Prithipal Singh Gill

2025-05-17T09:19:57Z

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{{Short description|Indian military officer (1920–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]
| name = Prithipal Singh Gill
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Photograph_of_Colonel_Prithipal_Singh_Gill_during_his_time_in_service_with_the_Indian_Army.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Photograph of Colonel Prithipal Singh Gill during his time in service with the Indian Navy
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|12|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Patiala State]], [[British Raj]] (now in Punjab, India)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|12|5|1920|12|11|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Chandigarh]], India
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]
| branch = {{air force|British India}} {{navy|British India}} {{army|India}}
| unit = [[34 Field Regiment (Cassino-II)]] ''[[HMIS Tir]]''
| commands = 71 Medium Regiment
| battles = [[Second World War]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] [[Insurgency in Northeast India]]
| serviceyears = 1942–1948 1951–1970
| rank = [[Pilot officer|Pilot Officer]] ([[Indian Air Force]]) [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] ([[Royal Indian Navy]]) [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] ([[Indian Army]])
| awards =
| servicenumber = IC-5571
| Image Size =
}}

[[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] '''Prithipal Singh Gill''' (11 December 1920 – 5 December 2021) was an Indian military officer and centenarian known for being the only soldier in the [[Indian Armed Forces]] to have served in all three of its branches.<ref name="express">{{cite news |title=Aviator, sailor and soldier — Col Prithipal Singh Gill turns 100|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/aviator-sailor-and-soldier-col-prithipal-singh-gill-turns-100-7101285/|date=11 December 2020|author=Man Aman Singh Chhina |work=Indian Express |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
Born in [[Patiala State]] on 11 December 1920 to Lieutenant Colonel (then Captain) Harpal Singh Gill of the Patiala Lancers, Gill studied at [[Government College Lahore]]. A passionate flyer, he earned a flying licence at [[Walton Airport]] in [[Lahore]], and in 1942, without informing his family, joined the [[Indian Air Force]].<ref name="express"/><ref name="warrior">{{cite news |title=Prithipal Singh Gill: A warrior of all 3 Services turns 100 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/prithipal-singh-gill-a-warrior-of-all-3-services-turns-100/article33307763.ece|date=11 December 2020|work=The Hindu |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref> Commissioned a pilot officer, Gill was training on Harvard aircraft at Karachi when his father arranged for his transfer from the IAF as the family considered flying unsafe.<ref name="warrior"/>

Gill transferred to the [[Royal Indian Navy]], and was commissioned a temporary Sub-Lieutenant in the gunnery branch of the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR) on 25 January 1943.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Navy List: July 1945 |publisher=HM Government, UK |date=1945 |chapter=The Royal Indian Navy - Officers of the Royal Indian Navy|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/navylistjul1945v2grea/page/2118/mode/2up|pages=2119}}</ref><ref name="veteran">{{cite news |title=War veteran who served in Air Force, Navy & Army turns 100|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/war-veteran-who-served-in-air-force-navy-army-turns-100-183065|date=11 December 2020|work=Tribune (Chandigarh) |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref> For the remainder of the Second World War, Gill served on minesweepers and escort vessels, serving on convoy duties protecting shipping in the Persian Gulf. He was subsequently sent to attend the Long Gunnery Staff Course at the Army School of Artillery in Deolali, qualifying as an instructor. He ended his naval service in September 1948, and briefly served as a civil servant in the Punjab Government.<ref name="veteran"/>

In April 1951, Gill joined the Indian Army. Though he had initially hoped for assignment to his father's former battalion, the 1st [[Sikh Regiment]],<ref name="express"/> he was instead posted to the [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]] due to his prior experience with gunnery.<ref name="veteran"/> His initial posting was with the [[23 Field Regiment (India)|Gwalior Mountain Battery]], equipped with 5.4 inch guns.<ref name="express"/> Gill later served with [[34 Field Regiment (India)|34 Field Regiment]] and was promoted to Major on 13 May 1956.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=258 |date=22 December 1956 |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1956/O-2166-1956-0051-98889.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 2 August 1962,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=193 |date=17 April 1965 |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1965/O-1730-1965-0016-79060.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Gill commanded [[71 Field Regiment (India)|71 Medium Regiment]] during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. Seeing action in the Sialkot sector, during a battle he personally led a mission to retrieve four of his guns which had been cut off by the enemy.<ref name="express"/> He was promoted to Colonel on 19 June 1968 (seniority from 24 May),<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=291 |date=28 February 1970 |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1970/O-1389-1970-0009-62652.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was appointed a sector commander in the [[Assam Rifles]], stationed at [[Ukhrul]] in [[Manipur]].<ref name="express"/> He took early retirement from the army, relinquishing his commission on 1 December 1970.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=252 |date=6 March 1971 |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1971/O-1354-1971-0010-60724.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Gill married his wife Preminder Kaur (born 1927) on 24 December 1950.<ref name="express"/> He died on 5 December 2021, at age 100 in his home in [[Chandigarh]].<ref>{{cite news |title=WW-II veteran Col Prithipal Singh Gill (retd), who served in all 3 defence wings, dies |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/wwii-veteran-col-prithipal-singh-gill-retd-who-served-in-all-3-defence-wings-dies-101638730414587.html |access-date=5 December 2021 |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=6 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-06|title=Colonel Gill who served in all 3 services passes away|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/colonel-gill-who-served-in-all-3-services-passes-away-7658036/|access-date=2021-12-06|work=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gill, Prithipal Singh}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian men centenarians]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Royal Indian Navy officers]]
[[Category:Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Indian aviators]] 
[[Category:Indian military aviators]]
[[Category:Government College University, Lahore alumni]]

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Prithipal Singh Gill