Russian army museum showcases bravery of soldier from Pithoragarh during WWII

PITHORAGARH: The photograph and citation of an

Indian soldier

, Hawaldar Gajendra Singh, a native of village Badalu in

Pithoragarh

district, has been included in the Russian army museum’s gallery of gallant soldiers in Moscow. Singh was awarded the ‘Order of the Red Star’, a Soviet military decoration, for his bravery in the Second World War in 1944. Apart from him, only one other Indian soldier, hailing from Tamil Nadu, has been honoured with the ‘Order of the Red Star.’ The Indian embassy in Moscow informed the family of the dead soldier about the felicitation last week. A letter signed by DB Venkatesh Verma, the Indian ambassador to Russia, was sent to the family in which the ambassador, referring to the inclusion of Singh’s name in the Russian armed forces

museum

, termed it “a matter of great pride for India and a testament to the bonds of friendship between India and the Russian federation.”


Speaking to TOI,

Bhagwan Singh

, the soldier’s son, said that his father was recruited in

the British Indian Army

in 1936. “My father told us he was sent to Chakwal (Rawalpindi), which is now in Pakistan, for training after which he was posted in the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. Most of his service was in the North-West Frontier Province which is now Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area.”

Reminiscing further, Bhagwan Singh said, “ My father told us that when WWII broke out, he was posted at Basara in Iraq. As part of the Allied Forces, he was deputed to carry ration, arms and ammunition to Soviet soldiers through difficult terrain. One night in 1943 when he was on duty, he was attacked by enemy soldiers and badly wounded. Army doctors advised that he be sent back to India but my father insisted on staying. After his recovery, he joined his battalion again and continued to supply provisions to Soviet soldiers.” He added that “seeing his dedication towards duty, the Soviet army awarded him the ‘Order of the Red Star’ in July 1944.”

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