16 Sep and morning of 17 Sep, I can vouch that he was never ever in contact with anyone – let alone his guns!
Col Jerry Jhirad’s jeep had been blown to smithereens on mid day the op started – a wee after Col Taraporewala’s tank had received a fatal hit.
The Task
Buttur Do Grandi is a small nondescript, inconsequential village lying off the road behind Chawinda and Pasrur in Pakistan’s Sialkot Sector. On Sep 16, Poona Horse and the Eighth Garhwalis were launched to capture it – presumably to cut off Chawinda which was being attacked by Gen Korla’s 6 Mountain Division.
It is shooting the Gun but the two separate 6 Div attacks on Chawinda were broken up by Pak Arty all by itself and never even reached the forward trenches. Sadly they were pathetic fiascos. Our outflanking move to block it was amateurishly planned and ended in tragedy.
Prior
Before it all started the Garhwalis had harbored at Chak Deo Singh on Night Sep 15/16. I had a couple goats, found in the village, slaughtered for a Company Bara Khana and 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, the motorized unit of the Armd Bde resting. We just managed not to shoot up one another. This was the unit which had returned from Gaza and with its outstanding athletes, it had out shone every one in the Divisional Atheletics of 1964. But now these guys certainly did not know what the hell they were doing there.
Early morn Sep 16, 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 from arty fire and fell back
The Advance
Later, around 9ish, 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 my Bravo to lead behind Poona Horse and and we were to form the firm base for the attack on Buttur Do Grandi. I asked, rather cheekily, as to where exactly he wanted the firm base. Jerry smiled back at his ex Adjutant and said I was not to worry as he would be there right beside me. Alas!
The Start
Around 9 am the tanks of Poona Horse, with their pennants fluttering, took off – two abreast – charging full steam ahead and raising clouds of thick dust. It was an impressive, memorable sight.
After that I only saw Sqn Commander, Maj Ghorpade’s and Troop Leader Capt Ajai Singh’s tanks. The latter was, to become the Armd Div G-I in mid 70s and later a Corps Commander, Governor and what have you. And of course the Third tank was which helped evacuate me to their Night Harbor.
As the last of the 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 – as if we were on a picnic – 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 have observed enemy employment of arty was super duper. There seemed to be some Stay Behind OPs’ watching us as we advanced and they were directing accurate fire on us. There was also some air activity which showed that Pakistan was enjoying pounding us and not quite amused by our antics.
There was as usual no sign of our IAF despite an armored div’s elements advancing in enemy territory! Som was saying I must at least get an MVC for capturing enemy mortars which he swore were just around the next grove. Sindhu, the Adjt, was lugging one of my LMGs, ready to poop off at any Pak plane. 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 high spirits that we bummed along. After a while our speed slowed as we had been advancing under a blazing Sep sun – and my guests had slowly disappeared. It was a wee after that when I got a message from my rear that there seemed to be no one following behind us.
Buttar Do Grandi Sighted
As we were around the FUP Area, to take stock, I cried halt to Gabar’s platoon, which was next to a well with a few trees around it.. There was a Poona Horse tank standing there and the BC with his jeep and useless RSs’ pulled up.
I swung Sarweshwar Prasad’s platoon to another well, a hundred yards or so to my left with a broken down brick hut and scraggly bushes. There was a sugar cane field a hundred or so yards to my right and I ordered Gurmukh Bali’s platoon to that area. We were less than a 1000 meters short of Buttur Dograndi Village.
Death of Two COs’
As we waited, word reached us that Jerry had been hit. Evidently he had finished a pow wow with Col Taraporewala and had got to his jeep when he was hit. An alert enemy tank or antitank gunner had spotted them because Col Taraporewala’s tank had taken the first hit.
The CO”s jeep was torn to shreds and Jerry was nearly cut in half but was conscious and breathing. Bir Singh, the driver had his big toe cut off while Lt Vijay Chandra, the IO was unscathed. Puran, the radio operator, lost an ear drum.
Jerry though was breathing and conscious. I am not sure how he was taken to a 3 Ton truck and while being evacuated in this vehicle, late that evening or night, he breathed his last in a three ton truck. 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 Mr Solomon and buried as per Jewish custom in the Jewish cemetery, adjacent to the Roman Catholic Cemetery, which among others, have the graves of Jack Dias and Admiral Pinto. It is near Kota House in New Delhi. A year later, I attended the religious ceremony for Jerry, alongwith George and Ruyh Solomon and Mrs Jhirad when Mrs Jhirad reserved the adjacent grave for her own self.
Capture of Buttar DoGrandi
As already indicated my company, the Van Guard, with all three platoons spread eagled was holding a broad front, with Lt Gurmukh Balis’ 4 Platoon near a sugar cane field on my Right and Hav Sarweshwar’s 6 Pl near a well on my Left and Gabar’s 5 Pl with me and the BC – a Major Kochar, in the Center. There was also a Puna Horse Squadron Commanders tank alongside me.
Buttar DoGrandi Cleared
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, comes up alone from the rear and w/o a so much as ‘by your leave’ takes Gurmukh’s platoon and goes on to Buuttur Dograndi, where he gets pinned down by murderous fire from a R and S MMG and takes heavy casualties.
And me – the would be Napoleon – none the wiser! ………..
And waiting for the unit to catch up! My left platoon was drawing enfilade MMG fire from its left, probably from a machine gun on the 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 as he lay there breathing heavily, I remembered how couple months earlier he, all by himself, had one by one, got back his whole Kabaddi 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 R and S jeeps lying in some bushes, couple hundred yards forward to the left. I went over to the tank near my platoon 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. saying we had not protected his tanks and even his skirting had bullet 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 intervened, separated and pacified us both.
This altercation notwithstanding, it saddened me no end to learn some years later that Major Ghorpade had, for some domestic reason, committed suicide.
To return. After this bit of melodrama, 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 where I had placed them.. 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 and deeply 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 more 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 of the Division and then as a 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 and laid back 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.
Much later when I was the Center Commandant, I had his family over at the Garhwal House and all my offers to help them were most proudly and gracefully turned down by these great Souls.
It was from Bahadur 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 over half dozen casualties out of a total strength of less than 20. The platoon was pinned down and badly off for water. Bahadur had volunteered to go back and get some.
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 and his wet shirt caked with mud, I held my piece.
Rafey looked at me, said nothing but sailed into the other company commanders, who were by now fetching up, lambasting them – rather unfairly. He ordered Charlie and Delta to immediately form up and ensue the area was safe and clear – since he had just come from there. I was then to pass through these companies with Som’s Alpha and take up defense nearest the village.
We reached our place 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 time ever, I slept a wee in the open dug out as there was desultory shelling all night through and I did not think that if I slept outside, I would have the energy to roll in, should need arise.
The Battle
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 where I found most officers had already gathered. A down caste mood prevailed and there was no contact with brigade or anyone. It seemed a rather grim and 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 somberly but 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, I had seen so many times while being attacked. In the distance, rather 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 vehicle but this was not with 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 damn well were the enemy. But knowing Gabar was the stubborn sort, I knew that he would argue with Gaina. So I decided to go myself. 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 at the crew running back but 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, swivelling 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 and a wee personal. It sent a shiver down my spine. There was a lot of muck, artillery as well as small arms, flying around. There never had been any need to get 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 rested.
Alas, after a wee, the Right Platoon was again wanting to pull back. I asked Pray Where? I felt that the risk notwithstanding, I just had to instill some stuff in the poor guys. So, once again I stood up in the open with Bhaktawar and Gaina on my right. The gunner had been waiting for just this opportunity. But now there were three of us and the 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. Bhaktawar’s shoulders and Gaina’s left upper arm had also been hit but luckily they only had flesh wounds. I yelled to Subedar Rameshwar to take command and taking off the sling from my SLR, turned it into a make shift sling for my arm. Grabbing Gulab’s shoulder I hobbled to the RAP.
The poor guy was scared to help me walk back in the open and I told him to keep me towards the enemy so that the bullets would have to pass through me before they got to him.
As we crossed Rafey, his expression was of absolute dumb founded shock. His mouth wide open, his eyes wide open with the whites showing all around. I can never forget his expression.
Maybe he thought if I could get hit, then it must be really bad. We had a deep mutual regard and may be it was just too much for him. But I felt a deep pang as I thought I at least deserved a nod and maybe a smile from one I held so dear.. 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 more 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 s bayonet in the belly.
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.
IMPROVEACRATI.....improve.....grow.....excel ! 
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