Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria

Army Personnel

Indian Janwal village, Shakargarhi, Punjab (now in Pakistan)

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Quick Info

ProfessionArmy Personnel
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth29/11/1935
Age26 years (died on 05, Dec, 1961)
BirthplaceJanwal village, Shakargarhi, Punjab (now in Pakistan)
Date of Death05/12/1961

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Bio/Wiki

NicknameKhan Saheb
Famous ForFirst and only Indian peacekeeper to receive the Param Vir Chakra

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolKing George’s Royal Indian Military College, Bangalore (August 1946)
College/University
  • National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla (1953)
  • Indian Military Academy, Dehradun (1956)

Personal Life

ReligionSikhism
CasteSaini Sikh
AddressC/o Sh. S. S. Salaria, M. A, M. Ed (Brother of Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, PVC), New Bank Colony, Near Agriculture Office, Pathankot, Punjab -145001, India

Relationships & More

Marital StatusUnmarried
Family
Parents
FatherChaudhari Munshi Ram Salaria (Retired army personnel)
MotherDhan Devi
SiblingsSukhdev Singh Salaria

Career

Military Service
Service/BranchIndian Army
RankCaptain
Service Years9 June 1957 - 5 December 1961 (at the time of death)
Unit3rd Battalion of the 1st Gorkha Rifles
Service NumberIC-8497
CommandsPlatoon Commander of the Alpha Company (3/1 Gorkha Rifles)
Awards, Honours, Achievements
  • The Param Vir Chakra
  • An intersection at NDA has been named as Salaria Square
  • An oil tanker has been named after the PVC recipient
  • Army Postal Service Corps released a cover letter in his honour
  • A stadium at the 14 Gorkha Training Center has been named after him

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Captain Salaria received the Param Vir Chakra during the 1961 UN Peacekeeping Operations in Congo.
2. He was mortally wounded after being shot twice in the neck.
3. His family roots trace back to the Shakargarhi area of Punjab, which is now in Pakistan.
4. Salaria's father served in the Dogra Squadron of Hodson’s Horse in the British Indian Army.
5. Despite struggles with studies, he aspired to become an Army officer since childhood.
6. Salaria exhibited courage and leadership throughout his military career.
7. He was initially commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, 3 Gorkha Rifles, but transferred to the 3rd Battalion, 1 Gorkha Rifles in March 1960.
8. During the Congo operation, he led a small detachment that killed 40 enemy rebels and knocked out two armoured cars despite being outnumbered.
9. He was the first National Defence Academy alumnus to receive the Param Vir Chakra.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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