Bot at 13:22, 8 October 2022

2022-10-08T13:22:35Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General]]
| name = K K Singh
| honorific_suffix = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|03|05}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|07|26|1919|03|05}}
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| nickname =
| birth_name =
| allegiance = {{IND}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| serviceyears =
| rank = [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|20px]] [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]]
| servicenumber = IC-39607H
| unit =[[16th Light Cavalry]]
| commands = [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]] [[I Corps (India)|I Corps]] 1 Armoured Division [[16th Light Cavalry]]
| battles =
| battles_label =
| awards = {{hlist|[[Padma Bhushan]]|[[Maha Vir Chakra]]}}
| spouse =
| relations =
| laterwork =
| signature =
| website =
| other_name =
| memorials =
| signature_size =
| signature_alt =
| module =
}}
[[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] '''Khem Karan Singh''' [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (March 5, 1921 – July 26, 2016) was a [[General Officer]] in the [[Indian Army]]. He was awarded [[Padma Bhushan]] for his services to the nation during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 war]].<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=21 July 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=15 October 2015 }}</ref>
He also received [[Maha Vir Chakra]] for his services during [[1965 Indo-Pakistan war]].

==Early life and education==
He was born in 1919 in [[Rohtak district]] in [[Haryana]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.haryana-online.com/warheroes/lt_gen_khem_karan_singh.htm |title=Lt General Khem Karan Singh - Indian Army - Maha vir Chakra - Padma Bhushan - Haryana - India |access-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130070331/http://www.haryana-online.com/WarHeroes/lt_gen_khem_karan_singh.htm |archive-date=30 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A third generation Cavalry Officer, his grandfather [[Risaldar Major]] Ram Singh and father Honorary Major Bharat Singh has served in the [[14th Murray's Jat Lancers]] (which later became [[20th Lancers (British Indian Army)|20th Lancers]]). Singh attended the [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Tribune News |title=Lt Gen Khem Karan Singh: An outstanding military leader |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/haryanatribune/lt-gen-khem-karan-singh-an-outstanding-military-leader-670659 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}</ref>

==Military career==
Singh was commissioned into the [[16th Light Cavalry]] in 1941, which he later commanded. In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], Singh commanded the 1 Armoured Brigade and was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]].

===Maha Vir Chakra===
The citation for the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Lt Gen Khem Karan Singh, MVC (retd) @ TWDI |url=http://twdi.in/node/1407 |website=twdi.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=KHEM KARAN SINGH {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/khem-karan-singh |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref>
{{Quotation|Gazette Notification: 129 Pres/65,11-11-65
Operation: 1965 Op Riddle
Date of Award: 06 Sep 1965

{{center|'''CITATION''' 
'''BRIGADIER KHEM KARAN SINGH''' 
'''IC-2014'''}}
Brigadier Khem Karan Singh, commander of an armoured brigade, led his brigade and some additional armoured units into action during the operations in the Sialkot Sector from 6 to 22 September 1965. He was to cope with enemy tanks which were superior in number and better in technical performance.

During the first three days of battle, the force under the command of Brigadier Singh destroyed over 75 enemy tanks at the cost of a small number of our own tanks. This was possible due to Brigadier Singh's personal example, as he, in his own task, was present at the point of maximum enemy threat.

Brigadier Singh fought the battle of Phillora for three days and nights, throwing out the enemy from this important communication centre. The enemy's morale was so much demoralised because of this action that he avoided close combat and engaged our forces only at extreme range.

Brigadier Khem Karan Singh displayed outstanding leadership, high tactical ability and great devotion to duty, in the best traditions of the Indian Army.|sign=|source=}}

After the war, Singh was promoted to the rank of [[Major General]] and commanded a division and served as the [[Chief of Staff]] of the [[Western Command (India)|Western Command]]. He then took over the important appointment of Director of Military Operations (DMO) at Army HQ under the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]] [[General (India)|General]] [[Sam Manekshaw]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Tribune News |title=Lt Gen Khem Karan Singh: An outstanding military leader |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/haryanatribune/lt-gen-khem-karan-singh-an-outstanding-military-leader-670659 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}</ref> In October 1971, just before the outbreak of the war, Singh was sent to command [[I Corps (India)|I Corps]], then the only Strike Corps of the Indian Army. For his meritorious service, Singh was awarded the third highest civilian award - the [[Padma Bhushan]].

In November 1973, Singh was promoted to Army Commander grade and took over as the 5th [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] (GOC-in-C) [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]].

After a two-year stint as GOC-in-C Central Command, Singh retired in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Tribune News |title=Lt Gen Khem Karan Singh: An outstanding military leader |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/haryanatribune/lt-gen-khem-karan-singh-an-outstanding-military-leader-670659 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| before = H K Sibal
| title = [[General officer commanding#Usage in the Indian Army|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]
| years = 1973 - 1975
| after = J S Nakai}}
{{s-end}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}
{{Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Khem Karan}}
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:Generals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:People from Rohtak district]]
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]

Khem Karan Singh - Revision history

Bot at 13:22, 8 October 2022