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| {{Short description|Indian Army General}}
| | #REDIRECT [[W. A. G. Pinto]] |
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| {{Infobox military person
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| | honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]]
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| | name = W A G Pinto
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| | honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]]
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| | image = File:Lt Gen WAG Pinto.jpg
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| | nickname = WAG
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| | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1924|07|1}}
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| | birth_place = [[Poona]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
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| | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2021|03|25|1924|07|01}}
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| | allegiance = [[File:British Raj Red Ensign.svg|23px]] [[British Indian Empire]]<br/>{{flag|India}}
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| | branch = [[File:British Raj Red Ensign.svg|23px]] [[British Indian Army]]<br/>{{army|India}}
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| | serviceyears = 1943–1982
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| | rank = [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|20px]] [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant general]]
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| | unit = [[File:Badge_of_13th_Frontier_Force_Rifles.jpg|20px]] [[13th Frontier Force Rifles]]<br/>[[Assam Regiment|2 Assam]]<br/>[[Brigade of the Guards|3 Guards]]
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| | commands = [[File:IA_Central_Command.jpg|20px]] [[Central Command (India)|Central Army]]<br/>[[XXXIII Corps (India)|XXXIII Corps]]<br/>[[54th Infantry Division (India)|54 Infantry Division]]<br/>66 Mountain Brigade<br/>[[Brigade of the Guards|4 Guards]]
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| | battles = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]<br/>[[Sino-Indian War]]<br/>[[World War II]]
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| | awards = [[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|25px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
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| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] '''Walter Anthony Gustavo 'WAG' Pinto''', [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]] (1 July 1924 – 25 March 2021) was a [[General Officer]] in the [[Indian Army]]. He last served as the 8th [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] of the [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]. As a [[Major general (India)|major general]], he led the [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54th Infantry Division]] on the western front in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], for which he was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]].
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| ==Early life and education==
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| WAG Pinto was born on 1 July 1924, at [[Poona]], [[Bombay Presidency]], to Alexander Pinto, who worked in the Military Accounts Department, and his wife, Helen Agnes Pinto. Alexander was from the Gustave Pinto branch of the Pintos of [[Santa Cruz, Goa]], which was then part of [[Portuguese India]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bash On Regardless: A General Reminisces (IANS Book Review) |url=https://www.firstpost.com/fwire/bash-on-regardless-a-general-reminisces-ians-book-review-991253.html |website=Firstpost}}</ref> Pinto was the youngest of three children.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=1}} His elder brother, Sydney Alexander, was also an [[Indian Army]] Officer who was commissioned in the [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|Corps of Engineers]] as a [[Bombay Engineer Group|Bombay Sapper]]. He later transferred to the [[Bengal Engineer Group|Bengal Sappers]], and commanded an Infantry brigade and later [[2nd Infantry Division (India)|2 Mountain Division]]. His sister, Phyllis Mary, served in the Women's Auxiliary Corps, India and later, [[Burmah Oil|Burma Shell]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=4}}
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| Pinto was schooled in [[Bangalore]], [[Poona]] and at [[St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School]], [[Jabalpur]] from where he passed his [[Senior Cambridge|Senior Cambridge School leaving certificate]] with 4 Ds (distinctions). He then attended college at [[Robertson College Jabalpur]], where he joined D Company, 10th Nagpur Battalion, [[Officers' Training Corps|University Training Corps]] (UTC). The UTC was a precursor to the [[National Cadet Corps (India)|National Cadet Corps]] (NCC).{{sfn|Pinto|2013}}
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| ==Military career==
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| After clearing the Preliminary and Final Selection Boards held at [[Jabalpur]] and [[Lucknow]] respectively, he joined the Pre-Cadet Course at Datta College, [[Lahore]] in January 1943. In March 1943, he joined the [[Indian Military Academy]], [[Dehradun]] for a six months emergency commission training course.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=6}} Pinto was commissioned into the [[13th Frontier Force Rifles]], one of only four cadets who earned a commission in the infantry among the two hundred or so cadets being commissioned.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|pp=7–8}}
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| ===World War II===
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| [[Second Lieutenant]] Pinto then proceeded to the [[13th Frontier Force Rifles]] Regimental Centre at [[Abbottabad]] and was then posted to the Machine Gun battalion of the regiment at [[Sultan Bathery|Sultan's Battery]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=9}} The battalion then boarded a special train to [[Chaklala, Rawalpindi]] where they trained for a glider-borne role somewhere in [[Myanmar|Burma]]. They then made their way to [[Kohima]] via [[Agartala]] to join the [[7th Indian Infantry Division]]. They were to be launched into operations as part of then [[Frank Messervy|Lt Gen Frank Messervy's]] [[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|IV Corps]] offensive across the [[Irrawaddy River]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=13}}
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| In Burma, Pinto commanded the [[Medium Machine Gun]] (MMG) [[Platoon]] of the battalion and participated in different operations against the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] and the [[Indian National Army]]. Pinto remained in Burma until the fall of [[Yangon|Rangoon]].
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| After the war, the division was flown out to [[Thailand]], with the task of repatriating the Japanese [[Prisoner of war|POWs]]. After a year in [[Thailand]], Pinto sailed to [[Madras]] via [[Singapore]]. A special train took them to [[Taxila]] from where they took the road to the Regimental Centre in [[Abbottabad]]. In 1946, Pinto was appointed Assistant [[Adjutant]] of the [[13th Frontier Force Rifles]] Regimental Centre.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=22}}
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| ===Post-Independence===
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| After the [[Partition of India]], Pinto was earmarked for the [[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]] but was later assigned to the 2nd battalion of the [[Assam Regiment]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=23}} Pinto was given command of A Company and sent on foot column protection duty. Later, Pinto's company moved to [[Shimla]] to provide ceremonial guard duties for the [[Governor-General of India]], [[C. Rajagopalachari]] at the [[Rashtrapati Niwas|Viceregal Lodge]] (Rashtrapati Niwas).
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| In 1949, the [[Brigade of the Guards]] was being raised from the four oldest battalions of the Indian Army (1 Raj Rif, 1 Rajput, 1 Grenadiers & 2/2 Punjab) by [[General (India)|General]] [[K. M. Cariappa]], the then [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Commander-in-Chief]] of the [[Indian Army]]. Pinto was selected for the 3rd battalion, [[Brigade of the Guards]] (3 Guards) and took over as A Company Commander in January 1950.
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| In 1951, The battalion moved to the North-East where there were reports of Chinese infiltration across the [[McMahon Line]]. Pinto led a [[Long-range reconnaissance patrol]] through un-mapped territory to the [[McMahon Line]] along the [[Subansiri River]] Valley. In May 1954, he was selected to attend the 8th Staff Course at the [[Defence Services Staff College]].<ref>{{cite web |title=PRESS NOTE |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1954%20DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1954-05-15_120.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=15 May 1954}}</ref> On completion, Pinto was posted as [[Brigade Major]] of 191 Independent Infantry Brigade in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=40}} After completing his tenure as Brigade Major, he was posted to the Regimental Centre at Kota. While at the centre, he was selected to attend the 26th Senior Officers' Course, at the [[Mhow#The Infantry School|Infantry School]], Mhow. Later in the year, Pinto was posted as [[Second-in-Command]] (Commandant designate) of 4th battalion, [[Brigade of the Guards]] (4 Guards).{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=47}} He was promoted to [[lieutenant colonel]] and took over 4 Guards in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. After the tenure in J&K, in 1962, he later took the battalion to [[Fort William, India|Fort William]], [[Kolkata]] which was to be their peace station. But, the [[Sino-Indian War|Chinese invasion]] in [[North-East Frontier Agency]] had begun and the battalion moved to [[Sikkim]].
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| After the war, Pinto was posted as Directing Staff at the [[Defence Services Staff College]]. After the tenure at Staff College, he was posted to the [[Cabinet Secretariat (India)|Cabinet Secretariat]] (Military Wing) as Staff Officer Grade 1 (Army). The Military wing comprised the three staff officers of [[Lieutenant Colonel]] or equivalent from the three services.
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| In 1967, Pinto was promoted to the rank of [[brigadier]] and posted as Commander, 66 Mountain Brigade in [[Binnaguri]], [[West Bengal]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=68}} After a tenure of 2 years, Brig. Pinto was posted back to [[Defence Services Staff College]] as the Chief Instructor (Army). He served at the Staff College for two more years.
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| As war clouds loomed large, Pinto was promoted to [[Major general (India)|major general]] and took over as the 3rd [[General officer commanding]] [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54 Infantry Division]] at [[Secunderabad]] in April 1971.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=72}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Curtain Raiser |url=https://issuu.com/unigross/docs/for_curtain_raiser |website=Issuu |language=en}}</ref>
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| ===Indo-Pakistani War of 1971===
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| {{Main|Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
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| The [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54 Infantry Division]] was a part of [[I Corps (India)|I Corps]], then the only Strike Corps of the Indian Army.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=74}} Pinto took the division from its peacetime location in Secunderabad to its operational location in the [[Punjab]] within three weeks.
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| After Pakistan's [[Operation Chengiz Khan|pre-emptive strikes on 3 December]], Pinto's division was to advance between Degh Nadi and Kirar river with a view of capturing line Laisarkalan - Bari - Darman, then Supwal and Barwal, and to be prepared to capture Deoli and Mirzapur.{{sfn|Rao|1991|p=227}}
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| 54 Infantry Division under Pinto, crossed the border as planned at 2000 hrs on 6 December and captured the border outposts at Chamnakhurd, Danadout, Galar Tanda, Chak Jangu, Dhandhar, Mukhwal and Buru Chakby 0230 hrs 7 December.{{sfn|Rao|1991|p=228}}
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| ====Battle of Basantar====
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| {{main|Battle of Basantar}}
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| The Battle of Basantar was among the most vital battles in the war. It was one of the greatest tank battles fought by the [[Indian Army]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=103}} Pinto had the 47 Infantry Brigade, 91 Infantry Brigade and the 74 Infantry Brigade, [[Poona Horse]] and one squadron of [[4th Horse (Hodson's Horse)|Hodson's Horse]]. The date for the Basantar crossing was fixed for night 14/15 December, but was postponed by 24 hours by Pinto.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=92}} The Battle of Basantar was a decisive Indian victory. When the [[ceasefire]] was declared on 17 December, Pinto summed it up:{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=102}}
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| |text=At 2000 hrs that night, the ceasefire was honoured by both sides and became effective. The guns were silent and an eerie calm pervaded over the bitterly cold night. It was a strange feeling, the sudden peace and quiet after the unending din and noise of the past fourteen days. Most of us were taken aback and felt lost. But, we couldn't waste time on this. We still had our hands full and soon got busy in dominating and securing every inch of the 388 square kilometers, which we had captured and over which the National Flag as well as the Divisional Flag proudly flew.}}
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| In what is an Indian Army record, Pinto's [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54 Infantry Division]] won as many as 196 gallantry medals in just 14 days of fierce fighting. These include 2 [[Param Vir Chakra|Param Vir Chakras]] and 9 [[Maha Vir Chakra|Mahavir Chakras]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Victor of Basantar- Lt General WAG Pinto |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-meet-the-victor-of-basantar-lt-general-wag-pinto-1586101 |website=www.dnaindia.com}}</ref>
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| ===Post-war Career===
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| After the war, Pinto was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] which he felt was a sore disappointment as the award is generally a non-gallantry peacetime award.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=105}}
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| The division remained in Pakistan until the [[Simla Agreement]], after which it moved back to [[Secunderabad]] in March 1973. Pinto gifted a war trophy - a disabled Pakistani [[M47 Patton]] Tank to the Andhra Pradesh Government and had it installed on the [[Tank Bund Road, Hyderabad]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/War-hero-recalls-the-story-behind-tank-on-Tank-Bund/articleshow/8753213.cms | title=War hero recalls the story behind tank on Tank Bund | publisher=TOI | website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}</ref>
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| In 1973, Pinto became the Colonel of the [[Rajput Regiment]]. [[Brigade of the Guards|4 Guards]], which he had commanded known earlier as 1 Rajput and was part of the Rajput regimental family.{{sfn|Pinto|2013|pp=112–113}}
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| Later that year, Pinto was appointed Director, Military Training (now [[Army Training Command]]) where he wore many hats - Chairman - Joint Training Committee, President - Services Sports Control Board, President - Army Mountaineering Federation, President - Army Rifle Association and later was Vice President - [[Indian Hockey Federation]] and Vice President - [[Indian Olympic Association]].{{sfn|Pinto|2013|p=119}}
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| After a three-year tenure, Pinto was promoted to [[Lieutenant General (India)|lieutenant general]] and took over as [[General officer commanding]] [[XXXIII Corps (India)|XXXIII Corps]] in Sukhna. In 1978, he took over as the [[Commandant of the National Defence College]]. The [[National Defence College (India)|National Defence College]] is the highest seat of strategic learning for Indian Defence and Civil Services officers of the rank of [[brigadier]] and [[Joint secretary to Government of India]].{{sfn|Singh|2012|p=234}}
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| In July 1980, Pinto was appointed Army Commander and took over the [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]] in [[Lucknow]]. He was the 8th [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] of the [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]].
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| After a 2-year tenure, Pinto retired on 30 June 1982 after nearly 4 decades in uniform.<ref name="Retirement">{{cite web |title=GENERAL H.C. DUTTA APPOINTED NEW GOC-IN-C CENTRAL COMMAND |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1982-JAN-JUNE-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1982-06-30_270.pdf |website=archive.pib.gov.in |date=30 June 1982}}</ref>
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| ==Later life and death==
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| After retirement, the Pintos settled down in [[Pune]]. <ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Victor of Basantar- Lt General WAG Pinto |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-meet-the-victor-of-basantar-lt-general-wag-pinto-1586101 |website=www.dnaindia.com}}</ref> Pinto died on 25 March 2021, aged 97.<ref>{{cite web |title=‘Victor of Basantar’ Lt Gen Pinto passes away at 96 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/victor-of-basantar-lt-gen-pinto-passes-away-at-97-101616765068642.html |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |date=26 March 2021}}</ref>
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist|30em}}
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| ==Bibliography==
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| *{{citation|first1=W.A.G.|last1=Pinto|title=Bash on Regardless : A record of a life in war and peace |year=2013|isbn= 978-8181581983|publisher=Natraj Publishers}}
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| *{{citation|first1=K.V. Krishna|last1=Rao|title=Prepare or perish : a study of national security |year=1991|isbn=978-8172120016|publisher=Lancer Publ.}}
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| *{{citation|first1=J. J.|last1=Singh|title=A Soldier's General-An Autobiography|year=2012|isbn=978-9350291337|publisher=HarperCollins}}
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| {{s-start}}
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| {{s-mil}}
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| {{succession box
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| | before = Lt Gen J S Nakai
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| | title = [[General_officer_commanding#Usage_in_the_Indian_Army|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]
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| | years = 1980 - 1982
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| | after = Lt Gen H C Dutta}}
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| {{succession box
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| | before = Air Marshal T N Ghadiok
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| | title = [[Commandant of the National Defence College]]
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| | years = 1979 - 1980
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| | after = Air Marshal D G Kinglee}}
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| {{succession box
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| | before = Maj Gen K A S Raja
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| | title = [[General Officer Commanding]] [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54th Infantry Division]]
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| | years = 1971 - 1974
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| | after = Maj Gen K S Bajwa}}
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| {{s-end}}
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinto, WAG}}
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| [[Category:1924 births]]
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| [[Category:2021 deaths]]
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| [[Category:Indian generals]]
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| [[Category:Commandants of National Defence College, India]]
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| [[Category:Generals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
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| [[Category:Indian people of Goan descent]]
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| [[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
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| [[Category:People from Pune]]
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