Ed_Haynes

Probationary member? Post some in non-sale sections and you'll get promoted. This keeps people from just contributing to the forum as a sales venue.

Eleven new AC at Republic Day. All posthuous, seven to the police (who aren't elegible). ======================================== Ashoka Chakra awardees and their saga of gallantry -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:6 IST NOT TO BE PUBLISHED/BROADCAST BEFORE 26 JAN 2009 The Ashoka Chakra is awarded to any individual, uniformed or civilian, for the most conspicuous bravery, or some act of daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice otherwise than in the face of the enemy. On January 26, 2009 the President will confer 11 Ashoka Chakra Awards, including two announced earlier on August 15, 2008 on Asstt. Commandant Pramod Kumar Satapathy, Special Operation Group, Orissa State Armed Police (Posthumous), and Shri R P Diengdoh, Meghalaya Police (Posthumous), at Rajpath before the start of the parade. The following is the full list of awardees and a brief on their acts of valour: SHRI R P DIENGDOH MEGHALAYA POLICE (POSTHUMOUS) On 6th November 2007, information was received that about ten militants, armed with automatic rifles and a huge quantity of explosives have set up a camp in the jungles of Meghalaya. Shri RP Diengdoh volunteered to lead the police party in the operations against the militants. The police party reached the site the next day just before dawn and charged into the camp to flush out the militants. The militants opened heavy fire on the assault team. Shri Diengdoh boldly returned the fire and shot dead one militant. However, he was hit by a bullet. Unmindful of the grave injury, he continued to lead the team and managed to capture two dreaded militants. Shri RP Diengdoh displayed exemplary dedication to duty and pre-eminent valour in making the supreme sacrifice while fighting the militants. ASSISTANT COMMANDANT SHRI PRAMOD KUMAR SATAPATHY TRAINING-IN-CHARGE OF THE SPECIAL OPERATION GROUP ORISSA STATE ARMED POLICE (POSTHUMOUS) In the night of 15th February 2008 about 500 heavily armed naxalites carried out simultaneous attacks on police at various locations in and around Bhubaneswar looting many weapons and killing several police personnel. Thereafter, they hid in nearby jungles. Assistant Commandant Shri Pramod Kumar Satapathy of the Special Operation Group along with a mere 20 police personnel reached the elevated position taken by the naxalites inside the jungle and immediately mounted an assault on them. The naxalites retaliated with heavy fire on the police team and in a fierce encounter lasting for about two hours. Shri Satapathy led the operations with exemplary courage before making the supreme sacrifice. Shri Pramod Kumar Satapathy displayed highest degree of bravery and dedication to duty in the fight against naxalites. IC-45618 COLONEL JOJAN THOMAS JAT REGIMENT / 45 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS) On 22nd August 2008, at about 03:30 AM, Colonel Jojan Thomas, Commanding Officer of 45 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion deployed in Jammu and Kashmir established contact with a group of terrorists. Colonel Thomas immediately rushed to the area with available troops and soon a fierce firefight ensued. Leading from the front, Colonel Thomas eliminated two terrorists from close quarters. In the process he sustained severe gun shot wounds. Inspite of this, he engaged the third terrorist in a fierce hand-to-hand fight before eliminating him. Colonel Jojan Thomas displayed exemplary leadership and exceptional gallantry in eliminating three hardcore terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. SHRI MOHAN CHAND SHARMA INSPECTOR, DELHI POLICE (POSTHUMOUS) On 19th September 2008, Shri Mohan Chand Sharma, Inspector, Delhi Police received specific information that a suspected person wanted in connection with the serial bomb blasts in Delhi was hiding in a flat in Batla House area of Jamia Nagar, New Delhi. Shri Sharma leading a seven member team quickly reached the identified flat. As soon as he entered the flat he received the first burst of fire from the terrorists holed up inside the flat. Undaunted, he returned the fire. In the ensuing exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed and one captured. Shri Mohan Chand Sharma showed exemplary courage and devotion to duty in fighting the terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. 13621503 HAVILDAR BAHADUR SINGH BOHRA10TH BATTALION THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT (SPECIAL FORCES) (POSTHUMOUS) Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra was the squad commander of an assault team deployed for a search operation in General Area Lawanz of Jammu and Kashmir. On 25th September 2008, at 6:15 PM, he observed a group of terrorists and moved quickly to intercept them. In the process, he came under heavy hostile fire. Undaunted, he charged at the terrorists and killed one of them. However, he suffered severe gun shot wounds. Refusing evacuation, he continued with the assault and killed two more terrorists at extremely close range. Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra, thus, displayed most conspicuous bravery and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in fighting the terrorists. SHRI HEMANT KAMLAKAR KARKARE JOINT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MAHARASHTRA (POSTHUMOUS) On 26th November 2008 at 9:40 PM, Shri Hemant Kamlakar Karkare, Joint Commissioner of Police and Chief of the Anti-Terrorist Squad, received information about a terrorist attack at Chhatrapati Sivaji Terminus Railway Station, Mumbai. Acting swiftly, Shri Karkare dispatched teams to plug the possible escape routes and himself alongwith a small team rushed to Cama Hospital where the terrorists had moved by then. A firefight ensued between the terrorists and the police team. As a result, the terrorists were forced to change their position. Shri Karkare pursued the terrorists but in the process his jeep got ambushed and he was critically injured. He however, continued to lead the operation and succeeded in injuring one of the terrorists. Shri Hemant Kamlakar Karkare displayed courage and leadership of the highest order in fighting the terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. SHRI TUKARAM GOPAL OMBALE ASSISTANT SUB-INSPECTOR OF POLICE, MAHARASHTRA (POSTHUMOUS) On 26th November 2008, Shri Tukaram Gopal Ombale, Asstt. Sub Inspector of Police was on night duty at D B Marg Police Station when the terrorist attack in Mumbai took place. Around midnight, a wireless message was flashed that two terrorists were moving towards Marine Drive in a car. Shri Ombale immediately positioned barricades to block its passage. As soon the car stopped, one of the terrorists inside the car opened fire. Shri Ombale in a daring act rushed to the left side of the car and pounced on one of the terrorists in order to snatch his AK 47 rifle. In the process he got seriously injured and later succumbed to his injuries. Shri Tukaram Gopal Ombale showed raw grit and unparalleled courage in making his supreme sacrifice while fighting the terrorists. IC-58660 MAJOR SANDEEP UNNIKRISHNAN BIHAR REGIMENT / 51 SPECIAL ACTION GROUP (POSTHUMOUS) Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan led the commando operation launched on 27th November 2008 to flush out terrorists from Hotel Taj Mahal, Mumbai in which he rescued 14 hostages. During the operation, his team came under intense hostile fire, in which one of his team members got grievously injured. Major Sandeep pinned down the terrorists with accurate fire and rescued the injured commando to safety. In the process, he was shot in his right arm. Despite his injuries, he continued to fight the terrorists till his last breath. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan displayed most conspicuous bravery besides camaraderie and leadership of the highest order and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. 4073611 HAVILDAR GAJENDER SINGH PARACHUTE REGIMENT / 51 SPECIAL ACTION GROUP (POSTHUMOUS) In the night of 27th November 2008, Havildar Gajender Singh was leading his squad in the operation to rescue hostages from the terrorists at Nariman House, Mumbai. After clearing the top floor of the terrorists, he reached the place where the terrorists had taken position. As he closed in, the terrorists hurled a grenade injuring him. Undeterred, he kept firing and closing in on the terrorists by exposing himself to the hostile fire. In the act, he injured one of the terrorists and forced the others to retreat inside a room. He continued the encounter till he succumbed to his injuries. Havildar Gajender Singh displayed most conspicuous courage against grave odds and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in combating the terrorists. SHRI ASHOK MARUTRAO KAMTE ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MAHARASHTRA (POSTHUMOUS) On 26th November 2008, ten heavily armed terrorists launched simultaneous attacks at various places in Mumbai. Shri Ashok Marutrao Kamte, Addl. Commissioner of Police was part of the police team which rushed to Cama Hospital where the terrorists had moved in. A firefight ensued between the terrorist and the police team. As a result, the terrorists were forced to change their position. The Police team pursued the terrorists but in the process their jeep got ambushed and Shri Kamte was critically injured. He however, continued the fight and played key role in injuring one of the terrorists. Shri Ashok Marutrao Kamte displayed courage and leadership of the highest order in fighting the terrorists and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. SHRI VIJAY SHAHADEV SALASKAR INSPECTOR, ANTI EXTORTION CELL OF CRIME BRANCH, MAHARASHTRA (POSTHUMOUS) On 26th November 2008, ten heavily armed terrorists launched simultaneous attacks at various places in Mumbai. Shri Vijay Shahadev Salaskar, Inspector, Anti Extortion Cell of Crime Branch was part of the police team rushed to Cama Hospital where the terrorists had moved in. A firefight ensued between the terrorist and the police team. As a result, the terrorists were forced to change their position. The Police team pursued the terrorists but in the process their jeep got ambushed and Shri Kamte and Shri Salaskar was critically injured. He however, continued the fight and played key role in injuring one of the terrorists. Shri Vijay Shahadev Salaskar showed raw grit and unparalleled courage against grave odds and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. PK / HS http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=46980&kwd= ========================================= Also 13 Kirti Chakras and 30 Shaurya Chakras (plus one bar).

It has been ages since I have heard anything from GK, longer since any research.

Just got word that Alexei can now do research with serial numbers only. Very fast, but VERY expensive.

Another entry

Can anyone make any sense out of the name in this fading entry? Thanks in advanace.

Yes, a very nice one, and I've never seen such a good image of it. Thanks.

Another nice one. I never cease to be amazed how research can add history and meaning to these chunks of metal and cloth. How many years did you have to wait for this research?

No one seems to have a clue (NO ONE) about the Prime Minister's Police Lifesaving Medal. The PM's secretariat didn't even realise it existed before we asked. Though the police cluelessly award it to themselves every year in the name of the PM. The regular lifesaving medals (the Jeevan Raksha Padak series) are all published in the Gazette of India and, until recently, citations were published. In recent years, they have dropped those, alas. (You have to get the book! Drop me a PM.)

Tailors copies do exist, but I have never seen one of a MVC.

The line that seems to be drawn on when one gets a PVC/MVC/VrC award of a AC/KC/SC award is a matter of who you are fighting. If you are fighting the Pakistanis or Chinese or on UN peacekeeping duties it is "combat" (PVC series). If you are engaged in internal anti-terrorist or anti-separatist actions it is a not "combat" (AC series). While civilians can get and have gotten "combat" awards, they'd usually get awards from the AC series, though these have become scarce in recent years. As always, the police are their own special class and tend to get both, randomly, especially the more para-military police types. There is a separate three-degree lifesaving medal, though it is supposed to be civilian only. I know a nice young major who got a lifesaving medal, but for actions he got involved in while picnicking with the famility. There is also (of course) a separate marginally constiutional police lifesaving medal.

Thanks for all the help here. I'm working on getting written up, maybe for JOMSA. Need to find someone who can do a full translation of all the material though (for pay). Any suggestions? (No, not Paul.)

Interesting. I have seen this sort of improvised home-made mounting system several times.

Interesting. A slightly enlarged image that can easily be seen:

And, with much appreciation for what help has been offered, I still wait. Before posting more

Preliminary press reports suggest (a lot of information has been leaking this year with three days yet to go) that there cound be around eleven (11!) ACs this year, mostly for Mumbai. And with a bunch for the police (who were specifically excluded from this award). Can we say "degradation"? Can we say "politics"?

Obviously something post-Soviet. The cross and imperial imagery make it look like contemporray Russia.

Yes, almost all Indian medals are named. While they probably originally intended the reverse area for naming, they are named on the edge. The MVC I have, being just a mint specimen, isn't named, of course. The one I have seen with a (very fortunate) collector and the two I have seen with the recipients are very nicely named, though recent PVCs and ACs are pretty ugly in their naming.

Nope. This is just babble from the Ministry of Defence public relations weasels. All they'd get is a "MVC" after their name. But that is quite a bit.

Vayu Sena Medal To 4716 GD(P) Squadron Leader Pradiman Kishen Kaul, VM, Indian Air Force. A very "broken" group, but this is a rather uncommon award. Through 2003, there have been 940 awards. His 26 January 1964 notification: "Flt Lt Kaul has been engaged in air transport operations in Jammu and Kashmir area since 1957. He has done more than 1000 hours of operational flying over this area and over 200 hours of transport operations flying in NEFA. He is one of the pilots who carried out about 150 sorties, airlifting heavy engineer stores to the forward area in all supply-dropping sorties, he displayed precision of a high order. During the recent Chinese aggression on our borders, he carried out a number of dangerous reconnaissance missions and landing sorties to forward landing grounds. Throughout, Flight Lieutenant Kaul displayed determination, professional skill and courage of a high order." He later left the IAF and went with Air India as a commercial pilot.

Nao Sena Medal To Sub-Lieutenant (SD) (TAS) Anant Ram, NM, Indian Navy, awarded 26 January 1966. The rather "salty" group is interesting, with apparent WWII merchant navy service and the clear "spoor" of a clasp on the Africa Star. The navy is so hard to research! The NM citation: "Sub-Lieutanant Anant Ram has rendered vital diving assistance at national projects and naval tasks since 1961. In September 1964, when a Piper Cub aircraft, belonging to the Bombay Flying Club, crashed while on a flight from Bombay to Ahmedabad, Sub-Lieutenant Anant Ram with a diving team went to search for the aircraft. In spite of a rough sea and swift current and very deep water, Sub-Lieutenant Anant Ram decided to undertake the operation and continued the search of a wide area until it was called off as it was evident the aircraft had sunk in deep mud. "In November 1964, at the request of the Gujarat Electricity Board, Sub-Lieutenant Anant Ram worked with a diving team for the removal of a steel coffer-dam in the river Mahi which was blocking the flow of water into the pump-house of a new power station in Khaira District. The task became very difficult and risky because of the high tide, continuous silting, deep mud and complete darkness due to muddy water. Despite all these hazards Sub-Lieutenant Anant Ram led his diving team and successfully conducted the operations of cutting the coffer dam 8 feet below the datum. "Throughout, Sub-Lieutenant Anant Ram displayed exemplary courage, professional skill and devotion to duty which was in the best traditions of the Indian Navy." Through 2003 there have been only 747 awards of the NM.

On 26 January 1960, India created a set of three service specific "Sena" medals" -- Sena Medal -- for the Army -- Nao Sena Medal -- for the Navy -- Vayu Sena Medal -- for the Air Force These medals were to be awarded to the army for acts of courage and for exceptional achievement. In special circumstances, it can also be awarded to non-military personnel if they are borne on the rolls of an army formation. There was a confusion implicit in there creation, one that has haunted these awards ever since: The opverlapped the contradictory roles of being tier four gallantry awards and tier four achievement awards. This has led to a great deal of confusion, anger, and a few court cases. I'll show three groups (probably shown elsewhere too). Sena Medal To JC-36217 Subadar/Honorary Captain Durgabahadur Gurung, SM, 3/1st Gorkha Rifles. (Unmounted, but as it has a rare early SM ribbon, I have not been anxious to remount it.) The Gazette notification (26 January 1963): "On 5th December 1961 the 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was ordered to clear a strategic road in Katanga. When Captain Salaria, with two Sections of Gorkhas and two Swedish Armoured Personnel Carriers arrived at a position about 1,500 yards from the road block, he came under heavyh automatic and small arms fire from enemy dug-in position on his right flank. Captain Salaria and his men killed 40 of the enemy and knocked out two Armoured cars but when he was wounded and collapsed due to profuse bleeding the command of this small gallant band of men devolved on Havildar Durgabahadur Gurung, at a most critical juncture. The enemy continued firing relentlessly. The ammunition of our troops was running low and wireless contact with battalion headquarters had been lost. "Havildar Durgabahadur Gurung organised the remnants of his force into a defensive position under heavy enemy fire. He obtained mortar support and repeatedly broke up enemy counter-attacks remaining with his men until he was ordered to withdraw. "Havildar Gurung displayed cool courage and devotion to duty under difficult circumstances." This is the same action for which IC-8497 Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, 3/1st Gurkha Rifles posthumously received the Param Vir Chakra The young captain gets them into a fix, gets killed, and gets the PVC; the havildar steps in, gets them out of the mess, and gets only a bloody Sena Medal?!?! Through 2003, there have been 4,780 awards of the SM, including a unique second bar to IC-40348 Captain Pankaj Awasti, S.M.**.

And, the man behind the medals, Naik Udairaj Singh. (Wearing his ribbons in the wrong order.)

To see the VrC in context, this is the group to 2941940 Naik Udairaj Singh, VrC, 6th Rajput Regiment (it has been shown before). His award was also for the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. "On 11 December 1971, Sepoy Udai Raj Singh was with a company of Rajput Regiment which was assigned the task of attacking an enemy position in the Eastern Sector. As the assault progressed half way up to the objective, the enemy brought heavy machine gun fire. With utter disregard for his safety, he rushed forward, took up position and started engaging the enemy machine gun. Later, he moved towards the bunker, leapt inside and killed the crew. "Thereafter, he fought from bunker to bunker along with his section and was instrumental in capturing the objective. "In this action, Sepoy Udai Raj Singh displayed determination and devotion to duty of a high order."

The third-tier military gallantry award of India is the Vir Chakra, awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Through 2003, this medal has been awarded 1,315 times with 10 first bars and no second bars. The example shown was awarded for gallantry on 4 December 1971 to 3554638 NC(E) Mangat Ram, Sikh Regiment. This is the only VrC to ahve been awarded for combat gallantry to a non-combatant (enrolled). The Gazette notification: "NC(E) Mangat Ram was in a company-defended locality in Jammu and Kashmir. The enemy subjected this locality to repeated attacks in battalion strength, supported by heavy artillery fire. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he carried ammunition over gazardous hilly terrain and kept the forward defended localities supplied with ammunition. ?In this action, NC (E) Mangat Ram showed courage and determination of a high order."