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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Joginder Singh Dhillon
|image=Lt Gen Joginder Singh Dhillon.jpg
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|nickname=
|birth_name=Joginder Singh Dhillon
|birth_date= {{birth date|1914|11|19|df=y}}
|birth_place=
|death_date= {{death date and age|2003|11|20|1914|11|19|df=y}}
|death_place=
|placeofburial=
|allegiance={{flag|British India}} {{flag|India}}
|branch= {{army|British Raj}} {{army|India}}
|serviceyears= 1936-1970
|rank= [[File:Lieutenant_General of the Indian Army.svg|20px]][[Lieutenant-General]]
|servicenumber=IC-177
|unit= [[11th Hussars|11th Light Dragoons]] [[59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot]] [[16th The Queen's Lancers]]
|commands=
|awards= [[Padma Bhushan]]
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}

'''Lieutenant General Joginder Singh Dhillon''' (19 November 1914–20 November 2003) was an officer in the [[British Indian Army]] and then the [[Indian Army]]. Dhillon Born in Jat Sikh Family. He was the first Army Officer to be awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]], given for his role in the [[1965 India-Pakistan War]], where he was the General Officer Commanding Corps (XI corps).

==Career==
Dhillon served overseas in the British Indian Army after his 1939 graduation with honours from [[Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee|Thomason Engineering College]] in [[Roorkee]]. His active service during World War II occurred in Burma, Iran and Iraq, following which he spent some time at the [[Pakistan Command and Staff College|Staff College]] in [[Quetta]]. He served as commander of a field company in Malaya during 1945-46 and then briefly of another in [[Sourabaya]].<ref name="ie"/>

From 1946 to 1947, Dhillon served as a staff officer in the Engineer-in-Chief's Office and then returned to Quetta as a garrison engineer. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in late 1947, becoming GSO1 in the Engineer-in-Chief Branch from October 1947 to February 1948, before being put in charge of the regimental centre of the [[Bengal Sappers]] in Roorkee. This centre was soon to become a part of the [[Partition of India|newly-created Pakistan]] and thus there were significant administrative preparations during his time there. Among his significant changes, other than those related to the forthcoming split with Pakistan, were measures to end [[Caste system in India|caste-ist practices]] and to encourage joint celebration by Sikhs and Hindus of their respective significant religious days.<ref name="ie"/>

[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] visited the Roorkee centre in 1949 and was so impressed that he asked for Dhillon to command the first [[Delhi Republic Day parade|Republic Day Parade]] held in [[Delhi]] in 1950.<ref name="ie"/> On 6 December 1949, by then a major (temporary lieutenant-colonel and acting colonel) Dhillon was promoted to acting brigadier and given command of a brigade.<ref name="brig_com"/>

Dhillon then commanded two infantry brigades and also served as director of technical development and director of weapons and equipment at army headquarters before being promoted to Major General in 1957. As Major General, he was selected to attend a course at [[Royal College of Defence Studies|Imperial Defence College]] in the United Kingdom, and returned to a posting at the [[National Defence College, India|National Defence College]]. In August 1960, he was given command of a division, and then he became Deputy Chief of General Staff at Army headquarters when he was promoted to GOC, XI corps in Punjab.<ref name="ie"/> He was promoted to substantive lieutenant-general on 17 January 1964.<ref name="subs_lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=176 |date=2 May 1964 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

==Role in 2nd India-Pakistan War, 1965==
Dhillon, as Commander of XI Corps, was responsible for the Punjab sector during the 1965 India-Pakistan War. He is credited in producing and conducting the battle plan that destroyed or captured over 100 superior Pakistani battle tanks, turning a potentially dangerous defeat into victory, as the Pakistani tanks were poised to head for the [[Beas]] Bridge and then on to Delhi.<ref name="ie"/>

[[Frank Moraes]], the editor-in-chief of the ''[[Indian Express]]'', who spent time on the frontlines, wrote: {{quote|I was fortunate to spend some time with Lt General J.S. Dhillon, the corps commander in this sector, and to note and understand how greatly the spirit of all, from jawans to divisional commanders, depends on the calibre of the corps commander. Jogi Dhillon is an enthusiastic, intelligent soldier with a physical vigour, drive and combativeness which enable him to be extraordinarily mobile over his wide command and an inspiring presence and example to his officers and men.<ref name="ie"/>}}

Dhillon was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1966<ref name="ie"/> for his role in the 1965 war, becoming the first Army officer to receive the award.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bsoaroorkee.org/legend2.htm |title=Unique Achievements |publisher=Bengal Sappers Officers Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915115708/http://www.bsoaroorkee.org/legend2.htm |archive-date=15 September 2008}}</ref> The citation given for the award was as follows: {{quote|In this Sector, the enemy launched repeated counter-attacks and the conduct of day to day operations called for great tenacity, strong determination and robust mind. Lieutenant General Dhillon displayed all these qualities in abundance and the success achieved by his Corps was to a great extent due to the personality of the General officer.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=October 15, 2015 }}</ref>}}

Following the war, Dhillon was promoted to Army Commander of the Central Command, from where he retired on 4 August 1970.<ref name="ie"/>

==Personal life==
Dhillon was married for 62 years to his wife Minnie, who survived him after his death, aged 89, on 20 November 2003. They had three daughters.<ref name="ie">{{cite news |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/37534/ |title=Last salute to the lion of 1965 |first=Patwant |last=Singh |date=19 December 2003 |work=The Indian Express |access-date=12 October 2018}}</ref>

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-1a.svg|35px]] || [[Second lieutenant#United Kingdom & other Commonwealth countries|Second Lieutenant]] || [[British Indian Army]] || 1 February 1936<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47">{{cite book|pages=205E|title=Indian Army List Special Edition for August 1947|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1947}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || British Indian Army || 15 April 1938<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || British Indian Army || 1940 (acting) 1 December 1940 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 23 August 1942 (war-substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 3 February 1943 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || [[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] ||British Indian Army || 1 December 1940 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 23 August 1942 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || Captain || [[Indian Army]] || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] ||Indian Army || September 1947 (temporary)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || [[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] ||Indian Army || 1948 (substantive)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-5.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] ||Indian Army || 1949 (acting)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="brig_com"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1928-1953) OF-6.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] ||Indian Army || 6 December 1949 (acting)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="brig_com">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=158 |date=28 January 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || Major || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army || 3 February 1953<ref name="a">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=240 |date=1 November 1952 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel]] || Indian Army || 3 February 1957<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=184 |date=22 September 1956 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Brigadier_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 1953 (acting)<ref name="a"/> 3 February 1958 (substantive)<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=80 |date=5 April 1958 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major general#India|Major General]] || Indian Army || 15 January 1958 (acting)<ref name="actg_maj_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=35 |date=15 February 1958 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> 1 June 1960 (substantive)<ref name="maj_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=245 |date=16 September 1961 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-General]] || Indian Army || 23 November 1963 (acting)<ref name="actg_lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=33 |date=1 February 1964 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> 17 January 1964 (substantive)<ref name="subs_lt_gen"/>
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Indo-Pakistani War of 1965}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–69}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhillon, Joginder Singh}}
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Generals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]

Joginder Singh Dhillon - Revision history

Bot at 14:34, 10 July 2022