Rama Raghoba Rane: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|First living recipient of the Param Vir Chakra}}

{{good article}}

{{Infobox military person

| serviceyears  = 1940–1968

| rank          = [[File:Major of the Indian Army.svg|25px]][[Major]]

| unit          = [[Bombay Sappers]]

| commands      =  

==Early life==

==Military career==

===War of 1947===

{{main article|Indo-Pakistani War of 1947}}

Rane, in command of a section of the 37th Assault Field Company, attached to the 4th Dogra Battalion, was sent forward to help clear a path for the battalion. As Rane and his team started clearing a minefield, mortar fire from the Pakistanis killed two sappers and wounded five others, including Rane. Despite this, by the evening of 8 April, Rane and his surviving men cleared the minefield which enabled the supporting tanks to move forward. A safe lane still had to be prepared for the tanks as the road ahead was still dangerous; the Pakistani forces had yet to be cleared from the area. This lane was created by Rane through the night. The next day, his section worked for twelve continuous hours to clear mines and roadblocks. As the road was still too difficult to deal with, he made a diversion for the battalion to forward. Rane continued this work despite ongoing artillery and mortar fire from the Pakistanis.{{Sfn|Chakravorty|1995|pp=67–68}}<ref name="Param Vir Chakra winners since 1950 - Times of India" /><ref name="It was late March 1948. The Indian Army had recaptured Jhangar, but..... - Story of martyr Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane (PVC) {{!}} THE OPTIMIST CITIZEN"/>

{{Quotation|

On 8 April 1948, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, Bombay Engineers, was ordered to be in charge of the mine and roadblock clearing party at Mile 26 on the Naushera-Rajouri road which passes through very hilly country. At 1100 hours, on that date near Nadpur South, just as Second Lieutenant Rane and his party were waiting near the tanks to start the work of clearing the mines ahead, the enemy started heavy mortaring of the area, with the result that two men of the mine-clearing party were killed and five others including Second Lieutenant Rane were wounded. The officer at once reorganized his party and started work for the tanks to go on to their position.  Throughout the day he was near the tanks under heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar fire. After the capture of Barwali Ridge at about 1630 hours, although knowing that the enemy had not been completely cleared of the area, Second Lieutenant Rane took his party ahead and started making a diversion for the tanks to proceed.  He worked on till 2200 hours that night in full view of the enemy and under heavy machine-gun fire. On 9 April he again started work at 0600 hours and worked on till 1500hrs when the diversion was ready for the tanks to proceed.  As the armoured column advanced, he got into the leading carrier and proceeded ahead.  After proceeding about half a mile he came across a roadblock made of pine trees.  He at once dismounted and blasted the trees away.  The advance continued.  Another 300 yards and the same story was repeated.  By this time it was getting on to 1700 hours.  The road was curving round the hill like a snake.  The next roadblock was a demolished culvert.  Second Lieutenant Rane again got on with the job.  Before he could start work, the enemy opened up with their machine-guns, but with super courage and leadership he made a diversion and the column proceeded ahead.  The roadblocks were becoming numerous but he blasted his way through.  It was now 1815 hours, and light was fading fast. The carrier came across a formidable roadblock of five big pine trees surrounded by mines and covered by machine-gun fire.  He started removing the mines and was determined to clear the roadblock but the armoured column commander appreciating the situation got the column into a harbour area. On 10 April 1948 at 0445 hours, Second Lieutenant Rane again started work on the roadblock in spite of machine-gun fire with the support of one troops of tanks.  With sheer will power he cleared this roadblock by 0630hours.  The next thousand yards was a mass of roadblocks and blasted embankments.  That was not all.  The enemy had the whole area covered with machine-gun fire but with superhuman efforts, in spite of having been wounded, with cool courage and exemplary leadership and complete disregard for personal life, he cleared the road by 1030 hours. The armoured column proceeded ahead and got off the road into the riverbed of the Tawi but Second Lieutenant Rane continued clearing the road for the administrative column.  The tanks reached Chingas by 1400 hours.  Second Lieutenant Rane appreciating that the opening of the road was most vital, continued working without rest or food till 2100 hours that night. On 11 April 1948, he again started work at 0600 hours and opened the road to Chingas by 1100 hours.  He worked on that night till 2200 hours clearing the road ahead.

|author=Gazette Notification: 5 Pres/50, 21-6-50

}}

===Subsequent career and later life===

==Legacy==

[[File:Second Lieutenant R R Rane statue at Param Yodha Sthal Delhi.jpg|250px|thumb|Rane's statue at ''Param Yodha Sthal'', [[National War Memorial (India)|National War Memorial]], New Delhi]]

==Notes==