AFVOA Newletter August 2020

Section 4 – War Diary CV 2 No. 02 / 2020 Page 51 of 237 Armoured Corps black beret which he donned with great pride and affection. Events proceeded fast thereafter and by mid November we were in our concentration area near Pathankot, putting final touches to our preparations. War was certain now. Then one fine morning who should stride in with a wide grin but Laurie; Brig Thumby had pulled all possible strings to get him. The Brigade's morale went up sky high on seeing him and we waited expectantly for D Day. On 4th December, I issued the necessary operation orders and our leading elements, Skinner's Horse along with the 1 Dogras marched in the evening, crossing the international border near the village of Chak Amru. The Brigade’s other two tank Regiments, 7th Cavalry and The Scinde Horse, also advanced into Pakistan to deploy for battle. 1 Corps' objective was Shakargarh and as battle was joined, the Western Front became truly alive. For the next few days Laurie was like a man possessed - he was here, there, everywhere. With no consideration for his safety, he would go right up ahead with the front tanks or rush off to a flank in his vehicle, communicating with our IAF's Sukhois and directing them to strafe Pakistani tanks day in and day out. He was indefatigable in his zeal! I had also participated in the 1965 Indo-Pak War but the air support that we got this time from the IAF was incomparable, courtesy Laurie. The Brigade suffered quite a few casualties but it pressed on regardless till we reached the outskirts of Shakargarh." On 14th December 1971 while performing his duties, Laurie Pereira was hit by enemy bullets, when an enemy aircraft strafed the Brigade location at Shakargarh in Pakistan. Laurie’s dying words were, “tell my little girl (his wife Isabelle) to be brave. Colonel Dutt recalls that fateful day: "I shall never forget 14th December. I had an ominous feeling preying on me all day, which began badly with one of our forward artillery observer's tanks being shot up by Pakistani MIGs. Soon after, I was witness to another incident; a MIG chased an air observation post fixed-wing aircraft. The latter tried desperately to save itself by flying low but to no avail. The MIG lined it up in its sight and let go a long burst of cannon fire, literally crumbling up the aircraft and its pilot. Later I was crouched over my command radio set in the operations tent when my foreboding were realised. The dreaded news came on air. The Brigade Commander's tank with Brig Thumby in it had been strafed by the MIGs. He was unhurt but Laurie, who had been standing next to him beside the turret trying to manage some Sukhois, took a burst of cannon fire on his chest. He was evacuated, but succumbed to his injuries. He was 26. The last days of the war became a drag without Laurie; things were just not the same. More than once I had hallucinations of Laurie gathering his Sukhois for a swoop on the enemy's troops. Although we did not have an IAF officer with us