Template:Infobox military person
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Bhim Chand, VrC & bar, (born 17 December 1905)[1] was an officer of the Indian Army around the mid-20th century. He is known for his role in stalling the advance of the Pakistani forces in Ladakh during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48. He is the only person in the Indian Army known for having been awarded a double award in this war.[2] For his role in this war, Bhim Chand is regarded among the 'Saviours of Ladakh', alongside Thakur Prithi Chand, Kushal Chand, and Chewang Rinchen.[3][4]
Personal life
Bhim Chand hailed from Lahaul, then a part of the Kangra district of the Punjab Province of British India. His father was Phunchog Rabgai.[5] He was a maternal uncle to Colonel Thakur Prithi Chand, MVC, and Lieutenant Colonel Kushal Chand, MVC, and fought alongside them in Ladakh during the 1947-48 war with Pakistan.[6][7] Like all of them, Bhim Chand was a Tibetan Buddhist.[8]
Armed forces career
Bhim Chand joined the British Indian Army as a soldier in the 2nd Battalion of the Dogra Regiment, on 22 September 1939.[5] He served in World War II over 1939–45, for which he received a 'Jangi Inam' from the British government on 15 January 1947.[9]
He continued in 2 Dogra during the 1947-48 war. During this war, while at the JCO rank of Subedar, he was twice awarded the Vir Chakra - the third highest gallantry award in the post-Independence Indian Army. He retired with the honorary rank of Subedar Major and Honorary Captain, on December 1, 1958.[8]
Actions in Ladakh, 1948
In 1948, Bhim Chand was part of an all-volunteer group from the 2nd Dogras, led by Major Thakur Prithi Chand with Captain (later Major) Kushal Chand as second-in-command. Comprising around twenty men in total - all from Lahaul and all Buddhists - this group made its way to Ladakh in the thick of winter in February, arriving there by mid-March. The aim was to protect Ladakh from Pakistani invaders. Prithi Chand and Bhim Chand raised a militia of local volunteers in Nubra, called the 'Nubra Guards', of which Colonel Chewang Rinchen, MVC & bar, SM - then a 17-year old - became a member.[10][11] Bhim Chand also played a vital role in the defence of Leh, the capital of Ladakh.[12]
Vir Chakra awards
The first Vir Chakra citation for Subedar Bhim Chand, dated 23 August 1948, reads as the following:[5][13]
The second Vir Chakra citation of Subedar Bhim Chand, dated 27 December 1948, reads as the following:[14]
References
- ↑ The Brave Soldiers of Lahaul - the Saviours of Ladakh in 1948{{#if:Tobdan|, Tobdan}. Kaveri Books(2022)
- ↑ The Gallant Dogras: An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment{{#if:Prasad|, Prasad}. Lancer Publishers(2005). ISBN 978-81-7062-268-0
- ↑ Homage paid to Lt Col Khushal Chand "Savior of Ladakh". Brighter Kashmir. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ↑ Selected Stories of Gallant Indian Soldiers{{#if:Francis|, Francis}. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd(2019-10-02). ISBN 978-93-88161-85-5
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Subedar Major and Hony Captain (then Subedar) BHIM CHAND. gallantryawards.gov.in.
- ↑ Maj Kushal Chand — Ladakh valley's saviour. The Tribune(August 10, 2019).
- ↑ Ladakh in the Twentieth Century{{#if:Bloeria|, Bloeria}. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd(2021). ISBN 978-93-89620-84-9
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Brave Soldiers of Lahaul - The Saviours of Ladakh in 1948{{#if:Tobdan|, Tobdan}. Kaveri Books(2022)
- ↑ The Brave Soldiers of Lahaul - the Saviours of Ladakh in 1948{{#if:Tobdan|, Tobdan}. Kaveri Books(2022)
- ↑ The Snow Warriors, Capt. D.P. Ramachandran. Colours of Glory(June 5, 2017). Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ↑ An Ode to the Unsung Heroes of Ladakh, Arpi, Claude. khandro.net(May 26, 2009).
- ↑ Trishul - Ladakh and Kargil, 1947-1993{{#if:Brig (retd.) Ashok Malhotra|, Brig (retd.) Ashok Malhotra}. Lance Publishers & Distributors(2003)
- ↑ The Brave Soldiers of Lahaul - the Saviours of Ladakh in 1948{{#if:Tobdan|, Tobdan}. Kaveri Books(2022)
- ↑ Subedar Major and Honorary Captain (then Subedar) BHIM CHAND Vir Chakra. gallantryawards.gov.in.