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'''Lieutenant-Colonel Chanan Singh Dhillon''' (ca. 1920s–September 13, 2011) was a Punjabi Indian Sikh [[World War II]] hero and veteran. | |||
==Career== | |||
In 1940, at 20, he enlisted in the British Indian army, at a young age and was posted to, among other places, [[Lahore]], [[Kabul]]. When WW2 broke out, his unit ([[Bengal Sappers]]) was moved to North Africa. | |||
Following his capture between [[Mersa Matruh]] and [[El-Alamein]] on 29 June 1942 (Altaba airstrip), Chanan Singh Dhillon and over 300 other Indian prisoners were bundled onto an old freighter, ''[[SS Loreto (1912)|SS Loreto]],'' on 9 October and shipped to Italy across the Mediterranean to be interned at one of the POW camps there. However, the freighter would be tracked and sunk by the British U class submarine, ''[[HMS Unruffled]]''. | |||
While at the Odine POW camp, near [[Naples]] in Italy, he made an unsuccessful attempt to escape via a tunnel. | |||
Transported from an Italian POW camp to a ''Stalag'' (camp) near [[Frankfurt]] in Germany after a series of escapes and recaptures, he was repatriated after the war. | |||
In Germany he remained confined to POW Camp, Stalag XIIA in [[Limburg an der Lahn|Limburg]] near Frankfurt. In addition, the [[International Red Cross]], Geneva who was responsible for the welfare of POWs, appointed him Chief Man of confidence]]. The camp was liberated by American forces in 1945 where first he was taken to Paris, then brought to London and then sent back to India. | |||
He served the Bengal Sappers as a [[Junior Commissioned Officer]] till he was granted a commission in the Indian Army in 1960. Eighteen years after his capture, He rose to the rank of [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] in the Indian Army. | |||
==Retirement== | |||
in 1975 Dhillon retired, following his retirement, he became president of the [[Indian Ex-services League]] (Punjab and Chandigarh), in India. | |||
He campaigned for the full recognition of the sacrifices and courage of the Indian-subcontinent, [[Ethnic groups of Africa|African]] and [[Caribbean]] origin soldiers who fought in WW2 for the allies and the British. The London [[Memorial Gates (Constitution Hill)|Memorial Gates]] are recognition of this goal. On August 1, 2001, [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth]] laid the foundation of the memorial, and she [[inaugurated]] it the next year, on November 6, 2002. | |||
===Death=== | |||
Lt. Col. Chanan Singh Dhillon died after a prolonged illness on 13 September 2011. | |||
Lt. Col. Chanan Singh Dhillon died after a prolonged illness on 13 September 2011 | |||
==External links== | ==External links== |