Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat (20 May 1918 – 18 July 1948)
On 17 July 1948, Company Havildar Major Singh was posthumously was awarded India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra. The citation reads of follows:
South of Tithwal, 'D' Company, of which No 2831592 Piru Singh, was Havildar Major was detailed to attack and capture an enemy-occupied hill feature. The enemy had well dug in positions and had sited his MMGs so as to cover all possible approaches.
As the attack advanced, it was met with heavy MMG fire from both flanks. Volleys of grenades were hurled down from enemy bunkers. Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was then with the forward-most section of the company. Seeing more than half of the Section killed or wounded,
he did not lose courage. With battle cries, he encouraged the remaining men and rushed forward with great determination onto the nearest enemy MMG position. Grenade splinters ripping his clothes and wounding him at several places, he continued to advance without the least regard
He was on top of the MMG position wounding the gun crew with Sten gunfire. With complete disregard for his bleeding wounds, he made a mad jump on the MMG crew bayoneting them to death, thus silencing the gun. By then he suddenly realized that he was the sole survivor of the
section, the rest of them either dead or wounded. Another grenade thrown at him wounded him in the face. With blood dripping from his face wounds in his eyes, he crawled out of the trench, hurling grenades at the next enemy position.
— Gazette Notification: 8 Pres./52, 16.1.52,
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.