Harbaksh Singh
Retired Indian Army officer

Indian Badrukhan village, Sangrur, Jind State, British India (now Haryana, India)

Quick Info

Profession	Retired Indian Army officer
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	01/10/1913
Age	86 years (died on 14, Nov, 1999)
Birthplace	Badrukhan village, Sangrur, Jind State, British India (now Haryana, India)
Date of Death	14/11/1999

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Physical Stats & More

Height	6' 1"
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Hair Color	Salt and Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

Education	Graduate of Government College, Lahore

Personal Life

Religion	Sikhism
Address	1, Palam Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi – 110057, India

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married

Family

Father	Harnam Singh (doctor, former British Indian Army soldier)
Siblings	Lieutenant Colonel Gurbaksh Singh (former officer in Jind Infantry, former commander of the Indian National Army) 7
Spouse	Sanam Harbaksh Singh
Children	Harmala Kaur Gupta (social activist)

Career

Military Career

Service/Branch	Indian Army
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service Years	15 July 1935 - September 1969
Unit	Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (15 July 1935 - 19 August 1936) 5th Battalion of the 11th Sikh Regiment (19 August 1936 - April 1946) 4th Battalion of the 11th Sikh Regiment (renamed as 1 Sikh after independence) (April 1946 - September 1969)
Service Number	IC 31
Commands	Commanding Officer of 1 Sikh Deputy Commandant of the 161 Infantry Brigade Deputy Commandant of the Indian Military Academy Director of the Infantry at the Army Headquarters General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 27th Infantry Division Chief of Staff of the Western Command Commander of the Indian Army's 4 Corps (Gajraj Corps) Commander of the Indian Army's 33 Corps in Shillong General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Western Command (1964-1969)

Awards, Honours, Achievements

Vir Chakra by the Government of India (1948)
Padma Bhushan by the Government of India (1966)
Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India (1970)

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Received a Vir Chakra for bravery in the 1947-48 India-Pakistan war.
2. Led the Indian Army’s Western Command during the 1965 India-Pakistan War.
3. Died on 14 November 1999 from natural causes.
4. Qualified for the Indian Military Academy in 1933 and joined the first officer training batch.
5. Started officer career in the British Indian Army with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1935.
6. Became a Prisoner of War during World War II, enduring beriberi and typhoid.
7. Penned 'War Despatches: Indo–Pak Conflict 1965' in 1991.
8. Authored autobiography 'In the Line of Duty: A Soldier Remembers' published in 2000.
9. Commanded 163 Infantry Brigade in the successful capture of Tithwal in May 1948 during the Jammu and Kashmir operations.
10. Led the counterattack at Shalateng on 22 November 1947 with 1 Sikh and 1 Kumaon, routing Pakistani invaders and saving Srinagar.
11. Took charge of 4 Corps in Tezpur after the 1962 China war to restore morale among troops.
12. Youngest of seven siblings born into a wealthy peasant family.

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