Sher Jung Thapa - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 05:53, 19 October 2022
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	{{short description\|Indian Army veteran (1907–1999)}}		{{short description\|Indian Army veteran (1907–1999)}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2022}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2022}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=October ~~2022~~}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=October 2019}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier]]
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	\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 1 January 1950<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/><ref name="reg_commission"/>		\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 1 January 1950<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/><ref name="reg_commission"/>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \| \|\| [[Major]] \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 26 January 1950<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><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=227 \|date=11 February 1950 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="reg_commission"/>		\|align="center" \| \|\| [[Major]] \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 26 January 1950<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><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=227 \|date=11 February 1950 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="reg_commission"/>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \|[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\| Indian Army \|\| 1 January 1957 (seniority from 1 January 1953)<ref name="reg_commission">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=73 \|date=21 March 1959 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>		\|align="center" \|[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\| Indian Army \|\| 1 January 1957 (seniority from 1 January 1953)<ref name="reg_commission">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=73 \|date=21 March 1959 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
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	== Bibliography ==		== Bibliography ==
	* {{citation \|first=Yaqoob Khan \|last=Bangash \|title=Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar \|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History \|volume=38 \|number=1 \|year=2010 \|pages=117–143 \|doi=10.1080/03086530903538269 \|s2cid=159652497 \|ref={{sfnref\|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accessions\|~~2022~~}}}}		* {{citation \|first=Yaqoob Khan \|last=Bangash \|title=Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar \|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History \|volume=38 \|number=1 \|year=2010 \|pages=117–143 \|doi=10.1080/03086530903538269 \|s2cid=159652497 \|ref={{sfnref\|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accessions\|2010}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Chakravorty \|first=B. \|chapter=IC-10631 – Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC \|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA351 \|year=1995 \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7023-516-3 \|pages=351– \|ref={{sfnref\|Chakravorty, Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC\|1995}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Chakravorty \|first=B. \|chapter=IC-10631 – Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC \|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA351 \|year=1995 \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7023-516-3 \|pages=351– \|ref={{sfnref\|Chakravorty, Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC\|1995}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Cheema \|first=Brig Amar \|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 \|date=2015 \|publisher=Lancer Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 \|pages=51– \|ref={{sfnref\|Cheema, Crimson Chinar\|~~2022~~}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Cheema \|first=Brig Amar \|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 \|date=2015 \|publisher=Lancer Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 \|pages=51– \|ref={{sfnref\|Cheema, Crimson Chinar\|2015}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Francis \|first=Col. J. \|chapter=Thapa the Tenacious \|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947 \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 \|year=2013 \|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd \|isbn=978-93-82652-17-5 \|pages=25– \|ref={{sfnref\|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious\|~~2022~~}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Francis \|first=Col. J. \|chapter=Thapa the Tenacious \|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947 \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 \|year=2013 \|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd \|isbn=978-93-82652-17-5 \|pages=25– \|ref={{sfnref\|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious\|2013}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Subramaniam \|first=Arjun \|title=India's Wars: A Military History, 1947–1971 \|publisher=HarperCollins India \|isbn=978-9351777496 \|year=2016 \|url=https://harpercollins.co.in/book/indias-wars/ \|ref={{sfnref\|Subramaniam, India's Wars\|~~2022~~}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Subramaniam \|first=Arjun \|title=India's Wars: A Military History, 1947–1971 \|publisher=HarperCollins India \|isbn=978-9351777496 \|year=2016 \|url=https://harpercollins.co.in/book/indias-wars/ \|ref={{sfnref\|Subramaniam, India's Wars\|2016}}}}

	== External links ==		== External links ==
	* {{cite web\|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|title=The Hero of Skardu\|website=Bharat Rakshak\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|archive-date=19 December ~~2022~~}}		* {{cite web\|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|title=The Hero of Skardu\|website=Bharat Rakshak\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|archive-date=19 December 2013}}
	* {{Cite web\|url=http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|title=A Hero Forgotten - Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC\|website=The United Service Institution of India\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131192329/http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|archive-date=31 January ~~2022~~}}		* {{Cite web\|url=http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|title=A Hero Forgotten - Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC\|website=The United Service Institution of India\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131192329/http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|archive-date=31 January 2017}}

	==See also==		==See also==

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2022-10-19T00:23:37Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 05:53, 19 October 2022
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	{{short description\|Indian Army veteran ~~and recipient of the gallantry award, the Mahavir Chakra~~}}		{{short description\|Indian Army veteran (1907–1999)}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=~~October 2019~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2022}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=October ~~2019~~}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=October 2022}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier]]
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	\| serviceyears = 1930–1960		\| serviceyears = 1930–1960
	\| nickname =		\| nickname =
	\| allegiance = {{flag\|~~British India~~}}<br/> {{flag\|India}}		\| allegiance = {{flag\|Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)}}<br/> {{flag\|India}}
	\| branch = {{army\|British Raj}}<br/>{{army\|India}}		\| branch = {{army\|British Raj}}<br/>{{army\|India}}
	\| rank = [[File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg\|25px]] [[Brigadier]]		\| rank = [[File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg\|25px]] [[Brigadier]]
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	}}		}}

	[[Brigadier]] '''Sher Jung Thapa''' [[Maha Vir Chakra\|MVC]] (15 April 1907 – 25 February 1999) was a military officer of the [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]] and ~~the~~ later the [[Indian Army]]. Revered as ''~~The~~ Hero of [[Skardu]]'',<ref>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html# "Skardu Hero~~"] {{webarchive~~\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html \|date=19 December 2013 }} ~~''Bharat Rakshak''~~</ref> he was a recipient of the [[Indian Army]]'s second highest ~~gallantary~~ award, the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] (MVC).<ref>Pradeep Thapa Magar. 2000. ''Veer haruka pani Veer Mahaveer.''Kathmandu: Jilla Memorial Foundation.p.100.</ref>		[[Brigadier]] '''Sher Jung Thapa''' [[Maha Vir Chakra\|MVC]] (15 April 1907 – 25 February 1999) was a military officer of the [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]] and later the [[Indian Army]]. Revered as ''the Hero of [[Skardu]]'',<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html# \|title=Skardu Hero \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html \|archive-date=19 December 2013 \|website=Bharat Rakshak \|access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref> he was a recipient of the [[Indian Army]]'s second highest gallantry award, the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] (MVC).<ref>Pradeep Thapa Magar. 2000. ''Veer haruka pani Veer Mahaveer.''Kathmandu: Jilla Memorial Foundation.p.100.</ref>

	==Personal life ==		==Personal life ==
	Sher Jung Thapa was born in [[Abbottabad]], [[Punjab Province (British India)\|Punjab]], [[British India]] (now [[Pakistan]]) on 15 April 1907.<ref name=Pradeep102>Pradeep Thapa Magar. Ibid. p.102.</ref> His grandfather, Subedar Balkrishna Thapa ([[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)~~\|2/~~5 GR(FF)]]), had moved from his ancestral home at Tapke Gaun, [[Gorkha District]], [[Nepal]] to India. Sher Jung's father, Arjun Thapa, was an Honorary Captain (~~[[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)~~\|2/5 GR(FF)]]) in the [[British Indian Army]] and a [[World War II]] veteran.<ref name=Pradeep102/>		Sher Jung Thapa was born in [[Abbottabad]], [[Punjab Province (British India)\|Punjab]], [[British India]] (now [[Pakistan]]) on 15 April 1907.<ref name=Pradeep102>Pradeep Thapa Magar. Ibid. p.102.</ref> His grandfather, Subedar Balkrishna Thapa, part of the [[5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]] (5 GR(FF)), had moved from his ancestral home at Tapke Gaun, [[Gorkha District]], [[Nepal]] to India. Sher Jung's father, Arjun Thapa, was an Honorary Captain ({{Not a typo\|2/5 GR(FF)}}) in the [[British Indian Army]] and a [[World War II]] veteran.<ref name=Pradeep102/>

	During his childhood, his family moved from Abbottabad to [[Dharamshala]] where Thapa continued his education and attended college.<ref>{{~~Cite web\|last=Service\|first=Tribune News~~\|title=Lt Col Sher Jung Thapa — Skardu's tiger\|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/~~himachal-tribune~~/~~archive~~/lt-col-sher-jung-thapa-—-~~skardus~~-tiger-729890\|access-date=~~2020-07-08~~\|~~website~~=~~Tribuneindia News Service~~\|language=en}}</ref> He was known as being an excellent hockey player in college. Captain [[Douglas Gracey]] of the 1 Gorkha Regiment, who was also a hockey player, is said to have been impressed with Thapa. He was instrumental in Thapa obtaining a commissioned officer position in the [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]].{{sfn\|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious\|2013\|p=25}} [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]] was one of the largest princely states in [[British Indian Empire\|British India]], ruled by [[Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir\|Maharaja]]. Its State Forces were usually headed by British officers, until September 1947.		During his childhood, his family moved from Abbottabad to [[Dharamshala]] where Thapa continued his education and attended college.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Lt Col Sher Jung Thapa — Skardu's tiger \|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/himachaltribune/lt-col-sher-jung-thapa-skardu-s-tiger-729890 \|access-date=18 May 2022 \|work=Tribune \|date=16 February 2019 \|language=en}}</ref> He was known as being an excellent hockey player in college. Captain [[Douglas Gracey]] of the 1 Gorkha Regiment, who was also a hockey player, is said to have been impressed with Thapa. He was instrumental in Thapa obtaining a commissioned officer position in the [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]].{{sfn\|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious\|2013\|p=25}} [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)\|Jammu and Kashmir]] was one of the largest princely states in [[British Indian Empire\|British India]], ruled by [[Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir\|Maharaja]]. Its State Forces were usually headed by British officers, until September 1947.{{Citation Needed\|date=December 2021}}

	==Indo-Pakistani War of 1947==		==Indo-Pakistani War of 1947==
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	\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 1 January 1950<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/><ref name="reg_commission"/>		\|align="center" \|[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg\|35px]] \|\| Major \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 1 January 1950<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/><ref name="reg_commission"/>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \| \|\| [[Major]] \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 26 January 1950<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><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=227 \|date=11 February 1950 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="reg_commission"/>		\|align="center" \| \|\| [[Major]] \|\| Jammu & Kashmir State Forces \|\| 26 January 1950<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><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=227 \|date=11 February 1950 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="reg_commission"/>
	\|-		\|-
	\|align="center" \|[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\| Indian Army \|\| 1 January 1957 (seniority from 1 January 1953)<ref name="reg_commission">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=73 \|date=21 March 1959 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>		\|align="center" \|[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg\|35px]] \|\| [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] \|\| Indian Army \|\| 1 January 1957 (seniority from 1 January 1953)<ref name="reg_commission">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) \|page=73 \|date=21 March 1959 \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
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	== Bibliography ==		== Bibliography ==
	* {{citation \|first=Yaqoob Khan \|last=Bangash \|title=Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar \|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History \|volume=38 \|number=1 \|year=2010 \|pages=117–143 \|doi=10.1080/03086530903538269 \|s2cid=159652497 \|ref={{sfnref\|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accessions\|~~2010~~}}}}		* {{citation \|first=Yaqoob Khan \|last=Bangash \|title=Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar \|journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History \|volume=38 \|number=1 \|year=2010 \|pages=117–143 \|doi=10.1080/03086530903538269 \|s2cid=159652497 \|ref={{sfnref\|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accessions\|2022}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Chakravorty \|first=B. \|chapter=IC-10631 – Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC \|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA351 \|year=1995 \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7023-516-3 \|pages=351– \|ref={{sfnref\|Chakravorty, Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC\|1995}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Chakravorty \|first=B. \|chapter=IC-10631 – Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC \|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA351 \|year=1995 \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7023-516-3 \|pages=351– \|ref={{sfnref\|Chakravorty, Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC\|1995}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Cheema \|first=Brig Amar \|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 \|date=2015 \|publisher=Lancer Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 \|pages=51– \|ref={{sfnref\|Cheema, Crimson Chinar\|~~2015~~}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Cheema \|first=Brig Amar \|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 \|date=2015 \|publisher=Lancer Publishers \|isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 \|pages=51– \|ref={{sfnref\|Cheema, Crimson Chinar\|2022}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Francis \|first=Col. J. \|chapter=Thapa the Tenacious \|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947 \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 \|year=2013 \|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd \|isbn=978-93-82652-17-5 \|pages=25– \|ref={{sfnref\|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious\|~~2013~~}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Francis \|first=Col. J. \|chapter=Thapa the Tenacious \|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947 \|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 \|year=2013 \|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd \|isbn=978-93-82652-17-5 \|pages=25– \|ref={{sfnref\|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious\|2022}}}}
	* {{citation \|last=Subramaniam \|first=Arjun \|title=India's Wars: A Military History, 1947–1971 \|publisher=HarperCollins India \|isbn=978-9351777496 \|year=2016 \|url=https://harpercollins.co.in/book/indias-wars/ \|ref={{sfnref\|Subramaniam, India's Wars\|~~2016~~}}}}		* {{citation \|last=Subramaniam \|first=Arjun \|title=India's Wars: A Military History, 1947–1971 \|publisher=HarperCollins India \|isbn=978-9351777496 \|year=2016 \|url=https://harpercollins.co.in/book/indias-wars/ \|ref={{sfnref\|Subramaniam, India's Wars\|2022}}}}

	== External links ==		== External links ==
	* {{cite web\|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|title=The Hero of Skardu\|website=Bharat Rakshak\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|archive-date=19 December ~~2013~~}}		* {{cite web\|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|title=The Hero of Skardu\|website=Bharat Rakshak\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html\|archive-date=19 December 2022}}
	* {{Cite web\|url=http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|title=A Hero Forgotten - Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC\|website=The United Service Institution of India\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131192329/http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|archive-date=31 January ~~2017~~}}		* {{Cite web\|url=http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|title=A Hero Forgotten - Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC\|website=The United Service Institution of India\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131192329/http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379\|archive-date=31 January 2022}}

	==See also==		==See also==
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	[[Category:1999 deaths]]		[[Category:1999 deaths]]
	[[Category:People from Abbottabad]]		[[Category:People from Abbottabad]]
	[[Category:Indian ~~people of Nepalese descent~~]]		[[Category:Indian Gorkhas]]

imported>Kautilya3: Reverted 4 edits by Daretospeak (talk): Unsourced edits

2021-06-24T18:42:48Z

Reverted 4 edits by Daretospeak (talk): Unsourced edits

New page

{{short description|Indian Army veteran and recipient of the gallantry award, the Mahavir Chakra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier]]
| name = Sher Jung Thapa
| honorific_suffix = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]
| image = Sher Jung Thapa MVC.jpg
| image_size = 250 px
| caption = Portrait of Sher Jung Thapa
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1907|04|15}}
| birth_place = [[Abbotabad]], [[Abbottabad District]], [[North-West Frontier Province]], [[British Raj]] (present-day [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]])
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1999|02|25|1907|04|15}}
| death_place = [[Delhi]], [[India]]
| serviceyears = 1930–1960
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|British Raj}} {{army|India}}
| rank = [[File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg|25px]] [[Brigadier]]
| servicenumber = SS-15920 (short-service commission) IC-10631 (regular commission)
| unit =
| commands =
| battles = [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]
| awards = [[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]]
}}

[[Brigadier]] '''Sher Jung Thapa''' [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (15 April 1907 – 25 February 1999) was a military officer of the [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]] and the later the [[Indian Army]]. Revered as ''The Hero of [[Skardu]]'',<ref>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html# "Skardu Hero"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html |date=19 December 2013 }} ''Bharat Rakshak''</ref> he was a recipient of the [[Indian Army]]'s second highest gallantary award, the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] (MVC).<ref>Pradeep Thapa Magar. 2000. ''Veer haruka pani Veer Mahaveer.''Kathmandu: Jilla Memorial Foundation.p.100.</ref>

==Personal life ==
Sher Jung Thapa was born in [[Abbottabad]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]] (now [[Pakistan]]) on 15 April 1907.<ref name=Pradeep102>Pradeep Thapa Magar. Ibid. p.102.</ref> His grandfather, Subedar Balkrishna Thapa ([[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)|2/5 GR(FF)]]), had moved from his ancestral home at Tapke Gaun, [[Gorkha District]], [[Nepal]] to India. Sher Jung's father, Arjun Thapa, was an Honorary Captain ([[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)|2/5 GR(FF)]]) in the [[British Indian Army]] and a [[World War II]] veteran.<ref name=Pradeep102/>

During his childhood, his family moved from Abbottabad to [[Dharamshala]] where Thapa continued his education and attended college.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Service|first=Tribune News|title=Lt Col Sher Jung Thapa — Skardu's tiger|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal-tribune/archive/lt-col-sher-jung-thapa-—-skardus-tiger-729890|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}</ref> He was known as being an excellent hockey player in college. Captain [[Douglas Gracey]] of the 1 Gorkha Regiment, who was also a hockey player, is said to have been impressed with Thapa. He was instrumental in Thapa obtaining a commissioned officer position in the [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]].{{sfn|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious|2013|p=25}} [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] was one of the largest princely states in [[British Indian Empire|British India]], ruled by [[Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir|Maharaja]]. Its State Forces were usually headed by British officers, until September 1947.

==Indo-Pakistani War of 1947==
[[File:THOMSON(1852) p232 ISKARDO FORT.jpg|thumb|right|[[Skardu Fort]] (1852 image) which housed Thapa's garrison]]
Thapa held the rank of major in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces at the time of the princely state's accession to India in October 1947. As part of the 6th Infantry Battalion, Thapa was stationed in [[Leh]] in [[Ladakh]]. His commanding officer, Col. Abdul Majid was based at [[Bunji, Pakistan|Bunji]] in the Astore ''wazarat'', bordering the [[Gilgit Agency]], which had been returned to the princely state by the departing British administration. On 30 October, Col. Majid went to [[Gilgit]] along with forces to support Governor Ghansara Singh, who was apprehensive of the loyalty of the British-officered [[Gilgit Scouts]] based there. Unfortunately, the Muslim officers of the regiment mutinied under the leadership of Captain [[Mirza Hassan Khan]] and joined the Gilgit Scouts. Governor Ghansara Singh was arrested and Col. Majid was also taken prisoner. The Hindu and Sikh members of the forces were massacred. What was left of the State Forces escaped to [[Skardu]] in the Ladakh ''wazarat''.{{sfn|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015|pp=83–85}}{{sfn|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accessions|2010|p=129}}

Skardu was the ''[[tehsil]]'' headquarters of [[Baltistan]], which also doubled as the district headquarters of the [[Ladakh]] ''wazarat'' for six months in a year. It was a key post between Gilgit and Leh and the Indian Army considered it essential to hold the Skardu garrison for the defence of Leh.{{refn|group=note|After the [[Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)|accession of Jammu and Kashmir]], the State Forces came under the command of the Indian Army.}}

Major Thapa was promoted to lieutenant colonel and asked to take charge of the remaining 6th Infantry at Skardu. He left Leh on 23 November and reached Skardu by 2 December, walking through heavy snow fall. This gave him enough time to make preparations for the defence of Skardu before the impending attack.{{sfn|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015|pp=85–86}} Meanwhile, the [[Aslam Khan (Pakistani brigadier)|Pakistani commander at Gilgit]] reorganised the Gilgit Scouts and the 6th Infantry rebels into three forces of 400 men each. The "Ibex Force", one among the three, commanded by Major Ehsan Ali, was tasked with capturing Skardu. Thapa deployed two forward posts near the Tsari pass thirty miles away. However, Captain Nek Alam, commanding one of the platoons, joined the rebels, and the other platoon got massacred. On 11 February 1948, the attack commenced on Skardu. For over six months from February to August, Thapa withstood the attack, housed in the garrison with dwindling ammunition and food. Reinforcements by ground were ambushed ''en route'' and reinforcements by air were considered infeasible due to the high mountains and uncertain weather conditions. Attempts were made to air drop supplies, but the drops often landed outside the garrison. Eventually, on 14 August, Thapa succumbed to the invaders, having exhausted all supplies. He was taken prisoner and repatriated after the war ended. All the other men in the garrison were apparently killed. Thapa is believed to have been spared due to his earlier association with [[Douglas Gracey]], who was then the Chief of the Pakistan Army.{{sfn|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015|pp=86, 103}}{{sfn|Subramaniam, India's Wars|2016|loc=Chapter 10}}

Thapa was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]], the second highest gallantry award of India. He was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1957 and eventually rose to become a brigadier.{{sfn|Chakravorty, Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC|1995|p=351}} He retired from the Army on 18 June 1960.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=190 |date=30 July 1960 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

==Military decorations==
[[Mahavir Chakra]] (1948), General Service Medal, 1947 Class J&K, Indian Independence Medal, War Medal, India Service Medal, Military Service Medal.<ref name=Pradeep102/>

==Death==
Thapa died at Army Hospital, Delhi on 25 February 1999.<ref name=Pradeep102/>

==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]] || Jammu & Kashmir State Forces || 1 January 1937<ref name="reg_commission"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || Jammu & Kashmir State Forces || 1 January 1939<ref name="reg_commission"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || Jammu & Kashmir State Forces || 1 July 1946<ref name="reg_commission"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-1a.svg|35px]] || Second Lieutenant || [[Indian Army]] || 1 November 1947 (short-service commission)<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=70 |date=14 April 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><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-3.svg|35px]] || Major || Jammu & Kashmir State Forces || 1 January 1950<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/><ref name="reg_commission"/>
|-
|align="center" | || [[Major]] || Jammu & Kashmir State Forces || 26 January 1950<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><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=227 |date=11 February 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="reg_commission"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army || 1 January 1957 (seniority from 1 January 1953)<ref name="reg_commission">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=73 |date=21 March 1959 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel]] || Indian Army ||
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Brigadier_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 1 October 1954 (acting)<ref name="brig_actg">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=6 |date=8 January 1955 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> 1 January 1960 (substantive)<ref name="brig_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=255 |date=1 October 1960 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|}

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

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{citation |first=Yaqoob Khan |last=Bangash |title=Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar |journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History |volume=38 |number=1 |year=2010 |pages=117–143 |doi=10.1080/03086530903538269 |s2cid=159652497 |ref={{sfnref|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accessions|2010}}}}
* {{citation |last=Chakravorty |first=B. |chapter=IC-10631 – Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC |title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA351 |year=1995 |publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=978-81-7023-516-3 |pages=351– |ref={{sfnref|Chakravorty, Lt Col Thapa, Sher Jung, MVC|1995}}}}
* {{citation |last=Cheema |first=Brig Amar |title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 |date=2015 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 |pages=51– |ref={{sfnref|Cheema, Crimson Chinar|2015}}}}
* {{citation |last=Francis |first=Col. J. |chapter=Thapa the Tenacious |title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 |year=2013 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-82652-17-5 |pages=25– |ref={{sfnref|Francis, Thapa the Tenacious|2013}}}}
* {{citation |last=Subramaniam |first=Arjun |title=India's Wars: A Military History, 1947–1971 |publisher=HarperCollins India |isbn=978-9351777496 |year=2016 |url=https://harpercollins.co.in/book/indias-wars/ |ref={{sfnref|Subramaniam, India's Wars|2016}}}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html|title=The Hero of Skardu|website=Bharat Rakshak|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219120319/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1948War/173-Skardu-Hero.html|archive-date=19 December 2013}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379|title=A Hero Forgotten - Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, MVC|website=The United Service Institution of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131192329/http://www.usiofindia.org/Article/Print/?pub=Journal&pubno=569&ano=379|archive-date=31 January 2017}}

==See also==
* [[Magar people]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thapa, Sher Jung}}
[[Category:Gurkhas]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Abbottabad]]
[[Category:Indian people of Nepalese descent]]