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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=26 Air Defence Regiment
|image=
|caption=
|dates= 1941 – present
|country=[[India]]
|allegiance={{flag|British India}}<br />{{flag|India}}
|branch= {{army|British India|23px}}<br />[[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|23px]] [[Indian Army]]
|type= [[Corps of Army Air Defence]]
|role=
|size= Regiment
|command_structure=
|equipment=

|Past Commanders=
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol=26 AD Regt
|identification_symbol_label=Abbreviation

|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors= Sky Blue and Red
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
}}

'''26 Air Defence Regiment''' is an [[Air Defence]] regiment of the [[Indian Army]].

== Formation ==
26 Air Defence Regiment was raised on 1 October 1941<ref name="Platinum Jubilee Celebration Of 26 Air Defence Regiment">{{cite web|url=https://skyhawktimes.com/platinum-jubilee-celebration-26-air-defence-regiment/|title= Platinum Jubilee Celebration Of 26 Air Defence Regiment at skyhawktimes.com|date=2016-10-01|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> at [[Shahrah-e-Faisal|Drigh Road]], [[Karachi]] as the 2nd Indian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment<ref name="26 Air Defence Regiment celebrates Platinum jubilee">{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/26-Air-Defence-Regiment-celebrates-Platinum-jubilee/articleshow/54719308.cms|title= 26 Air Defence Regiment celebrates Platinum jubilee at timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ |date=2016-10-06|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref><ref name=" Sainik Samachar">{{cite web|url=http://www.sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2016/oct16-16/h18.htm|title= Sainik Samachar |date=2016-10-16|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> under Lt Col EC Kensington, [[Royal Artillery|RA]].

== History ==

;[[World War II]]: On 1 August 1942, the Regiment joined the Eastern Army and was deployed in [[Bengal]] and [[Assam]]. From November 1943 to December 1945, the Regiment was placed under [[William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim|Gen Slim's]] [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|XIV Army]] under the [[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|IV Corps]]<ref name="CSI Battlebook 10-C">{{cite book|last=Higgins|first=WJ|title=CSI Battlebook 10C Imphal Kohima|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a151628.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214094251/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a151628.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=February 14, 2021|date=1984|publisher=Combat Studies Institute|isbn=|page=19}}</ref> and was the only Air Defence Regiment to enter [[Rangoon]] after its capture.<ref name="Corps of Army Air Defence raising day to change to 15 September to recognise WW-II origin">{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/defence/corps-of-army-air-defence-raising-day-to-change-to-15-september-to-recognise-ww-ii-origin/492020/|title= "Corps of Army Air Defence raising day to change to 15 September to recognise WW-II origin" at theprint.in/ |date=2020-08-31|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> Havildar Surat Singh won the [[Indian Distinguished Service Medal]].<ref name="Indian Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiments">{{cite web|url=http://www.airdefence.in/history/indian-light-anti-aircraft-anti-tank-regiments/|title= Indian Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiments at www.airdefence.in|date=2019-06-07|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref><ref name="London Gazette 16-11-1944">{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36796/supplement/5260/data.pdf|title= London Gazette 16-11-1994|date=1944-11-16|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref>

;[[Partition of India]]: In 1947–48, a train carrying refugees from [[Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station|Nizamuddin]] to [[Attari]] was attacked by a mob near [[Ludhiana]]. Maj Gurcharan Singh<ref name=" Gurcharan Singh Kirti Chakra">{{cite web|url=https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/gurcharan-singh-0|title= Gurcharan Singh Kirti Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in |date=|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> and Naib Subedar Dhan Singh<ref name=" Dhan Singh Shaurya Chakra">{{cite web|url= https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/dhan-singh|title= Dhan Singh Shaurya Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in |date=|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> displayed courage of the higher order and protected the refugees. For their bravery, they were awarded the [[Kirti Chakra|Ashoka Chakra, Class II]] and [[Shaurya Chakra|Ashoka Chakra, Class III]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1952/E-2286-1952-0017-106013.pdf|title=Gazette of India, No 17, page 126|date=1952-01-26|access-date=2022-10-11}}</ref>

;[[Annexation of Hyderabad|Hyderabad Police Action]] (1948): The Regiment participated in the annexation of the state of [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]] into the Indian Union.

;[[Sino-Indian War]]: The Regiment was deployed in the Eastern Theatre. In addition to its Air Defence role, detachments of the Regiment were deployed in infantry role in [[Tawang]] and [[West Kameng district|Senge]] of [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref name="26 AD-Indian Army Postal Cover">{{cite web |url=https://www.philamart.com/Listing/Details/3062287/26-Air-Defence-RegimentIndian-Army-Postal-Cover-APO|title=26 AD-Indian Army Postal Cover |date= |accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref>

;[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pak War (1965)]]: The Regiment was deployed in the Eastern theatre, where 6 [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86s]] were engaged and 2 were shot down.<ref name="26 AD-Indian Army Postal Cover"/>

;[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]: The Regiment was deployed in the [[Punjab]] sector and shot down 7 aircraft. The Regiment was awarded 1 [[Vir Chakra]],<ref name=" Shreepati Singh Vir Chakra">{{cite web|url= https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/shreepati-singh|title= Shreepati Singh Vir Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in |date=|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> 1 [[Shaurya Chakra]],<ref name=" Vishnu Datta Sharma Shaurya Chakra">{{cite web|url= https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/vishnu-datta-sharma|title= Vishnu Datta Sharma Shaurya Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in |date=|accessdate=2020-09-26}}</ref> 1 [[Vishisht Seva Medal]], 1 [[Sena Medal]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1974/O-1253-1974-0010-55496.pdf|title=Naib Subedar Rati Ram - Sena Medal Citation in The Gazette of India No 10|date=1974-03-09|accessdate=2020-10-18}}</ref> and 2 [[Mention in Despatches]].

;Other Achievements:
*The Regiment was awarded the Director General Army Air Defence's (DGAAD) unit appreciation award in 2005, 2011 and 2015. It has also been awarded 11 COAS Commendation Cards and 18 GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.
*2 offices from the unit went on to become the Director General of Army Air Defence – Lt Gen KS Dogra AVSM*, VSM, ADC and Lt Gen Ram Pratap PVSM, VSM, ADC.<ref name="26 AD-Indian Army Postal Cover"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Air defence regiments of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Air defence units and formations]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1941]]

26 Air Defence Regiment India - Revision history

Bot at 01:18, 27 November 2022