AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 5 – War Diary CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 57 of 332 and distinguished service and four of its officers have risen to become Lieutenant Generals. A heritage parade the regiment conducted in connection with its diamond jubilee celebrations held in Punjab in March 2016 aptly showcased its legacy. Driving past majestically on parade was every other combat vehicle the regiment saw service with during the six decades since its raising. In keeping with the indomitable spirit of the regiment, its personnel had gone all out to procure these relics that included WWII vintage machines like Stuart Tanks and Humber Armoured Cars from salvage depots and junk yards and breathe life into them with eminent support from their wizardly comrades of the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; and marshal the services of some ageing veterans who had actually used these vehicles to man those on parade. Curiously, partaking in the parade was a US-made M-113 Bradley Armoured Personnel Carrier; a vehicle that has never been on Indian Army’s inventory, but had been operated by 63 Cavalry’s squadron under the UN. One of these, captured from Pakistan during the 1965 War and thence kept on display in a military station, was tracked down by the regiment and given a new lease of life. There was an overwhelming sense of nostalgia among the large number of veterans attending the parade as T-55 Tanks, the warhorses of 1971, which were given the pride of place to carry the regimental colours, rumbled past; and for the serving officers and their troops it was a moment of inspiration to rededicate themselves to their regimental mantra, Parakram hi Dharm hai , Valour is but Duty. About the Author Capt D P Ramachandran is a war veteran and a military history enthusiast, who has authored three books and a number of articles on the topic, besides raising the NGO, Colours of Glory Foundation, the first-ever venture in India promoting awareness of the country’s military heritage. While his first book is an account of his first-hand experience as a tank commander in the 1971 Bangladesh War, the second one is a battlefield history of South Indian Soldiery and the third a coffee table book portraying a comprehensive history of the Indian Army through battles they fought over the centuries. After serving in the army on a short service contract for ten years, Capt Ramachandran switched over to a corporate career that spanned thirty-six years, at the end of which he has made Chennai his home. He blogs regularly on the website www.coloursofglory.org and can be reached at captdpr@gmail.com.