AFVOA Newletters of Year 2002

Page 42 of 84 was organized and time was running out. Hence frequent calls were made to Delhi to hasten the process. Regrettably, the petition was turned down. Nevertheless, Gen Gill detailed his second ADC (the Sub Maj) to personally go across to Maharashtra where the soldier was awaiting execution, and apprise him of the efforts taken to save his life. That was the type of gentleman that Gen Gill was. I would like use the words of Abu Ben Adhem to say, “May his tribe increase.” Tribute to Lt Gen IS Gill by Mr S Muthiah (excerpted from The Hindu of Sunday, June 10 th , 2001) titled “A place in fiction ”. This piece, which first appeared in the Indian Review of Books (1997), will, Mr. S Muthiah hopes, complete the picture of Inder Gill for many: Lt Gen Inderjit Singh Gill passed away on May 30, 2001. Those who gathered at his home remembered his role at HQ in Delhi during the Bangladesh war when he was in charge of planning and strategy. They recalled him as GOC in C of Western Command, and they recounted tales of this Colonel of the Parachute Regiment’s lifelong passion for para jumping. They spoke of the rectitude with which he guided the Guru Nanak educational institutions founded by his father Col GS Gill of the Indian Medical Service (who became IG of Prisons Madras Province, and whose friendship with Rajaji, a friendship between prison warden and detenu, resulted in his making Madras his home. But few, including those who did the milter honours, knew about the Harling Mission and the Military Cross Inder Gill had won for his <Illegible> in it…….The coincidence is that there was indeed a real-life Sikh lieutenant from the Royal Engineers who was a demolition expert, and who served in the Mediterranean theatre, earned a Military Cross in the process………..Lt Inderjit Singh Gill, the sapper of record, has figured in at least three books and several films and documentaries based on “Operation Harling” which took place in late 1942. The books in English include We Fell Among Greeks by Denys Hamson (Jonathan Cape, London, 1946), Greek Entanglement by Brig EC Meyers (Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1995), and Harling Mission – 1942 by Themistoles Marinos (published by Papazisis Publications, Athens, for the Society for the Study of Greek History)… Two TV films, Geek State TV’s “This is how we blew up Gorgopotamos” (1980) and “SOE-The Greek Entanglement” by the BBC in 1984, are said to be the ones nearest to reality…….. All those who have written about Inder Gill recall him as being not yet 21 at that time, a lively young bantam full of fun. Themi Marinos, the Ione Greek in the operation, and Inder Gill were birds of a feather, able to enjoy themselves throughout their stay behind German lines despite being only too aware of the dangers that “Operation Harling” constantly posed. This operation was the first major unorthodox military activity that Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) initiated during WW II, its intention being to cut the main German supply line to Africa and enable General Harold Alexander to launch an offensive from El Alamein against the thus weakened Gen Erwin Rommel. The Germans were sending men and material to N Africa by rail to the Greek port of Piraeus (near Athens), from there by to Crete by ship, and from the island by ship or by air to Tobruk. The SOE plan to cut the Salonika-Athens line was to blow up one of the three major viaducts across deep gorges to the north et Athens. The task fell to 12 volunteers who were to parachute behind the German lines, team up with the Greek andartes (partisans) and blow up one of the bridges. The SOE group was air dropped in three teams of four each into rugged country swarming with Italian troops and with some German forces. Endangering them further was their local guerilla support, which was essential to their success, but of which they could never be sure of…………Marinos. describing the team, writes:” The youngest of the team’s officers, Inder Gill, an Indian with a Scottish