Bikram Singh (lieutenant general) - Revision history

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	The news of the air crash came as a shock to the nation. A black-bordered extraordinary [[Gazette of India]] was issued on 23 November.<ref name="Extraordinary Gazette">{{cite web \|title=Extraordinary \|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-28_183.pdf \|website=pibarchive.nic.in \|date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The issue was raised in both houses of [[Parliament of India]] and addressed by the [[Minister of Defence (India)\|Minister of Defence]] [[Yashwantrao Chavan]]. The [[Rajya Sabha]] observed one minute's silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and adjourned for the day.<ref name="RS debates - 1963">{{cite web \|title=RAJYA SABHA DEBATES - Crash near Poonch \|url=https://rsdebate.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/543446/1/PD_45_22111963_5_p903_p904_8.pdf \|website=rsdebate.nic.in}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Defence (India)\|Ministry of Defence]], the three service headquarters and all defence establishments in New Delhi were closed on 23 November as a mark of respect. All public events of the Defence Minister and Service Chiefs were also cancelled.<ref>{{cite web \|title=PIB \|url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-23_158.pdf \|website=archive.pib.gov.in \|date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The officers were laid to rest with full military honours.<ref>{{cite web \|title=AVM PINTO LAID TO REST \|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-23_155.pdf \|website=pibarchive.nic.in \|date=23 November 1963}}</ref> Singh was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] posthumously on 26 January 1964.<ref name="PVSM">{{cite web \|title=PRESS NOTE \|url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1964-JAN-JUNE-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1964-01-25_074.pdf \|website=archive.pib.gov.in \|date=25 January 1964}}</ref>		The news of the air crash came as a shock to the nation. A black-bordered extraordinary [[Gazette of India]] was issued on 23 November.<ref name="Extraordinary Gazette">{{cite web \|title=Extraordinary \|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-28_183.pdf \|website=pibarchive.nic.in \|date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The issue was raised in both houses of [[Parliament of India]] and addressed by the [[Minister of Defence (India)\|Minister of Defence]] [[Yashwantrao Chavan]]. The [[Rajya Sabha]] observed one minute's silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and adjourned for the day.<ref name="RS debates - 1963">{{cite web \|title=RAJYA SABHA DEBATES - Crash near Poonch \|url=https://rsdebate.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/543446/1/PD_45_22111963_5_p903_p904_8.pdf \|website=rsdebate.nic.in}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Defence (India)\|Ministry of Defence]], the three service headquarters and all defence establishments in New Delhi were closed on 23 November as a mark of respect. All public events of the Defence Minister and Service Chiefs were also cancelled.<ref>{{cite web \|title=PIB \|url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-23_158.pdf \|website=archive.pib.gov.in \|date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The officers were laid to rest with full military honours.<ref>{{cite web \|title=AVM PINTO LAID TO REST \|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-23_155.pdf \|website=pibarchive.nic.in \|date=23 November 1963}}</ref> Singh was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] posthumously on 26 January 1964.<ref name="PVSM">{{cite web \|title=PRESS NOTE \|url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1964-JAN-JUNE-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1964-01-25_074.pdf \|website=archive.pib.gov.in \|date=25 January 1964}}</ref>

	A memorial has been built at the site of the air crash, commemorating the names of the victims.{{sfn\|Vaz\|1997}} The Indian Army organises an annual event to pay homage to them. An 'Akhand Path' is also organised by the people of Poonch and surrounding villages, as a mark of their love and affection towards the departed souls, every year to commemorate the tragic accident.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Indian army remembers 1963 Poonch crash victims \|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/indian-army-remembers-1963-poonch-crash-victims-113112201006_1.html \|website=Business Standard India \|date=22 November ~~2022~~}}</ref> A statue of Singh is installed in [[Jammu]] and a memorial in his ancestral village of Siana in [[Nawanshahr]]. A library and a museum dedicated to him is also being constructed. The ''Bikram Chowk'' in Jammu is also named for the general. Two committees – the ''Lieutenant General Bikram Singh Society'' at Kahma village and the ''Lieutenant General Bikram Singh Yadgaar Committee'' in Jammu organise ceremonies, akhand paths, blood donation camps among other events to remember him.<ref name="Lt Gen Bikram Singh">{{cite web \|last1=Service \|first1=Tribune News \|title=Lt Gen Bikram Singh's ancestral village gets statue, memorial and library \|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/lt-gen-bikram-singhs-ancestral-village-gets-statue-memorial-and-library-211686 \|website=Tribuneindia News Service \|language=en}}</ref>		A memorial has been built at the site of the air crash, commemorating the names of the victims.{{sfn\|Vaz\|1997}} The Indian Army organises an annual event to pay homage to them. An 'Akhand Path' is also organised by the people of Poonch and surrounding villages, as a mark of their love and affection towards the departed souls, every year to commemorate the tragic accident.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Indian army remembers 1963 Poonch crash victims \|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/indian-army-remembers-1963-poonch-crash-victims-113112201006_1.html \|website=Business Standard India \|date=22 November 2013}}</ref> A statue of Singh is installed in [[Jammu]] and a memorial in his ancestral village of Siana in [[Nawanshahr]]. A library and a museum dedicated to him is also being constructed. The ''Bikram Chowk'' in Jammu is also named for the general. Two committees – the ''Lieutenant General Bikram Singh Society'' at Kahma village and the ''Lieutenant General Bikram Singh Yadgaar Committee'' in Jammu organise ceremonies, akhand paths, blood donation camps among other events to remember him.<ref name="Lt Gen Bikram Singh">{{cite web \|last1=Service \|first1=Tribune News \|title=Lt Gen Bikram Singh's ancestral village gets statue, memorial and library \|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/lt-gen-bikram-singhs-ancestral-village-gets-statue-memorial-and-library-211686 \|website=Tribuneindia News Service \|language=en}}</ref>

	==References==		==References==

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{{Short description|Indian Army lieutenant general}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]]
| name = Bikram Singh
| honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]]
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1911|07|04}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1963|11|22|1911|07|04}}
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| allegiance = {{Flag|British India}} {{Flag|India}}
| branch = {{Army|British India}} {{Army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1933–1963
| rank = [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]]
| servicenumber =
| commands = [[XV Corps (India)|XV Corps]] Delhi and Rajasthan Area Assam Area 181 Independent Brigade group [[Rajput Regiment|4 Rajput]]
| unit = [[13th Frontier Force Rifles]] (until 1947) [[Rajput Regiment]] (after 1947)
| battles = [[Siege of Tobruk]], [[World War II]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]] [[Sino-Indian War]]
| awards = [[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
}}
[[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] '''Bikram Singh''', [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]] (4 July 1911 – 22 November 1963) was a [[General Officer]] in the [[Indian Army]]. He was the [[General Officer Commanding]] [[XV Corps (India)|XV Corps]] when he was killed in the [[1963 Poonch Indian Air Force helicopter crash]].

==Early life and education==
Singh was born on 4 July 1911. He attended the [[Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College]] at Dehradun. In 1930, he was selected to attend the [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]].<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh">{{cite web |title=BIOGRAPHY OF LT. GEN. BIKRAM SINGH |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-22_149.pdf |website=archive.pib.gov.in |date=22 November 1963}}</ref>

==Military career==
===Early career===
Singh graduated from Sandhurst in 1933 and was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] and placed in the unattached list of the Indian Army. Newly commissioned Indian officers were attached with a British unit before being sent to an Indian unit. He was attached with the [[Royal Berkshire Regiment]]. After an year's attachment, he was posted to the 6th Royal Battalion (Scinde), the [[13th Frontier Force Rifles]] which was stationed at [[Kohat]] in the [[North-West Frontier Province]] (NWFP). Subsequently, the battalion moved to [[Razmak]] and join the [[Razmak Brigade]]. He spent three years in NWFP, till 1937, participating in multiple active operations.<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh"/>

===World War II===
During the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939, he was serving with his battalion. He moved with the battalion to [[North African campaign|North Africa]] and took part in the [[Western Desert campaign]] and was present during the [[Siege of Tobruk]].<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh"/> He subsequently served in Iran and Irag during the [[Middle East campaigns]]. At the end of the war, he was selected to attend the [[Staff College, Quetta]]. He graduated in 1946 and was appointed Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General (DAQMG) [[26th Indian Infantry Division]] which was deployed in the [[far east]].<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh"/>

===Post-Independence===
In April 1947, he was promoted to the rank of [[lieutenant colonel]] and appointed [[commanding officer]] of the 4th battalion, the [[Rajput Regiment]] (4 RAJPUT). During the [[partition of India]], civil disturbances and riots erupted across the country. He led his battalion in quelling these disturbances in [[Calcutta]] and subsequently in [[Ranchi]]. In October that year, he was promoted to [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]. In [[Kurukshetra]], the country's largest [[refugee camp]] was set up. Singh was posted to the camp to help run it.<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh"/>

In February 1948, civilian authorities took over the administration of the refugee camp. Singh handed the camp over and was promoted to the rank of [[Brigadier (India)|brigadier]]. He took command of an [[Brigade|infantry brigade]] engaged in active operations in [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948]]. After the war, he commanded another infantry brigade in the Kashmir Valley. In December 1949, he was appointed commander of the 181 Independent brigade group in [[Undivided Assam|Assam]].<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh"/>

He has a long stint in Assam, commanding the brigade group for four years, till 1953. He was then appointed Brigadier in charge administration (Brig Adm) of the [[Eastern Command (India)|Eastern Command]]. In 1954, the headquarters of the Eastern Command moved from Ranchi to [[Lucknow]]. As the Brig Adm, Singh was responsible for the transfer of the HQ and oversaw its successful completion.<ref name="PIB Bio - Bikram Singh"/>

===General officer===
In August 1955, Singh was promoted to the rank of [[Major general (India)|major general]] and appointed [[General officer commanding]] an [[infantry division]]. He commanded the division for over two-and-a-half years which was based in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. He subsequently was appointed GOC Assam area, a static formation, which he commanded for a little over a year. In February 1959, he moved to Delhi having been appointed GOC Delhi & Rajasthan Area. As the GOC of the area, he oversaw the [[Army Day (India)|Army Day]] and the [[Delhi Republic Day parade]]s in 1960 and 1961. In June 1961, he was promoted to the rank of [[Lieutenant general (India)|lieutenant general]] and appointed GOC [[XV Corps (India)|XV Corps]], headquartered at [[Srinagar]].<ref name="Extraordinary Gazette">{{cite web |title=Extraordinary |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-28_183.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=23 November 1963}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
{{main|1963 Poonch Indian Air Force helicopter crash}}
On 22 November 1963, Singh was killed when his helicopter crashed en route to [[Poonch (town)|Poonch]]. In a great loss to the Indian Armed Forces, the crash claimed six distinguished officers.<ref name="NYT">{{cite web |last1=Times |first1=Thomas F. Brady Special To the New York |title=5 INDIAN GENERALS DIE IN AIR CRASH; Their Copter in Kashmir Is Said to Have Hit Wire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/11/23/archives/5-indian-generals-die-in-air-crash-their-copter-in-kashmir-is-said.html |website=The New York Times |date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The officers who were on the helicopter apart from Singh were:<ref name="Extraordinary Gazette"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Tribune News |title=General who called a spade a spade |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/himachaltribune/general-who-called-a-spade-a-spade-801496 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}</ref>
*Lieutenant General [[Daulet Singh]], [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command]]
*[[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]] [[Erlic Pinto]], [[Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command]]
*Major General N K D Nanavati, General Officer Commanding 25 Infantry Division
*Brigadier S R Oberoi, Commander 93 Infantry Brigade
*Flight Lieutenant S S Sodhi, Pilot

The news of the air crash came as a shock to the nation. A black-bordered extraordinary [[Gazette of India]] was issued on 23 November.<ref name="Extraordinary Gazette">{{cite web |title=Extraordinary |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-28_183.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The issue was raised in both houses of [[Parliament of India]] and addressed by the [[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]] [[Yashwantrao Chavan]]. The [[Rajya Sabha]] observed one minute's silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and adjourned for the day.<ref name="RS debates - 1963">{{cite web |title=RAJYA SABHA DEBATES - Crash near Poonch |url=https://rsdebate.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/543446/1/PD_45_22111963_5_p903_p904_8.pdf |website=rsdebate.nic.in}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]], the three service headquarters and all defence establishments in New Delhi were closed on 23 November as a mark of respect. All public events of the Defence Minister and Service Chiefs were also cancelled.<ref>{{cite web |title=PIB |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-23_158.pdf |website=archive.pib.gov.in |date=23 November 1963}}</ref> The officers were laid to rest with full military honours.<ref>{{cite web |title=AVM PINTO LAID TO REST |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-23_155.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=23 November 1963}}</ref> Singh was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] posthumously on 26 January 1964.<ref name="PVSM">{{cite web |title=PRESS NOTE |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1964-JAN-JUNE-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1964-01-25_074.pdf |website=archive.pib.gov.in |date=25 January 1964}}</ref>

A memorial has been built at the site of the air crash, commemorating the names of the victims.{{sfn|Vaz|1997}} The Indian Army organises an annual event to pay homage to them. An 'Akhand Path' is also organised by the people of Poonch and surrounding villages, as a mark of their love and affection towards the departed souls, every year to commemorate the tragic accident.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian army remembers 1963 Poonch crash victims |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/indian-army-remembers-1963-poonch-crash-victims-113112201006_1.html |website=Business Standard India |date=22 November 2022}}</ref> A statue of Singh is installed in [[Jammu]] and a memorial in his ancestral village of Siana in [[Nawanshahr]]. A library and a museum dedicated to him is also being constructed. The ''Bikram Chowk'' in Jammu is also named for the general. Two committees – the ''Lieutenant General Bikram Singh Society'' at Kahma village and the ''Lieutenant General Bikram Singh Yadgaar Committee'' in Jammu organise ceremonies, akhand paths, blood donation camps among other events to remember him.<ref name="Lt Gen Bikram Singh">{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Tribune News |title=Lt Gen Bikram Singh's ancestral village gets statue, memorial and library |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/lt-gen-bikram-singhs-ancestral-village-gets-statue-memorial-and-library-211686 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{citation|first1=J Clement|last1=Vaz|title=Profiles of Eminent Goans: Past and Present|year=1997|isbn=978-8170226192|publisher=Concept Publishing Co}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Bikram}}

[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1963 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in India]]