The Garhwal Rifles

The Garhwal Rifles is one of the most

decorated infantry regiments of the
Indian Army.[2] It was originally
raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal)
Regiment of the Bengal Army.[2] It
then became part of the British Indian
Army, and after the Independence of
India, it was incorporated into the
Indian Army.[2]
 Regimental Insignia of the Garhwal Rifles

Active 1887 – present

Country  India

Branch Army

Type Infantry

Motto(s) Yudhaya Krit

Nishchaya (Fight
With Determination)

War Cry Badri Vishal Lal Ki

Jai (Victory to the
Sons of Lord Badri
Nath)
Anniversaries 5 may 1887

Commanders

Colonel of Lt General SK
the Regiment Upadhayay, PVSM,
SM, VSM[1]

Insignia

Identification A Maltese Cross

symbol with Ashoka
Emblem

It served during the Frontier

campaigns of the late 19th and early
20th Centuries, as well in both the
World Wars and the wars fought
after Independence.[2] Mainly made
up of Garhwali soldiers, this regiment
has a distinguished record and a
unique identity.[3] Today it is made up
of more than 25,000 soldiers,
organised into twenty one regular
battalions (i.e. 2nd to 22nd), the
Garhwal Scouts who are stationed
permanently at Joshimath and two
battalions of the Territorial Army
including 121 Inf Bn TA and 127 Inf Bn
TA (Eco).[3] The 1st Battalion has since
been converted to mechanised
infantry and forms part of the
Mechanised Infantry Regiment as its
6th battalion.[2]
The regimental insignia incorporates
a Maltese Cross and is based on the
defunct Rifle Brigade (Prince
Consort's Own) as they are a
designated rifle regiment. Unlike
regular rifle regiments, they are one
of 10 such units marching in the
regular paces used in Indian Army's
ceremonies.

Early history
Up to 1887, Garhwális had been
enlisted in the five regiments of
Gurkhas belonging to the Bengal
Infantry and the Punjab Frontier
Force. The Sirmoor Battalion (later
the 2nd Gurkhas), which won fame in
the siege of Delhi in 1857, had 33%
Garhwális on their rolls at that time.

The first proposal to raise a separate

Regiment of the Garhwális was
initiated by His Excellency Lieutenant
General, (Later Field Marshal) Sir F. S.
Roberts, VC, then Commander-in-
Chief, India, in January 1886.
Accordingly, in April 1887, the raising
of the Second Battalion of the Third
(The Kumaon) Gurkha Regiment was
ordered, with its class composition
as six companies of Garhwális and
two of Gurkhas. Based on this
decision, recruiting commenced in
the area of upper Garhwál and Tehri
state by Major L Campbell and
Captain Browne. The battalion was
raised by Lieutenant Colonel E P
Mainwaring of the 4th Gurkhas. Major
LRD Campbell was the second in
Command and Lieutenant J T Evatt,
the Adjutant, both from the Punjab
Frontier Force. Mainwaring raised
the First Battalion at Almora on 5
May 1887 and moved it to Kaludanda,
which was later renamed as
Lansdowne after the then Viceroy of
India, on 4 November 1887.
In 1891, the two Gurkha companies
moved away to form the nucleus of
2nd Battalion, 3rd Gurkha Rifles and
the remaining Battalion was re-
designated as 39th (Garhwáli)
Regiment of the Bengal Infantry. The
‘Crossed Khukris’ of the Gurkhas
were replaced by the ‘Phoenix’, the
mythical bird which rises out of its
own ashes, in the crest, marking the
formal beginnings of the Garhwális
as a distinct class Regiment. The
official title of ‘Rifles’ was received in
1892. The ‘Phoenix’ was later
dropped, and the Maltese Cross
which was in use by the Rifle Brigade
(Prince Consort's Own) was adopted.

The Regimental Centre was

established at Lansdowne on 1
October 1921.

The Indomitable Garhwali Soldier: War

Memorial, Lansdowne

The First World War (1914–

18)
The Great War saw the Garhwalis in
France, part of the Garhwal Brigade
of the Meerut Division, plunging into
action in Flanders, where both
battalions fought with valour.[4] The
regiment had the distinction of
winning two Victoria Crosses; Nk
Darwan Singh Negi at Festubert and
Rfn Gabar Singh Negi (posthumous)
at Neuve Chapelle. [4]Nk Darwan
Singh also had the distinction of being
the first Indian to be presented the
Victoria Cross personally by the King
Emperor who came down specially
to the battle front in France at Locon
on 1 Dec 1914. [4]The extent of
casualties being very high, the
battalions were temporarily
amalgamated and designated "The
Garhwal Rifles" (the two Garhwali
battalions lost 14 officers, 15 VCOs
and 405 killed in France). [4]Lt Gen Sir
James Willcocks, commanding the
Indian Corps in France had this to say
about the Garhwalis in his book "With
the Indians in France" : "The 1st and
2nd Battalions both did splendidly on
every occasion in which they were
engaged... the Garhwalis suddenly
sprang to the very front rank of our
best fighting men... nothing could
have been better than their elan and
discipline".

Later, in 1917, the re-constituted 1st

and 2nd Battalions saw action
against the Turks in Mesopotamia.[4]
At Khan Baghdadi on 25-26 Mar 1918,
they encircled and forced a Turkish
column to surrender (consisting of
300 all ranks, complete with its
Divisional Commander and staff).[4]

As due recognition of their fighting

prowess in the Great War, Battle
Honours "La Bassee", "Armentieres",
"Festubert", "Neuve Chapelle",
"Aubers", "France and Flanders 1914-
15", "Egypt", "Macedonia", "Khan
Baghdadi", "Sharqat" and
"Mesopotamia" were conferred on
the Regiment. The 3rd Battalion was
raised in 1916 and the 4th in 1918;
these two battalions saw action in
Afghanistan and the North-West
Frontier. (In between, in 1917 a 4th
Battalion had been raised through
drafts from the existing three
Garhwali battalions, consisting of
men mostly from Kumaon; its
designation was changed to 4th
Battalion 39th Kumaon Rifles, and
then in 1918 to 1st Battalion 50th
Kumaon Rifles).

In Oct 1919, the 4th Battalion was

dispatched to Kohat for action
against the Waziris and Mashuds.[4]
After successful completion of
operations in Kohat, the Battalion
was tasked to occupy, a very
important, yet difficult piquet on the
Spin Ghara Ridge near Kotkai. In the
consequent onslaught by Mashuds on
2 Jan 1920, the Company
Commander, Lt WD Kenny held his
piquet under heavy fire and waves of
fanatic tribals. The company suffered
quite a few casualties. When the
piquet was finally ordered to
withdraw, the party was
continuously ambushed thus,
resulting in further casualties. Lt
Kenny, though badly wounded,
helped in evacuation of his men while
giving bold battle to the tribals till he
eventually collapsed and succumbed.
For his conspicuous bravery against
overwhelming numbers of Mahsuds,
Lt WD Kenny was posthumously
awarded the third Victoria Cross. The
famous Spin Ghara Ridge was
renamed and was subsequently
remembered as ‘The Garhwali Ridge’.
Reorganisation and Title of
Royal
This section does not cite any sources.
Learn more

On 1 October 1921, as part of

reorganization of the Indian Army,
the ‘Group’ system was introduced
and the Regiment became the 18th
Indian Infantry Group. On the same
day, the Fourth Battalion under
Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth
Henderson, DSO, was nominated as
the Training Battalion of the Group.
On 1 December the same year it was
renamed as the 10/18th Royal
Garhwál Rifles. Even today, veterans
colloquially refer to the Regiment as
Garhwal Group.

On 2 February 1921, on the occasion of

laying of the foundation stone of the
All India War Memorial at Delhi, the
Duke of Connaught announced that in
recognition of the distinguished
services and gallantry, the Emperor
had conferred the title of ‘Royal’ to
six units and two Regiments, of
which the Regiment was one. The
‘Royal’ Garhwál Rifles was
sanctioned the special distinguishing
mark of wearing a scarlet twisted
red cord(royal rassi) on the right
shoulder and the Tudor crown on its
shoulder title. The title ‘Royal’ and the
crown have been dropped on 26
January 1950, when India became a
republic, however the lanyard
retains its pride of place.

Refusal to undertake anti-riot

duty in Peshawar[4]
During disturbances in Peshawar in
1930 two platoons of the Royal
Garhwal Rifles refused to board
buses that would have taken them
into the city to contain widespread
rioting. This was after they had
already faced a day of confrontation
with a crowd of "Redshirt"
demonstrators from the Frontier
Congress movement.[5] The NCOs
involved were sentenced to various
terms of imprisonment and the
riflemen were discharged from the
regiment.[6] A British civil servant
wrote later that "hardly any
regiment of the Indian Army won
greater glory in the Great War
(World War I) than the Garhwal Rifles,
and the defection of part of the
regiment sent shock waves through
India, of apprehension to some, of
exultation to others."

Garwal Rifles refused duty in Qissa Khwani

Bazaar massacre.

The Second World War

(1939–45) [4]

The outbreak of World War II led to

expansion of the regiment, the 4th
Battalion being re-raised in 1940; the
5th was raised in 1941. An 11th
(Territorial) Battalion had been
raised in Peshawar in 1939 for line of
communication protection duties;
the 6th Battalion was raised from
this in 1941.

World War II saw active participation

of the Garhwalis, the 1st and 4th
Battalions in Burma, the 2nd and 5th
Battalions seeing action in Malaya.
The 2nd Battalion was the Garrison
Battalion at Kuantan in the Malay
Peninsula in 1940. The only infantry
battalion in Kuantan, it was put to a
myriad of tasks in a widely dispersed
area. Just before the Japanese
offensive, it had been milked twice to
assist forming new battalions. When
the Japanese struck, the battalion
fought gallantly, inflicting heavy
casualties. The battlion was awarded
Battle Honour ‘Kuantan’ and Theatre
Honour ‘Malaya 1941-42’. The 2nd
Battalion ceased to exist after the
Malayan Campaign due to heavy
casualties – the remnants captured
by the Japanese. The newly raised
5th Battalion was ordered overseas
in Dec 1941 while still raw and under-
equipped. It sailed for the Middle
East, however the destination was
changed after it embarked to
Singapore. The battalion fought some
notable actions at Muar, Johor and
then the long, bitter rearguard action
to Singapore. The 7th Battalion was
raised essentially as a replacement
for these two battalions (later
converted to a training role). It was
only after the War in 1946 that the
2nd Battalion was re-raised. The 5th
had to wait till 1962 for its re-raising.

The 1st Battalion moved to Burma in

1941 and fought valiantly in the effort
to stem the Japanese tide. It took
part in the desperate fighting in the
southern Shan states at
Yenangyuang, which it was awarded
as a Battle Honour. It also has the
distinction of being the only awardee
of Battle Honour "Monywa", the last
major action in the Retreat from
Burma. After a period of rest and
regrouping followed by intensive
jungle training, the battalion was
back for the Reconquest of Burma. Its
actions in Arakan, Ngyakydauk Pass,
the landings at Ramree, and the final
entry into Rangoon won it more
Battle Honours : "North Arakan",
"Ngakyduak Pass", "Ramree" and
"Tuangup", and Theatre Honour
"Burma 1942-45".
The 4th Battalion, too, was ordered to
Burma after nearly three years on
the NW Frontier. After intensive
jungle warfare training, it moved to
Burma and fought a series of actions
in the Tunnels Area, Akyab and then
the mopping up operations at Ruywa
before proceeding to Kuala Lumpur
for disarming the Japanese who had
capitulated.

North Africa and Italy. The 3rd

Battalion served in Abyssinia, the
Western Desert, Egypt, Cyprus, Iraq,
Syria, Palestine and finally in the
Campaign in Italy. In Abyssinia, in the
opening stages of WWII, it blazed a
trail against the Italians,
distinguishing itself in the entire
campaign. Among its Battle Honours
earned are three ‘Garhwali-only’
honours : "Gallabat", "Barentu" and
"Massawa". More Battle Honours
followed : "Keren", "Amba Alagi", "Citta
di Castello", and Theatre Honours
"North Africa 1940-43" and "Italy 1943-
45", bearing testimony to Garhwali
valour in diverse battlefields and
theatres.

The end of the War and consequent

demobilisation left the regiment with
three regular battalions, the 1st, 2nd
and 3rd. Thus, at Independence, the
Garhwal Rifles had only three active
battalions.

Post Independence
After the formation of India in 1947
and the subsequent merger of the
various states in India at the time, the
Garhwal Princely State was among
the first to be merged in with the
Indian Union. Subsequently, the
Regiment was transferred to the
newly independent Indian Army. The
3rd Battalion participated with
distinction in the J&K Operations,
winning Battle Honour "Tithwal" and
gaining the distinction of becoming
one of the most decorated battalions
of the Indian Army in any one
operation after independence – it
won one MVC, 18 VrCs, 01 SC (then
referred to as the Ashoka Chakra
Class III) and 19 Mentions-in-
Despatches. The Commanding Officer
Lt Col Kaman Singh was awarded a
well deserved Maha Vir Chakra and
his name lives on in the form of the
‘Kaman Setu’, the crossing point
recently opened up between PoK and
J&K (now renamed the ‘Aman Kaman
Setu’).

In 1950, the Royal title was dropped

from the Regiment's name when
India became a Republic. Other
regimental symbols that were
associated with the British were also
discontinued, although the
regimental lanyard continued to be
worn on the right shoulder in
traditional 'Royal' fashion.[7] In 1953,
the Regiment's 3rd Battalion
contributed to the United Nations
custodian force in Korea.[8]
Indo-China War of 1962
The 1962 Sino-Indian Conflict saw the
4th Battalion in the midst of heavy
fighting in Tawang, Jang and
Nuranang, where it gave an excellent
account of itself, suffering very
heavy casualties. The battalion’s
stand at Nuranang has been singled
out in most accounts of the war as a
"fine example of infantry battle". For
its brave stand against
overwhelming odds, 4 GARH RIF was
awarded the Battle Honour
"Nuranang" – the only battalion to be
awarded a battle honour in NEFA, a
singular distinction in the context of
that particular conflict. Nuranang has
since been renamed Jaswantgarh, in
honour of Rfn Jaswant Singh Rawat
whose bravery at Nuranang merited
a posthumous Maha Vir Chakra. The
other Maha Vir Chakra won in this
conflict was won by Lt Col (later Maj
Gen) BM Bhattacharjea, the
indefatigable Commanding Officer
under whose leadership the 4th
Battalion gave a bloody nose to the
Chinese. In captivity, the survivors of
the battalion were singled out for
extra punishment in the Chinese PoW
camp as retaliation for the heavy
casualties the Chinese had suffered
at the hands of the Garhwalis.

Indo-Pakistan War of 1965

In 1965, the First Battalion fought at
Gadra Road, the Second Battalion at
OP Hill, the Sixth Battalion at Phillora
and the Eighth Battalion at Butur
Dograndi, where it lost two senior
Officers viz Lt Col JE Jhirad and
Major AR Khan within two days. The
command then fell on to youngest
captain (Lt Col) HS Rautela who lead
by front and got gallantry
commendation by then Chief of Army
Staff. Captain CN Singh of the
Regiment was posthumously
awarded the MVC for gallantry whilst
serving in HQ 120 Infantry Brigade.
First Battalion and Eighth Battalion
were honoured with battle honours
‘GADRA ROAD’ and ‘BUTUR
DOGRANDI’ respectively. The Sixth
Battalion was awarded the battle
honour ‘PHILLORA’.

Battle of Gadra City The 1st Battalion

was in the Rajasthan sector and
distinguished itself in operations to
take Gadra City, giving a fine display
of infantry tactics in desert terrain
without artillery support. The
battalion went on to capture Jesse
ke Par, Nawa Tala and Miajlar. Among
those awarded the Vir Chakra was
the CO Lt Col KP Lahiri. The Battalion
won Battle Honour ‘Gadra Road’ and
Theatre Honour ‘Rajasthan 1965’.
Captain Narsingh bahadur Singh
played an important role and for his
gallantry and courageous efforts he
was awarded with 'sena medal'.

Operation Hill The 2nd Battalion

participated in the two assaults on
‘OP Hill’. Capt Chandra Narain Singh
of the 2nd Battalion was attached to
HQ 120 Infantry Brigade. In a gallant
night action against raiders in the
Galuthi area, he led the charge that
killed six of the enemy while the rest
fled, leaving behind large quantities of
arms, ammunition and equipment.
Capt CN Singh was hit by a machine
gun burst in this action and laid down
his life. He was awarded the Maha Vir
Chakra posthumously.

The 3rd Battalion was in the Lahore

sector, and participated in the
advance up the GT Road. It suffered
33 killed, mostly due to very heavy
enemy artillery fire. The 6th Battalion
was in Sialkot where some of the
firecest fighting of the war took
place. In the initial phase, the
battalion took Charwa. It then held on
doggedly to Phillaura, beating back
several enemy attacks. The 8th
Battalion was also in the Sialkot
sector, and fought the bitterly
contested battle of Buttur Dograndi,
paying a heavy price including losing
the Commanding Officer and the 2IC
within a span of two days of heavy
fighting. These actions brought more
glory to the regiment by way of
Battle Honour "Buttur Dograndi" and
the Theatre Honour "Punjab 1965".
1971 War

Garhwal Rifles Recruit 1970s.

The 5th Battalion blazed a glorious

trail during operations for the
Liberation of Bangladesh. For its
actions in the war, the battalion was
awarded Battle Honour ‘Hilli’ and
Theatre Honour ‘East Pakistan 1971’.
The battalion won three Vir Chakras.
The 12th Battalion had been in action
since October 1971 and on
commencement of active hostilities,
took Hatibandha and participated in
operations east of Dinajpur.

The 3rd Battalion was in the

Shakargarh sector. It took its initial
objectives Dhandar and Mukhwal
(south of Suchetgarh) and then into
enemy territory to Bair Kalan. By the
time of the ceasefire, the battalion
had penetrated up to Ramri, north of
Chakra. The 4th Battalion was in the
Jhangar sector and conducted raids
on enemy outposts while holding its
own ground. The 6th Battalion was in
the Sialkot sector. After re-taking
Nawanpind, the battalion carried the
defensive battle into enemy
territory, mounting three strong
raids on enemy posts opposite its
area. The 7th Battalion was in the
Chhamb sector, fighting a series of
actions culminating in the re-capture
of Sangram post by the time the
ceasefire was declared.

The 8th Battalion under the command

of Maj H.S Rautela S.M.(now Ltcol)
was also in a holding role in Punjab
and captured enemy post Ghurki. In
his honor the Gurki Village name was
changed to Harish Nagar and was
awarded the Sena Medal. They kept
holding this post despite shelling that
continued till the ceasefire.

The 10th Battalion fought a notable

action led by Maj Mahabir Negi while
capturing Raipur Crossing in the
Akhnur-Jaurian sector. The
Commanding Officer Lt Col Onkar
Singh personally led one of the
attacks, being critically wounded and
later succumbing to his injuries.
Kargil War

Soldiers of 18th Battalion before assault on

Point 4700

The 17th Battalion was in the Batalik

sub-sector and was tasked with
assaulting Area Bump and
Kalapathar in the Jubar Heights, a
ridgeline overlooking Jubar top,
astride the National Highway. The
climb was arduous and all companies
were ‘daylighted’ except for Capt
Jintu Gogoi’s platoon. The gallant
‘Bhullas’ took Kalapathar in the face
of heavy enemy fire, and then came
face to face with an enemy UMG
emplacement. To the enemy’s total
surprise, Capt Gogoi launched an
immediate attack on the UMG sangar,
killing two intruders in hand-to-hand
combat, being mortally wounded in
the process. Capt Jintu Gogoi was
awarded the Vir Chakra
posthumously for his bravery in
utter disregard for his own
safety,but sadly his name is not
much known between the people like
Captain Vikram Batra,who was also a
Kargil martyr. The battalion launched
fresh attacks in the subsequent days
and took Bump and Kalapathar. This
paved the way for further successes
– the battalion proceeded to take
another dominating feature in the
Muntho Dhalo complex, finally taking
Point 5285 despite heavy snowfall
and effective enemy fire including
artillery fire due to the proximity of
this feature to the LOC. The battalion
was awarded Battle Honour ‘Batalik’
for its exploits in Op Vijay.

The 18th Battalion was tasked to take

Point 4700 and the surrounding
heights where the enemy had
consolidated their positions after
being evicted from Tololing and Point
5140. In the subsequent operations,
the Bhullas displayed gallantry of the
highest order. Capt Sumeet Roy led a
daredevil attack, climbing a sheer
escarpment and taking the enemy
sangar by surprise. His breakthrough
paved the way for capture of Pt 4700.
This brave officer was later mortally
wounded by enemy fire on the
objective and succumbed to his
injuries. Capt Sumeet Roy was
awarded the Vir Chakra
posthumously. The adjoining features
were assaulted by other companies
of the 18th. Maj Rajesh Sah and Capt
MV Sooraj led from the front, evicting
the enemy from many a stronghold.
Both these gallant officers were
awarded the Vir Chakra for
courageous leadership and bravery.
The Bhullas of the 18th Battalion
displayed indomitable courage, Nk
Kashmir Singh, Rfn Anusuya Prasad
and Rfn Kuldeep Singh all won the Vir
Chakra posthumously. The battalion
received an immediate award of the
COAS’ Unit Citation, in all winning six
Vir Chakras, a Bar to the Sena Medal,
seven Sena Medals and the Battle
Honour ‘Dras’.

Both Battalions were awarded

Theatre Honour ‘Kargil’. These
honours came at a high price, the
regiment lost 49 personnel of all
ranks killed in action.

Units of The Regiment[3]

1st Battalion (Converted to 6 Mech
Inf)
2nd Battalion (Victoria Cross
Paltan or Superb Seconds)
3rd Battalion (TITHWAL or The
Third)
4th Battalion (Nuranang Battalion)
5th Battalion (HILLI)
6th Battalion
7th Battalion
8th Battalion
9th Battalion
10th Battalion
11th Battalion
12th Battalion
13th Battalion
14th Battalion
15th Battalion
16th Battalion
17th Battalion (Batalik Kargil )
18th Battalion (Dras Battalion)
19th Battalion
20th Battalion
21st Battalion
22nd Battalion
121 Inf Bn TA (Garh Rif)Indian Army
Reserve
127 Inf Bn TA (Garh Rif-Eco)Indian
Army Reserve
Garhwal Scouts(Scout Battalion)
14 Rashtriya Rifles(GARH RIF)
 36 Rashtriya Rifles(GARH RIF) The
Gallants or The Gallant 36
48 Rashtriya Rifles(GARH RIF)
[3]

Battle and Theatre Honours

This section does not cite any sources.
Learn more

As on date the Regiment has earned

30 battle honours. Of these, five have
been awarded in the post-
Independence period. The Regiment
has also won the following theatre
honours: Jammu & Kashmir — 1947–
48, Ladakh — 1962, Punjab — 1965,
Rajasthan — 1965, East Pakistan —
1971, Kargil — 1999.

Up to First World War : "Punjab

Frontier".

First World War : "La Bassee 1914",

"Armentieres 1914", "Festubert 1914,
15", "Neuve Chapelle", "Aubers",
"France and Flanders 1914-15", "Egypt
1915-16", "Khan Baghdadi", "Sharqat",
"Mesopotamia 1917-18", "Macedonia
1918". ‘Afghanistan 1919’.

Second World War : "Gallabat ",

"Barentu", "Keren", "Massawa", "Amba
Alagi", ‘Abyssinia 1940-41’, ‘North
Africa 1940-43’, "Kuantan ", ‘Malaya
1941-42’, "Yenangyuang 1942",
"Monywa 1942", "North Arakan",
"Ngakyduak Pass", "Ramree",
"Tuangup", ‘Burma 1942-45’, "Citta di
Castello", ‘Italy 1943-45’.

Post-Independence : "Tithwal",
‘Jammu & Kashmir 1947-48’,
"Nuranang", "Buttur Dograndi",
‘Punjab 1965’, "Gadra Road",
‘Rajasthan 1965’, "Hilli", ‘East Pakistan
1971’, ‘Batalik’, ‘Dras’, ‘Kargil’.

Decorations
The Regiment has to its credit 03
Victoria Cross, 01 AC, 04 MVCs, 14
KCs, 52 VrC, 46 SC, 10 PVSM, 01 UYSM,
08 YSM, 284 SM (incl 06 Bar), 17 AVSM
(including 01 Bar) and 40 VSM
(including 01 Bar).

Decorations (Pre Independence)

Victoria Cross Recipients

Naik Darwan Singh Negi - First

World War, Festubert-France, 1914
Rifleman Gabar Singh Negi
(posthumous) - First World War,
Neuve Chapelle, 1915
 Lt. William David Kenny
(posthumous) - Waziristan
Campaign, 1920

Decorations (Post Independence)

Ashok Chakra Recipient

Naik Bhavani Datt Joshi

(posthumous), June 1984, Operation
Blue Star, Amritsar, India[9] for his
actions during the operation
against Sikh separatists

Mahavir Chakra Recipient

Lieutenant-Colonel Kaman Singh,

Indo-Pakistan War, 1948.
 Lieutenant-Colonel B.M
Bhattacharya, Sino-Indian war,
1962
Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat
(posthumous), Sino-Indian war,
1962
Captain Chandranarayan Singh,
Indo-Pakistan war, 1965
Lt Col H.S. Rautela S.M. 1965, 1971
Gurki - Harish Nagar

The Regimental Centre –

Lansdowne[4]
Lansdowne, at a height of 5,800 ft
(1,800 m) above sea level, is the
recruitment centre of the Garhwal
Rifles.[10] On 1 October 1921 the
regimental centre celebrated its first
founder's day. Now 1 October is
celebrated as the raising day of the
battalion. After Independence, the
name of the centre was changed to
Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre.
The rigorous drills during the training
helps to infuse a sense of discipline in
every recruit. Special emphasis is
laid on physical fitness, mental
toughness and weapon handling.
After successful completion of the
34-week training course, a Garhwali
youth is turned into a soldier. The
soldier is then trained for two more
weeks in counter-insurgency
operations. Controversy stares at
army officers mess in Uttarakhand :
An Army officers' mess in
Uttarakhand could find itself in a row
over possession of trophies of wild
animals allegedly without permission
from concerned authorities. Wildlife
Crime Control Bureau, a statutory
body constituted by the central
government to protect the wildlife,
has asked Uttarakhand government
to take action against Garhwali
Officers' Mess of Garhwal Rifles
Regiment Centre in Landsdowne for
possessing trophies of various wild
animals. S B Negi, Additional Director,
WCCB, gave the instruction to the
Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden,
acting on a complaint lodged by an
animal rights activist Naresh
Kadyan. In his complaint, Kadyan
alleged the Garhwali Officers' Mess of
Garhwal Rifles Regiment Centre,
Landsdowne, is in possession of
trophies belonging to various wildlife
species listed under the Schedule of
the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,
without the permission of the
competent authority. "On the subject
cited above, it is requested that the
action taken in this regard may be
intimated to this office, please," says
a communication sent today by
WCCB to Uttarakhand wildlife
officials. According to Kadyan, who
represents an organisation called
International Organisation for Animal
Protection, no other mess in the
Indian Army is so rich in hunting
games trophies as is the Garhwal
Officers' Mess, Lansdowne. A note
circulated to the media says that in
1947 its collection of hunting games
trophies was next only to the array
of such trophies of the Maharajah of
Mysore. The vintage games trophies
in the mess include tiger, leopard,
lion, bear, musk deer, gurar,
markhor, bison, thar and ibex heads,
it says. All these were shot between
1901 and 1938 and they were shot in
countries including Italy, Iran,
Afghanistan and Nepal, it adds.

Colonels of the Garhwal

Rifles and Scouts[11]
Maj. Gen. J.C. Ramola
Maj. Gen. G. Bharat Singh, MC
Maj. Gen. Hira Lal Atal
Maj. Gen. H.N. Shingal PVSM, AVSM
Lt. Gen. K. Mahendra Singh, PVSM
(1979–1987)
Lt. Gen. R.V. Kulkarni, PVSM, UYSM
Maj. Gen. Satish Sondhi
Maj. Gen. SPS Kanwar, AVSM, VSM
Brig. Abinash Dhillon, VSM
Brig. Jagmohan Rawat
Maj. Gen. Avinash Ranbhise, AVSM
Lt Gen Dr Mohan Chandra
Bhandari,PVSM, AVSM*
Lt. Gen. Paramjit Singh, PVSM,
AVSM, VSM
Lt Gen B.K. Chengapa, PVSM, AVSM
 Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, PVSM,
UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM**
Lt Gen Sarath Chand, AVSM,VSM
[11] Brig. Punit kumar singh Lt Gen SK
UPADHYAY AVSM, SM, VSM

See also
Garhwal
Garhwali people
List of Regiments of the Indian
Army
Kumaon Regiment

Notes
1. http://www.newindianexpress.c
 om/cities/thiruvananthapuram/
2018/may/07/lt-gen-cherish-
mathson-appointed-colonel-of-
regiment-of-garhwal-rifles-
1811124.html
2. Pandya, Prashant (November
2016). "Commemorative Stamp
on Third Battalion The Garhwal
Rifles released on 19th
November 2016" . Indian Philately
Digest. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
3. Pike, John (2018). "Military:
Garhwal Riffles" .
GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved
2 April 2018.
4. Das, Chand (1997). Hours of Glory:
Famous Battles of the Indian
Army, 1801-1947. Vision Books.
pp. 1–600. ISBN 8170940699.
5. Mason, Philip. A Matter of
Honour. pp. 451–452. ISBN 0-333-
41837-9.
6. Mason, Philip. A Matter of
Honour. pp. 451–452. ISBN 0-333-
41837-9.
7. Sharma, p. 254
8. The Tribune, Chandigarh, India -
National Capital Region
9. "Archived copy" . Archived from
the original on 10 April 2009.
 Retrieved 2 June 2009.
10. Uttarakhandi, Being (20 March
2012). "History of Garhwal Rifle
(Regiment)" . YouTube. Retrieved
2 April 2018.
11. Sharma, Gautam (1990). Valour
and Sacrifice: Famous
Regiments of the Indian Army.
Allied Publisher.
ISBN 817023140X.

References
Barthorp, Michael. 2002. Afghan
Wars and the North-West Frontier
1839–1947. Cassell. London. ISBN 0-
304-36294-8.
Dalve, J.P. (Brig.). Himalayan
Blunder. Natraj Publishers
Das, Chand. 1997. Hours of Glory:
Famous Battles of the Indian Army,
1801–1971. Vision Books.
Evatt, J. Historical Record of the
Royal Garhwal Rifles Vol I, 1887–
1922. Gale & Polden.
Jacob, JFR Lt. Gen. 1997. Surrander
at Dacca, birth of a nation, Manohar
Publishers
Kaul, Suvir. 2002. The Partitions of
Memory: The Afterlife of the
Division of India. Indiana University
Press. ISBN 0-253-21566-8.
Maxwell, Neville. 1970. India's China
War. Pantheon Books.
Palit, D.K. (Brig.) War in the High
Himalayas
Prasad, S.N & Chakravorty, B. 1976.
History of the Custodian Force
(India) in Korea, 1953–54. Historical
Section, Ministry of Defence,
Government of India.
Sen, L.P. (Lt.Gen.). 1998. Slender was
the thread. Orient Longman
Sharma, Gautam. 1990. Valour and
Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the
Indian Army. Allied Publishers.
ISBN 81-7023-140-X.
External links

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Garhwal Rifles.

The Garhwal Rifles - Website

Defence India
The Garhwal Rifles -
Globalsecurity.org

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=The_Garhwal_Rifles&oldid=919721747"

Last edited 3 hours ago by an anonymous user

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0
unless otherwise noted.