Rohee

Wow!!! Welcome, a thousand times welcome. It's obvious that you'll be an invaluable asset to the forum. I expect that you are about to get dozens of questions from the rest of us. Here comes the first:

In November of 1984, I was in Pakistan working with the Pakistani Army on night sights for their tanks. They had proposed operational trials with the 33rd Cavalry regiment, but we had been standing by for some time in Karachi, awaiting Army HQ approval to proceed.

On the night of Mrs. Gandhi's assassination, we got an emergency call to proceed to Bahawalpur to fit the sight in an M48 and conduct "trials". We left the next morning at 6 AM. (In fact, we were conducting surveillance of the border to see whether the Indian Army was going to move.) The operational area was right along the border, and we spent each night running up and down the border, looking across. We could see the Indian tanks clearly.

During that period, we stayed in a dak bungalow (built in 1857) inside the walls of a fort built by one of the Mughal emperors (Aurangzeb - ?) By any chance, are you able to tell me the name of the nearest town, and which Mughal it was who built the fort?

(Yes, I know it's a rather obscure question, but I'd love to know the answer. By the way, we never sold the sights for a lot of reasons which had nothing to do with how well they worked.)

Thanks,

Hugh

Hi Hugh,

Can you recall the name of the fort or the dak bungalow. Also was it in the province of Sind or Punjab? I'm trying to contact an officer of 33-Cav...may be he could help.

Regards

~Tariq Gilani

Hi Hugh,

Thanks for the welcome.

Inscription on the bars from top to bottom in urdu is;

1. Long Service. As written in urdu.

2. Shujaat. Pronounced as ( shoo, ja ut ) meaning 'Bravery'.

3. Nek Chullan. Pronounced as ( Nayk Chull un ) meaning 'Good Conduct'

4. Khidmaat-e-Husna. Singular Khidmat meaning service, plural Khidmaat meaning many services or services over a prolonged period. 'Hus-na' is the plural of ( Hoos-n ) meaning beauty / beautiful. Since it is being used for services rendered so it would mean beautiful or good services.

I live in Lahore but basically I'm from Dera Nawab Sahib, Headquarters of the Bahawalpur army and its Rulers. My father was commissioned in 1938 as an officer in 1st Bahawalpur Infantry (Sadiq Battalion), Bahawalpur State Forces. Saw active service overseas in Malaya during 2nd WW, was captured and taken prisoner of war. He was Mentioned in a Despatch for Distinguished Service and his buddy and senior Mahmood Khan Durrani, also of the same battalion, was awarded the coveted George Cross. I have pictures of jap surrender and my father as camp senior conducting a British General probably Maj Gen Roberts (not sure).

My father was also awarded ' Nishan-i-Istidaad Harbiya (the Decoration for Military Efficiency) by the HH Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi 5th, Ruler of Bahawalpur.

To fulfill my late fathers wish and promise made during his life time, I joined his battalion, amalgamated with Pakistan Army and renamed 8th (Abbasia) Battalion, The Baloch Regiment on commissioning from The Pakistan Military Academy in 1971, and retired in 1998. I was also conferred Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military), by the President of Pakistan for long, meritorious service of exemplary nature during peace and war in 1996.

This post has become lengthy and must fold for now. I'm open to any information if desired.

Kind Regards

Tariq Gilani

P.S. Rohee in my native language 'Riastee' is the name of the desert that is an integral part of Bahawalpur State and has been fondly referred to by poets and sufi mystics alike.

Hello, Rohee, and welcome to the forum. I've seen your two postings quoting James Hoard, but it doesn't appear that you have added anything. Since I note that you are from Lahore (a lovely city), I suspect that you may be offering to translate, for which I'm sure that James and I would be grateful.

Hope I'm right!

Hugh

Hi Hugh,

Thanks for the welcome.

Inscription on the bars from top to bottom in urdu is;

1. Long Service. As written in urdu.

2. Shujaat. Pronounced as ( shoo, ja ut ) meaning 'Bravery'.

3. Nek Chullan. Pronounced as ( Nayk Chull un ) meaning 'Good Conduct'

4. Khidmaat-e-Husna. Singular Khidmat meaning service, plural Khidmaat meaning many services or services over a prolonged period. 'Hus-na' is the singular of ( Hoos-n ) meaning beauty / beautiful. Since it is being used for services rendered so it would mean beautiful or good services.

I live in Lahore but basically I'm from Dera Nawab Sahib, Headquarters of the Bahawalpur army and its Rulers. My father was commissioned in 1938 as an officer in 1st Bahawalpur Infantry (Sadiq Battalion), Bahawalpur State Forces. Saw active service overseas in Malaya during 2nd WW, was captured and taken prisoner of war. He was Mentioned in a Despatch for Distinguished Service and his buddy and senior Mahmood Khan Durrani, also of the same battalion, was awarded the coveted George Cross. I have pictures of jap surrender and my father as camp senior conducting a British General probably Maj Gen Roberts (not sure).

My father was also awarded ' Nishan-i-Istidaad Harbiya (the Decoration for Military Efficiency) by the HH Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi 5th, Ruler of Bahawalpur.

To fulfill my late fathers wish and promise made during his life time, I joined his battalion, amalgamated with Pakistan Army and renamed 8th (Abbasia) Battalion, The Baloch Regiment on commissioning from The Pakistan Military Academy in 1971, and retired in 1998. I was also conferred Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military), by the President of Pakistan for long, meritorious service of exemplary nature during peace and war in 1996.

This post has become and must fold for now. I'm open to any information if desired

Kind Regards

Tariq Gilani

P.S. Rohee in my native language 'Riastee' is the name of the desert that is an integral part of Bahawalpur State and has been fondly referred to by poets and sufi mystics alike.

Hugh,

I found this second class Volunteer Corps Medal in an old Spinks catalogue. However, I cannot read Urdu so cannot identify which bar corresponds to which designation. Indeed, there are four bars altogether, three in silver and one in bronze. Consequently, what the fourth bar stands for remains just as mysterious.

Cheers,

James

Hugh,

I found this second class Volunteer Corps Medal in an old Spinks catalogue. However, I cannot read Urdu so cannot identify which bar corresponds to which designation. Indeed, there are four bars altogether, three in silver and one in bronze. Consequently, what the fourth bar stands for remains just as mysterious.

Cheers,

James