VirginiaOxenham at 13:20, 23 September 2024

2024-09-23T13:20:17Z

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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=51 Medium Regiment
|image=
|caption=
|dates=1961 – present
|country={{flag icon|India}} [[India]]
|allegiance=India
|branch= [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
|type= [[File:Regiment of Artillery Insignia (India).svg|20px]] [[Artillery]]
|role=
|size= Regiment
|command_structure=
|equipment=

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

|identification_symbol=51 Med Regt
|identification_symbol_label=Abbreviation

|nickname=
|patron=
|motto= Sarvatra, Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory)<br/>Farz-o-dileri
|colors= Red & Navy Blue
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=
|anniversaries=1 March – Raising Day
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
}}
'''51 Medium Regiment''' is part of the [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]] of the [[Indian Army]].
== Formation==
The regiment was raised on 1 March 1961 in a field area at Harchura in [[Assam]] as '''51 Mountain Composite Regiment (Pack)'''. It was one of the few animal pack artillery units raised prior to the 1962 war, when the gravity of the threat posed by the Chinese started emerging. The first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Anyattuparmbil John Itty Cheria. The regiment had a headquarters battery, three mountain (pack) batteries with [[QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer|3.7 inch mountain howitzers]] and a mortar battery equipped with 120 mm mortars. Three batteries were of [[Dogras|Dogra]] troops and one of [[Sikhs]].<ref name="GJ">{{cite web|url=https://samsshopping.com/product/golden-jubilee-of-51-medium-regt-01-mar-2011/ |title=APS Cover March 2011 -Golden Jubilee|date=2011-03-01|access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref><ref name="Tribune">{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140904/nation.htm|title=Gunners of 51 Mountain Regiment remember old times|date=2014-09-04|access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref> The regiment shed its [[Packhorse|pack animals]] in 1966.<ref name="HT">{{cite web|url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/remembering-51-mountain-regiment/story-ITh2ZMYVxgvizuMOVDWZpK.html|title=Remembering 51 Mountain Regiment|date=2014-09-07|access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref> After 25 years as a mountain regiment, the unit was converted to a field regiment and is currently a medium regiment. The regiment presently consists of 139, 140 and 141 medium batteries. Of the initial four batteries, 142 Mountain Battery was hived off and formed the nucleus of 182 Light Regiment (Pack) in September 1965 (presently [[1821 Light Regiment (India)|1821 Light Regiment]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://samsshopping.com/product/1821-light-regiment/|title=1821 Light Regiment-Indian Army Postal Cover|date=2015-09-15|accessdate=2024-01-02}}</ref>

==Operations==
The regiment has taken part in the following operations –
{{Expand list|date=January 2024}}
*[[Sino-Indian War]] – Soon after its formation, the regiment saw action in the [[Tawang]] Sector. Thought then still without its guns, it was deployed in an infantry role, used as reconnaissance and observation detachments and as [[Artillery observer|forward observers]] during the war.<ref name="Tribune"/><ref name="HT"/> Lieutenant A S Balasubramanian and four [[Other ranks (UK)|other ranks]] lost their lives during the war (when serving with [[22 Medium Regiment (India)|22 Mountain Regiment]]).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/lieutenant-a-s-balasubramanian/|title= Lieutenant A S Balasubramanian|access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.indiaofthepast.org/sites/indiaofthepast.org/files/pdf/1962war/kia1962list.pdf|title=Extract of MIA/KIA list – 1962|access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref>

*During the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965]], the unit was in the eastern sector and did not see action.<ref name="Tribune"/>
*[[Indo-Pakistani war of 1971]] – The regiment was equipped with [[75/24 Pack Howitzer|75/24 mountain guns]] and was part of 19 Artillery Brigade under [[19th Indian Infantry Division|19 Infantry Division]]. It was deployed along the [[Uri, Jammu and Kashmir|Uri]]-[[ Tangdhar, Jammu and Kashmir|Tangdhar]] axis in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and saw intense action.<ref name="Tribune"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Jagjit |title=Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971|date=1994|publisher= Spantech & Lancer|isbn=978-1897829554|page=43}}</ref> 141 Mountain Battery was part of the artillery support for the 104 Infantry Brigade offensive in [[Teetwal|Tithwal]] sub-sector to capture many strategic posts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/203255/5/chapter%203.pdf|title=Anjan Mukherjee in Evolution of Indian Artillery and its Impact on India's Comprehensive Military Power, chapter II|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>
*[[Operation Brasstacks|Operation Trident]]
*Operation Falcon
*Operation Rhino – counter terrorist operations in [[Assam]]
*Operation Rakshak – counter terrorist operations in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].
*[[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]]

==Gallantry awards==
The regiment has won the following gallantry awards<ref name="GJ"/> -
{{Expand list|date= January 2024}}
*[[Shaurya Chakra]] – 1 (Major Gurmukh Singh Dhillon<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.csl_weekly.1985-03-16.O-0776-1985-0011-34493/|title=Gazette of India, No 11, page 301|date=1985-03-16|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>)
*[[Sena Medal]] – 4 (Major Jagtar Singh Virk<ref>{{cite web|url= https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.1974.7/|title=Gazette of India, No 10, page 284|date=1974-03-09|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>)
*[[Vishisht Seva Medal]] – 1 (Colonel Rajesh Kumar<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.2004.477|title=Gazette of India, No 17, page 382|date=2004-04-24|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>)
*[[Commendation Card (Indian Army)|Chief of Army Staff Commendation cards]] – 15
*[[Commendation Card (Indian Army)|Vice Chief of Army Staff Commendation cards]] – 1
*[[Commendation Card (Indian Army)|General Officer Commanding in Chief Commendation cards]] – 16

==Motto==
The motto of the regiment ''Farz-o-dileri'' was coined by the third commanding officer - Lieutenant Colonel AS Cheema.<ref name="GJ"/>
==Notable Officers==
{{Expand list|date= January 2024}}
*Major General Kuldip Singh Bajwa<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/gen-who-fought-three-wars-with-pakistan-passes-away-362163|title=Gen who fought three wars with Pakistan passes away|date=2017-02-10|access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of regiments of the Indian Army#Artillery|List of artillery regiments of Indian Army]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1961]]
[[Category:Artillery regiments of the Indian Army after 1947]]

51 Medium Regiment India - Revision history

VirginiaOxenham at 13:20, 23 September 2024