Premindra Singh Bhagat - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 18:09, 5 August 2023
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	\|serviceyears=1939–1974		\|serviceyears=1939–1974
	\|rank= [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg\|22px]] [[Lieutenant-General]]		\|rank= [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg\|22px]] [[Lieutenant-General]]
	\| unit = <!-- [[WP:NFCC]] violation: ~~[[File:Sarvatra.png\|32px]]~~ --> [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers\|Corps of Engineers]]		\| unit = <!-- [[WP:NFCC]] violation: --> [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers\|Corps of Engineers]]
	\|commands= [[File:IA_Northern_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Northern Command (India)\|Northern Army]]<br/>[[File:IA_Central_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Central Command (India)\|Central Army]]<br/> [[Indian Military Academy]]<br>165 Infantry Brigade		\|commands= [[File:IA_Northern_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Northern Command (India)\|Northern Army]]<br/>[[File:IA_Central_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Central Command (India)\|Central Army]]<br/> [[Indian Military Academy]]<br>165 Infantry Brigade
	\|battles=[[World War II]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]<br />[[Sino-Indian War]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]		\|battles=[[World War II]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]<br />[[Sino-Indian War]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]

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2022-12-15T11:52:57Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 17:22, 15 December 2022
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	{{Use dmy dates\|date=September ~~2022~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2020}}
	{{Use British English\|date=November ~~2022~~}}		{{Use British English\|date=November 2013}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General]]
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	==Military career==		==Military career==
	Bhagat applied himself to his studies in his final year and was commissioned in the [[British Indian Army]] on 15 July 1939 as a [[Second lieutenant]] (2Lt.) in the [[Bombay Engineer Group\|Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]]. He was posted to the 21 Field Company of Engineers at [[Pune]] in September, shortly after war began in Europe.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|title=1 - Value Domain:バリュードメイン \|access-date=2009-09-16 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510120402/http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|archive-date=10 May ~~2022~~}}</ref>		Bhagat applied himself to his studies in his final year and was commissioned in the [[British Indian Army]] on 15 July 1939 as a [[Second lieutenant]] (2Lt.) in the [[Bombay Engineer Group\|Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]]. He was posted to the 21 Field Company of Engineers at [[Pune]] in September, shortly after war began in Europe.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|title=1 - Value Domain:バリュードメイン \|access-date=2009-09-16 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510120402/http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|archive-date=10 May 2012}}</ref>

	===World War II===		===World War II===
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	\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)\|Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\|Indian Army \|\| 1 September 1947 (acting)<br>July 1948 (temporary)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>		\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)\|Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\|Indian Army \|\| 1 September 1947 (acting)<br>July 1948 (temporary)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \|[[File:Captain_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Captain \|\| Indian Army \|\| 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web\|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services\|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|archive-date=8 August ~~2022~~}}</ref>		\|align="center" \|[[File:Captain_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Captain \|\| Indian Army \|\| 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web\|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services\|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|archive-date=8 August 2017}}</ref>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \|[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Indian Army \|\| 28 August 1951 (substantive)<ref name="major"/>		\|align="center" \|[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Indian Army \|\| 28 August 1951 (substantive)<ref name="major"/>

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← Older revision		Revision as of 17:22, 15 December 2022
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	{{Use dmy dates\|date=September ~~2020~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2022}}
	{{Use British English\|date=November ~~2013~~}}		{{Use British English\|date=November 2022}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General]]
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	\|commands= [[File:IA_Northern_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Northern Command (India)\|Northern Army]]<br/>[[File:IA_Central_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Central Command (India)\|Central Army]]<br/> [[Indian Military Academy]]<br>165 Infantry Brigade		\|commands= [[File:IA_Northern_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Northern Command (India)\|Northern Army]]<br/>[[File:IA_Central_Command.jpg\|20px]] [[Central Command (India)\|Central Army]]<br/> [[Indian Military Academy]]<br>165 Infantry Brigade
	\|battles=[[World War II]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]<br />[[Sino-Indian War]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]		\|battles=[[World War II]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]<br />[[Sino-Indian War]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
	\|awards=[[File:Victoria Cross ~~(UK)~~ ribbon.~~png~~\|32px]] [[Victoria Cross]]<br>[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg\|32px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]		\|awards=[[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg\|32px]] [[Victoria Cross]]<br>[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg\|32px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
	\|relations= [[Mirai Chatterjee]] (niece)		\|relations= [[Mirai Chatterjee]] (niece)
	\|laterwork= Chairman of the [[Damodar Valley Corporation]] (1974-1975)		\|laterwork= Chairman of the [[Damodar Valley Corporation]] (1974-1975)
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	==Military career==		==Military career==
	Bhagat applied himself to his studies in his final year and was commissioned in the [[British Indian Army]] on 15 July 1939 as a [[Second lieutenant]] (2Lt.) in the [[Bombay Engineer Group\|Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]]. He was posted to the 21 Field Company of Engineers at [[Pune]] in September, shortly after war began in Europe.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|title=~~Archived copy~~ \|access-date=2009-09-16 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510120402/http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|archive-date=10 May ~~2012~~}}</ref>		Bhagat applied himself to his studies in his final year and was commissioned in the [[British Indian Army]] on 15 July 1939 as a [[Second lieutenant]] (2Lt.) in the [[Bombay Engineer Group\|Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]]. He was posted to the 21 Field Company of Engineers at [[Pune]] in September, shortly after war began in Europe.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|title=1 - Value Domain:バリュードメイン \|access-date=2009-09-16 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510120402/http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 \|archive-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>

	===World War II===		===World War II===
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	At 22, the [[Second Lieutenant]] ([[King's Commissioned Indian Officer]]) in the [[Corps of Indian Engineers]], [[Indian Army]], attd. [[Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]] during the [[Second World War]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:		At 22, the [[Second Lieutenant]] ([[King's Commissioned Indian Officer]]) in the [[Corps of Indian Engineers]], [[Indian Army]], attd. [[Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]] during the [[Second World War]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:

	{{Quotation\|<center>''War Office, 10th June, 1941''~~</center>~~		{{Quotation\|{{center\|''War Office, 10th June, 1941''}}

	His Majesty The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned officer: —		His Majesty The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned officer: —
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	His coolness, persistence over a period of 96 hours, and gallantry, not only in battle, but throughout the long period when the safety of the Column and the speed at which it could advance were dependent on his personal efforts, were of the highest order. — London Gazette: 10 June 1941<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=35186 \|supp=y \|page=3307 \|date= 10 June 1941 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm#1b Royal Engineers Museum] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218200907/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm \|date=18 December 2006 }} Sappers VCs</ref>}}		His coolness, persistence over a period of 96 hours, and gallantry, not only in battle, but throughout the long period when the safety of the Column and the speed at which it could advance were dependent on his personal efforts, were of the highest order. — London Gazette: 10 June 1941<ref>{{London Gazette \|issue=35186 \|supp=y \|page=3307 \|date= 10 June 1941 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm#1b Royal Engineers Museum] {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218200907/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm \|date=18 December 2006 }} Sappers VCs</ref>}}

	On 24 February 1942 in [[Pune]], Bhagat married Mohini Bhandari (b. 1923), the daughter of a colonel in the [[Indian Army Medical Corps]]. He spent the remainder of the war away from the front, first as a successful recruiting officer for the Bombay Sappers and then as the commanding officer of 484 Field Company. In mid-1943, the unit was posted to [[Chhindwara]] in the [[Central Provinces]] for training in jungle warfare for the war in Burma. In January 1945, Bhagat was nominated to attend a course at [[Staff College, Camberley\|Camberley Staff College]] and became one of the first two Indian officers to attend Staff College in the United Kingdom. At the end of the war in August 1945, Bhagat returned to India and attended a course at the School of Military Engineering at Roorkee. He then returned to England in June 1946 to complete a further engineering course and was promoted to substantive captain on 1 July 1946,<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47">{{cite book\|pages=249A\|title=Indian Army List (Special Edition) 1947\|publisher=Government of India Press\|year=1947}}</ref> returning to India in June 1947.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/> Bhagat was the highest decorated officer in the Indian Army at Indian independence.<ref>{{cite book\|last1=Verma\|first1=Shiv Kunal\|title=1962: The War That Wasn't\|date=2016\|publisher=Aleph Book Company\|location=Chapter: Introduction\|isbn=~~9382277978~~\|language=en}}</ref>		On 24 February 1942 in [[Pune]], Bhagat married Mohini Bhandari (b. 1923), the daughter of a colonel in the [[Indian Army Medical Corps]]. He spent the remainder of the war away from the front, first as a successful recruiting officer for the Bombay Sappers and then as the commanding officer of 484 Field Company. In mid-1943, the unit was posted to [[Chhindwara]] in the [[Central Provinces]] for training in jungle warfare for the war in Burma. In January 1945, Bhagat was nominated to attend a course at [[Staff College, Camberley\|Camberley Staff College]] and became one of the first two Indian officers to attend Staff College in the United Kingdom. At the end of the war in August 1945, Bhagat returned to India and attended a course at the School of Military Engineering at Roorkee. He then returned to England in June 1946 to complete a further engineering course and was promoted to substantive captain on 1 July 1946,<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47">{{cite book\|pages=249A\|title=Indian Army List (Special Edition) 1947\|publisher=Government of India Press\|year=1947}}</ref> returning to India in June 1947.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/> Bhagat was the highest decorated officer in the Indian Army at Indian independence.<ref>{{cite book\|last1=Verma\|first1=Shiv Kunal\|title=1962: The War That Wasn't\|date=2016\|publisher=Aleph Book Company\|location=Chapter: Introduction\|isbn=978-9382277972\|language=en}}</ref>

	==Post-Independence==		==Post-Independence==
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	Promoted acting [[major-general]] on 14 May 1963, he was appointed Chief of Staff (COS) for Eastern Command.<ref name="COS_EHQ">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=306 \|date=14 September 1963 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was appointed GOC of a mountain division on 18 September 1964,<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=440 \|date=31 October 1964 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and promoted to major-general in 1965. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general op on 19 May 1967,<ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=558 \|date=22 July 1967 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and subsequently took over as the [[General Officer Commanding\|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] (GOC-in-C) of the [[Central Command (India)\|Central Command]] on 4 August 1970.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=1556 \|date=26 December 1970 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In June 1972, he became the first GOC-in-C of the re-established [[Northern Command (India)\|Northern Command]], in [[Udhampur]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp\|286}} He was also awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] (PVSM).		Promoted acting [[major-general]] on 14 May 1963, he was appointed Chief of Staff (COS) for Eastern Command.<ref name="COS_EHQ">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=306 \|date=14 September 1963 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was appointed GOC of a mountain division on 18 September 1964,<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=440 \|date=31 October 1964 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and promoted to major-general in 1965. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general op on 19 May 1967,<ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=558 \|date=22 July 1967 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and subsequently took over as the [[General Officer Commanding\|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] (GOC-in-C) of the [[Central Command (India)\|Central Command]] on 4 August 1970.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=1556 \|date=26 December 1970 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In June 1972, he became the first GOC-in-C of the re-established [[Northern Command (India)\|Northern Command]], in [[Udhampur]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp\|286}} He was also awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] (PVSM).

	In January 1973, the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)\|Chief of the Army Staff]], [[Field Marshal (India)\|Field Marshal]] [[Sam Manekshaw]] was to relinquish office. Although Manekshaw's choice of successor was Lieutenant General Bhagat, ~~[[Indira Gandhi\|Prime Minister Gandhi]] was under tremendous pressure from the former [[Minister of Defence (India)\|Minister of Defence]]~~, ~~[[Yashwantrao Chavan]], to appoint Lieutenant~~ General ~~[[Gopal Gurunath Bewoor]] as the next COAS. A possible reason for this is that Chavvan and Bewoor both had connections to Maharashtra, which would essentially be considered nepotism. However,~~ Bewoor was senior to Bhagat, but Bhagat could still conceivably become army chief when Bewoor was to retire on his 58th birthday. But, the Government extended Bewoor's tenure by nine months to give him a full two years on the job. By many that was construed as a deliberate manipulation to deny Bhagat the position of COAS. That decision resulted effectively to end Bhagat's army career, as he retired naturally a few months later. Bhagat was a strong General who was also very popular in the army.<ref>{{cite book\|last1=Singh\|first1=Depinder, Lt. Gen.\|title=Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Soldiering with Dignity\|publisher=Natraj Publishers\|isbn=978-81-8501-902-4\|pages=203}}</ref>		In January 1973, the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)\|Chief of the Army Staff]], [[Field Marshal (India)\|Field Marshal]] [[Sam Manekshaw]] was to relinquish office. Although Manekshaw's choice of successor was Lieutenant General Bhagat, however, Lt General Bewoor was senior to Bhagat, but Bhagat could still conceivably become army chief when Bewoor was to retire on his 58th birthday. But, the Government extended Bewoor's tenure by nine months to give him a full two years on the job. By many that was construed as a deliberate manipulation to deny Bhagat the position of COAS. That decision resulted effectively to end Bhagat's army career, as he retired naturally a few months later. Bhagat was a strong General who was also very popular in the army.<ref>{{cite book\|last1=Singh\|first1=Depinder, Lt. Gen.\|title=Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Soldiering with Dignity\|year=2002 \|publisher=Natraj Publishers\|isbn=978-81-8501-902-4\|pages=203}}</ref>

	==Post-retirement==		==Post-retirement==
	In July 1974, he became Chairman of the [[Damodar Valley Corporation]], a major electric utility company. He arranged to remain in army service while he headed DVC. During his tenure, DVC increased its power production from 45 MW to 700 MW, and its morale and productivity improved greatly.		In July 1974, he became Chairman of the [[Damodar Valley Corporation]], a major electric utility company. He arranged to remain in army service while he headed DVC. During his tenure, DVC increased its power production from 45 MW to 700 MW, and its morale and productivity improved greatly.
	<ref>[http://veekay-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2012/10/biography-lieut-general-ps-bhagat-pvsm.html Biography -Lieut. General P.S. Bhagat, PVSM, VC] veekay's history book [sic] Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/multimedia/2014/10/141017_vivechana_general_ps_bhagat_sdp General Bhagat: Officer and Gentleman] BBC News Hindi</ref> However, after only ten months at DVC, Bhagat died on 23 May 1975 of [[anaphylactic shock]] after an injection of [[penicillin]], to which he was allergic, by a careless military doctor.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/> His wife, Mohini Bhagat, presented Bhagat's medals, including his Victoria Cross, to the museum of the Bombay Sappers in Pune on 1 February 1976, where they remain on display.<ref name="VC_love_story">{{cite book \|title=The Victoria Cross: a love story \|last=Varma \|first=Ashali \|year=2013 \|publisher=Pearson \|isbn=~~8131774597~~ }}</ref>		<ref>[http://veekay-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2012/10/biography-lieut-general-ps-bhagat-pvsm.html Biography -Lieut. General P.S. Bhagat, PVSM, VC] veekay's history book [sic] Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/multimedia/2014/10/141017_vivechana_general_ps_bhagat_sdp General Bhagat: Officer and Gentleman] BBC News Hindi</ref> However, after only ten months at DVC, Bhagat died on 23 May 1975 of [[anaphylactic shock]] after an injection of [[penicillin]], to which he was allergic, by a careless military doctor.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/> His wife, Mohini Bhagat, presented Bhagat's medals, including his Victoria Cross, to the museum of the Bombay Sappers in Pune on 1 February 1976, where they remain on display.<ref name="VC_love_story">{{cite book \|title=The Victoria Cross: a love story \|last=Varma \|first=Ashali \|year=2013 \|publisher=Pearson \|isbn=978-8131774595 }}</ref>

	==Dates of rank==		==Dates of rank==
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	\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)\|Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\|Indian Army \|\| 1 September 1947 (acting)<br>July 1948 (temporary)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>		\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)\|Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\|Indian Army \|\| 1 September 1947 (acting)<br>July 1948 (temporary)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \|[[File:Captain_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Captain \|\| Indian Army \|\| 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web\|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services\|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|archive-date=8 August ~~2017~~}}</ref>		\|align="center" \|[[File:Captain_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Captain \|\| Indian Army \|\| 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web\|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services\|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf\|archive-date=8 August 2022}}</ref>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \|[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Indian Army \|\| 28 August 1951 (substantive)<ref name="major"/>		\|align="center" \|[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Indian Army \|\| 28 August 1951 (substantive)<ref name="major"/>
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	[[Category:People from Gorakhpur]]		[[Category:People from Gorakhpur]]
	[[Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]		[[Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
			[[Category:Respiratory disease deaths in India]]
	[[Category:Deaths from anaphylaxis]]		[[Category:Deaths from anaphylaxis]]
	[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]		[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
	[[Category:Indian Military Academy alumni]]		[[Category:Indian Military Academy alumni]]
	[[Category:Commandants of Indian Military Academy]]		[[Category:Commandants of Indian Military Academy]]

2405:201:6007:4A42:74DE:5A6A:E27A:5520 at 12:13, 22 August 2021

2021-08-22T12:13:07Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General]]
|name=P S Bhagat
| honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]] 
|image=VCPremindraSinghBhagat.jpg
|alt=Photo submitted by Gerald Napier; from the Royal Engineers Library with permission)
|caption= Lt. Gen. P.S. Bhagat, PVSM, VC
|birth_date={{Birth date|df=yes|1918|10|13}}
|death_date={{Death date and age|df=yes|1975|05|23|1918|10|13}}
|birth_place= [[Gorakhpur]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]], [[British India]]
|death_place= [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
|placeofburial=
|placeofburial_label=
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|British India}} (1939-1947) {{flag|India}} (1947-1974)
|branch={{army|British India}} {{army|India}}
|serviceyears=1939–1974
|rank= [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|22px]] [[Lieutenant-General]]
| unit =  [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|Corps of Engineers]]
|commands= [[File:IA_Northern_Command.jpg|20px]] [[Northern Command (India)|Northern Army]] [[File:IA_Central_Command.jpg|20px]] [[Central Command (India)|Central Army]] [[Indian Military Academy]] 165 Infantry Brigade
|battles=[[World War II]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]] [[Sino-Indian War]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]] [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
|awards=[[File:Victoria Cross (UK) ribbon.png|32px]] [[Victoria Cross]] [[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|32px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|relations= [[Mirai Chatterjee]] (niece)
|laterwork= Chairman of the [[Damodar Valley Corporation]] (1974-1975)
|signature=
}}

[[Lieutenant General]] '''Premindra Singh Bhagat''', [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (14 October 1918 – 23 May 1975) was a general in the [[Indian Army]] and an Indian recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces. The Victoria Cross was conferred on him for his actions in the [[Sudan]] Theatre during [[World War II]].

Bhagat was an alumnus of the famous [[Rashtriya Indian Military College|Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College]], [[Dehradun]].

==Early life and education==
Bhagat was born on 13 October 1918 in [[Gorakhpur]], [[British India]] to Surendra Singh Bhagat, an executive engineer in the provincial government of the then [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]]. His mother died in 1927. In 1930, he entered the [[Rashtriya Indian Military College|Royal Indian Military College]], a military school in [[Dehradun]], where he was an average student. In June 1937, he entered the [[Indian Military Academy]]. As a gentleman cadet, Bhagat captained the academy tennis and squash teams. While noted by his instructors as an intelligent all-round sportsman, he was also described as a careless student.<ref name="12 Soldiers">{{cite book |title=Leadership in the Indian army: biographies of twelve soldiers |last=Singh |first=V.K. |year=2005 |publisher=Sage |location=New Delhi |isbn=0-7619-3322-0 |pages=261–286 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cJDsk_g6tXUC}}</ref>{{rp|286}} In January 1938, Surendra Singh Bhagat died in a riding accident in [[Varanasi]].

==Military career==
Bhagat applied himself to his studies in his final year and was commissioned in the [[British Indian Army]] on 15 July 1939 as a [[Second lieutenant]] (2Lt.) in the [[Bombay Engineer Group|Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]]. He was posted to the 21 Field Company of Engineers at [[Pune]] in September, shortly after war began in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-09-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510120402/http://sikhli.info/index.php/colonel1 |archive-date=10 May 2012}}</ref>

===World War II===
On 23 September 1940, Bhagat's company was sent to [[East Africa]], as part of the [[10th Indian Infantry Brigade]], [[5th Infantry Division (India)|5th Indian Division]], [[Sudan Defence Force]] under the overall command of Lieutenant General [[William Platt]]. The 10th Infantry Brigade was commanded by [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[William Slim]], [[Military Cross|MC]] (later [[field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] the Viscount Slim). On 6 November, Slim launched an attack on the fort of [[Gallabat]], with the assault spearheaded by the [[18th Royal Garhwal Rifles|3rd Royal Garhwal Rifles]], under Lieutenant-Colonel S.E. Taylor. Gallabat was captured, but an enemy counterattack forced the [[brigade]] to withdraw. The Sappers were tasked with obstructing the enemy to prevent them from following too closely. At one stage, two broken-down tanks were filled with explosives and placed on a culvert to collapse it and halt the enemy. The charges were detonated, but one tank failed to explode, and the culvert did not collapse. With the enemy closing in, Bhagat dashed out from under cover and, with bullets flying all around him, detonated the remaining explosives and collapsed the culvert.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp|268}} For his heroism, he was recommended for a [[Military Cross]], but it was downgraded to a [[mentioned in dispatches]].<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35120/supplements/1875 London Gazette, 1 April 1941]</ref> After the brigade was relieved by [[9th Indian Infantry Brigade]] in mid-November, it readied for the [[Battle of Keren]].

On 31 January 1941, a mobile column of [[12th Frontier Force Regiment|3/12 Royal Frontier Force Rifles]], including a detachment of 21 Field Company under Second Lieutenant Bhagat, was sent on a reconnaissance mission towards [[Metemma]]. Bhagat's [[Bren carrier]] passed through a heavily-mined stretch of road and detonated two mines, the second of which destroyed the carrier and killed the driver and a sapper. Bhagat then continued in another carrier and defused mines by hand as the column moved down the road. Under close enemy fire and without food or rest, he worked for four days, clearing a total of 15 minefields over a distance of 55 miles.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp|286}} After having another Bren carrier blown up under him on 2 February, which resulted in punctured eardrums, he was relieved of further duties and evacuated to [[Khartoum]] for treatment. He was decorated with the [[Victoria Cross]] later that month and presented with the ribbon by [[Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell|General Wavell]] (later [[field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] the Earl Wavell), the [[Commander-in-Chief, India]] in June at [[Asmara]] and formally invested with the decoration by the [[Governor-General of India]], [[Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow|Lord Linlithgow]], at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan|Viceroy's House]] in Delhi on 10 November.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>

===Victoria Cross===
At 22, the [[Second Lieutenant]] ([[King's Commissioned Indian Officer]]) in the [[Corps of Indian Engineers]], [[Indian Army]], attd. [[Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners]] during the [[Second World War]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:

{{Quotation|<center>''War Office, 10th June, 1941''</center>

His Majesty The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned officer: —

'''Second-Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat, Corps of Indian Engineers (serving with Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners).'''

For most conspicuous gallantry on active service in the Middle East. During the pursuit of the enemy following the capture of [[Metemma]] on the night 31 January – 1 February 1941, Second-Lieutenant Bhagat was in command of a section of a Field Company, Sappers and Miners, detailed to accompany the leading mobile troops ([[Bren Carrier]]s) to clear the road and adjacent areas of mines. For a period of four days and over a distance of 55 miles this officer in the leading carrier led the Column. During this period, he himself detected and personally supervised the clearing of no less than 15 minefields of varying dimensions. Speed being essential, he worked at high pressure from dawn to dusk each day. On two occasions when his carrier was blown up with casualties to others, and on a third occasion when ambushed and under close enemy fire he himself carried straight on with his task. He refused relief when worn out with strain and fatigue and with one eardrum punctured by an explosion, on the grounds that he was now better qualified to continue his task to the end.

His coolness, persistence over a period of 96 hours, and gallantry, not only in battle, but throughout the long period when the safety of the Column and the speed at which it could advance were dependent on his personal efforts, were of the highest order. — London Gazette: 10 June 1941<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=35186 |supp=y |page=3307 |date= 10 June 1941 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm#1b Royal Engineers Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218200907/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm |date=18 December 2006 }} Sappers VCs</ref>}}

On 24 February 1942 in [[Pune]], Bhagat married Mohini Bhandari (b. 1923), the daughter of a colonel in the [[Indian Army Medical Corps]]. He spent the remainder of the war away from the front, first as a successful recruiting officer for the Bombay Sappers and then as the commanding officer of 484 Field Company. In mid-1943, the unit was posted to [[Chhindwara]] in the [[Central Provinces]] for training in jungle warfare for the war in Burma. In January 1945, Bhagat was nominated to attend a course at [[Staff College, Camberley|Camberley Staff College]] and became one of the first two Indian officers to attend Staff College in the United Kingdom. At the end of the war in August 1945, Bhagat returned to India and attended a course at the School of Military Engineering at Roorkee. He then returned to England in June 1946 to complete a further engineering course and was promoted to substantive captain on 1 July 1946,<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47">{{cite book|pages=249A|title=Indian Army List (Special Edition) 1947|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1947}}</ref> returning to India in June 1947.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/> Bhagat was the highest decorated officer in the Indian Army at Indian independence.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Verma|first1=Shiv Kunal|title=1962: The War That Wasn't|date=2016|publisher=Aleph Book Company|location=Chapter: Introduction|isbn=9382277978|language=en}}</ref>

==Post-Independence==
After his return to India, Major Bhagat was assigned to the [[Punjab Boundary Force]] under [[Thomas Wynford Rees|Major General Thomas Wynford Rees]], trying to maintain law and order in the chaotic region following [[Indian Independence Act 1947|Indian independence]] and [[Partition of India|Partition]] in August. On 1 September, after the dissolution of the Punjab Boundary Force, Bhagat was promoted to acting lieutenant-colonel and appointed CO of the Royal Engineers, [[4th Infantry Division (India)|4th Infantry Division]]. In July 1948, Bhagat was posted as GSO 1 at the Armed Forces Academy. On 15 February 1949, he was appointed Commandant of the Bombay Sappers at Pune, and he was promoted to substantive major on 28 August 1951.<ref name="major">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=223 |date=17 November 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In 1954, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and assigned as the Chief Instructor (Army Wing) at the [[Defence Services Staff College]] at [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. He was promoted to acting brigadier on 11 March 1957 and assigned command of 165 Infantry Brigade at Ramgarh.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp|272–274}}<ref name="brig">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=118 |date=11 May 1957 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

He was posted to Army headquarters on 29 August 1959 as Director of Military Intelligence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=245 |date=3 October 1959 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> During his tenure, Bhagat completed a thorough assessment of the [[People's Liberation Army|Chinese Army]]'s threat to India, but his report was not heeded before the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]]. He was promoted to colonel on 2 February 1959,<ref name="colonel">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=294 |date=28 November 1959 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and to substantive brigadier on 28 August 1961.<ref name="brig_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=319 |date=2 December 1961 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> From June 1961 to May 1962, Bhagat took the National Defence College course and was then posted as Commandant of the [[Indian Military Academy]] (IMA). As Commandant of the IMA, he co-authored (with Lieutenant General [[T. B. Henderson Brooks]]) the [[Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Report]], an incisive "Operations Review" of the Indian Army during the [[Sino-Indian War]]. The report, initially suppressed and still classified top secret, soon led to sweeping changes in the army.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp|279–282}} On 29 January 1963, Bhagat was appointed Brigadier General Staff (BGS) for an army corps.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=69 |date=2 March 1963 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

===General Officer===
Promoted acting [[major-general]] on 14 May 1963, he was appointed Chief of Staff (COS) for Eastern Command.<ref name="COS_EHQ">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=306 |date=14 September 1963 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was appointed GOC of a mountain division on 18 September 1964,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=440 |date=31 October 1964 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and promoted to major-general in 1965. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general op on 19 May 1967,<ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=558 |date=22 July 1967 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and subsequently took over as the [[General Officer Commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] (GOC-in-C) of the [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]] on 4 August 1970.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1556 |date=26 December 1970 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In June 1972, he became the first GOC-in-C of the re-established [[Northern Command (India)|Northern Command]], in [[Udhampur]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref name="12 Soldiers"/>{{rp|286}} He was also awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] (PVSM).

In January 1973, the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]], [[Field Marshal (India)|Field Marshal]] [[Sam Manekshaw]] was to relinquish office. Although Manekshaw's choice of successor was Lieutenant General Bhagat, [[Indira Gandhi|Prime Minister Gandhi]] was under tremendous pressure from the former [[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]], [[Yashwantrao Chavan]], to appoint Lieutenant General [[Gopal Gurunath Bewoor]] as the next COAS. A possible reason for this is that Chavvan and Bewoor both had connections to Maharashtra, which would essentially be considered nepotism. However, Bewoor was senior to Bhagat, but Bhagat could still conceivably become army chief when Bewoor was to retire on his 58th birthday. But, the Government extended Bewoor's tenure by nine months to give him a full two years on the job. By many that was construed as a deliberate manipulation to deny Bhagat the position of COAS. That decision resulted effectively to end Bhagat's army career, as he retired naturally a few months later. Bhagat was a strong General who was also very popular in the army.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Depinder, Lt. Gen.|title=Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Soldiering with Dignity|publisher=Natraj Publishers|isbn=978-81-8501-902-4|pages=203}}</ref>

==Post-retirement==
In July 1974, he became Chairman of the [[Damodar Valley Corporation]], a major electric utility company. He arranged to remain in army service while he headed DVC. During his tenure, DVC increased its power production from 45 MW to 700 MW, and its morale and productivity improved greatly.
<ref>[http://veekay-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2012/10/biography-lieut-general-ps-bhagat-pvsm.html Biography -Lieut. General P.S. Bhagat, PVSM, VC] veekay's history book [sic] Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/multimedia/2014/10/141017_vivechana_general_ps_bhagat_sdp General Bhagat: Officer and Gentleman] BBC News Hindi</ref> However, after only ten months at DVC, Bhagat died on 23 May 1975 of [[anaphylactic shock]] after an injection of [[penicillin]], to which he was allergic, by a careless military doctor.<ref name="12 Soldiers"/> His wife, Mohini Bhagat, presented Bhagat's medals, including his Victoria Cross, to the museum of the Bombay Sappers in Pune on 1 February 1976, where they remain on display.<ref name="VC_love_story">{{cite book |title=The Victoria Cross: a love story |last=Varma |first=Ashali |year=2013 |publisher=Pearson |isbn=8131774597 }}</ref>

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-1a.svg|35px]] || [[Second lieutenant#United Kingdom & other Commonwealth countries|Second Lieutenant]] || [[British Indian Army]] || 15 July 1939
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || British Indian Army || 28 November 1940.<ref name="Indian_Army_List_45">{{cite book|pages=249|title=Indian Army List for October 1945 (Part I)|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1945}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || British Indian Army || 28 November 1940 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_45"/> 15 January 1942 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_45"/> 7 April 1943 (war-substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 1 July 1946 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || [[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] ||British Indian Army || 15 January 1942 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/> 7 April 1943 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || Captain || [[Indian Army]] || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] ||Indian Army || 1 September 1947 (acting) July 1948 (temporary)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Captain_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || Captain || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || Major || Indian Army || 28 August 1951 (substantive)<ref name="major"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army || 1954 (acting) 28 August 1956 (substantive)<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=141 |date=14 July 1956|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1956/O-2164-1956-0028-98739.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel]] || Indian Army || 2 February 1959<ref name="colonel"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Brigadier_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 11 March 1957 (acting)<ref name="brig"/> 28 August 1961 (substantive)<ref name="brig_subs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major general#India|Major General]] || Indian Army || 14 May 1963 (acting)<ref name="COS_EHQ"/> 1965 (substantive)
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-General]] || Indian Army || 19 May 1967<ref name="lt_gen"/>
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[East African Campaign (World War II)]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*[[Monuments to Courage]] (David Harvey, 1999)
*[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]] (This England, 1997)
*[[The Sapper VCs]] (Gerald Napier, 1998)

==Further reading==
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/valgal/valour/INF3_0422.htm Second Lieutenant Premindar Singh Bhagat] in ''The Art of War'' exhibition at the [[National Archives (UK)|UK National Archives]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020618050432/http://haynese.winthrop.edu/india/medals/VC/2PSBhagat.html Premindra Singh Bhagat]
*{{cite book|last1=Varma |first1=Ashali |title=The Victoria Cross : a love story |date=2013 |publisher=Pearson |location=Delhi |isbn=9788131774595 }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| before = Office Created
| title = [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Northern Command (India)|Northern Command]]
| years = 1972 - 1974
| after = H C Rai}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Joginder Singh Dhillon]]
| title = [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]
| years = 1970 - 1972
| after = H K Sibal}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhagat, Premindra Singh}}
[[Category:Indian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:1975 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Gorakhpur]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Deaths from anaphylaxis]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Indian Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Commandants of Indian Military Academy]]