Gurbux Singh | |
---|---|
Born | 1916 New Delhi, British India |
Died | 2013 New Delhi, India |
Allegiance | India |
Service/ | Indian Army |
Rank | Brigadier |
Unit | 48th Indian Infantry Brigade 4th Infantry Division (India) |
Battles/wars | Annexation of Goa 1962 Sino-Indian War |
Relations | Bhai Sangat Singh Bangeshwar (ancestor) Sardar Sujan Singh (grandfather) Lakshmi Devi (grandmother) Sir Sobha Singh (father) Viran Bai (mother) Sardar Ujjal Singh (uncle) Bhagwant Singh (brother) Khushwant Singh (brother) Daljit Singh (brother) Mohinder Kaur (sister) Major General Mohinder Singh Chopra (brother-in-law) Pushpinder Singh Chopra (son-in-law) |
Brigadier Gurbux Singh (1916–2013) was an Indian Army General Officer who had fought in various wars such as the Annexation of Goa and was famed in his role in the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the retreat of the Bomdila Pass.
Military career
Annexation of Goa
Brigadier Singh was the commander of the 48th infantry brigade, which was responsible for surrender of the Portuguese Army including Governor-General Manuel António Vassalo e Silva, attacking from East Goa and coordinating to enclose the area by use of the Indian Navy's ships.[1] He was also in charge of the Portuguese prisoners of war after the war had been put to an end.[1]
1962 Sino-Indian War
During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, he commanded Bomdila, although was told it had no importance, political or military.[2] All eyes at the time were on Sela.[2][3] In a 16-company brigade position, he was left with four companies; his other troops were milked despite his protests.[4] Brigadier Gurbux Singh stated that fighting running battles rather than holding the fortresses, which were Sela and Bomdila, and that sending troops out in penny packets from prepared positions rather than concentrating them in defence led to the Indian Army's undoing.[4][5]
They caught a battalion of the People's Liberation Army's special forces in a classic killing ground scenario and with guns of 6 Field Regiment and 22 Mountain Regiment firing at intense rates killed some 300–400 Chinese soldiers.[5][6] However, the battalion on running out of ammunition was allowed to withdraw.[6] Inexplicably, 5 Guards apprehending that the Chinese had inserted themselves between them and Bomdila made for the plains and safety, and one battalion was sent on the road to Bhutan.[6][7]
Right after the action Singh was recalled to General Kaul, and his hurried departure from Bomdila created a great deal of confusion.[7] While his party was on its way to Rupa, the main body of 3 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles was making for Bomdila by a different route, only to be fired upon by the Chinese.[8][3]
Henderson Brooks Report
He resigned from the Indian Army after the Henderson Brooks Report for unknown reasons.[9] The report was not released to the public, although it was leaked much later, after he had resigned from the Indian Army. Subsequent Governments have refused to declassify the report over the decades.
Later life
He became a philanthropist later on and donated a block to the Pingalwara Foundation in Amritsar, assistance to Parveen Talha's Trust in Lucknow, gave a block for Tamanna school for special children, a block of flats next to Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital to accommodate families of patients, a block in Bapsy Nariman's clinic, a mini hospital in Lahori Gate and now hospital in rural Delhi to cater to the needs of a cluster of villages.[10]
He owned the colony named Sujan Singh Park in New Delhi.
Death
He passed away in New Delhi at the age of 97.
See also
References
- 1 2 Times, Navhind (14 December 2011). "Goa to honour Operation Vijay heroes | The Navhind Times". Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- 1 2 "Battle of Rezang La: When handful Indian soldiers annihilated Chinese". Indian Defence Forum. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- 1 2 "Memories of a war we'd like to forget". The Times of India. 21 October 2012. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- 1 2 "Clearing the air on the man who 'owned' half the Capital". Hindustan Times. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- 1 2 "Withdrawal from Bomdila". Hindustan Times. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- 1 2 3 "1962 India-China conflict: The Heroes of the lost war". Indian Defence Forum. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- 1 2 "Battle of Rezang La: When handful Indian soldiers annihilated Chinese". Indian Defence Forum. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ↑ "1962 War: The Chinese invasion – II". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ↑ "1962 War: The Chinese invasion – III". Indian Defence Review. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ↑ "Clearing the air on the man who 'owned' half the Capital". Hindustan Times. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2023.