(MOREPIC1) Raj Sadosh/Abohar.
103-year-old senior veteran Risaldar Major & Hony Captain Bhanwar Singh, a Cavalier from ‘Tresath’ – ‘63 Cavalry’ has been undergoing medical treatment in Manipal Hospital, Jaipur since the end of Oct 2023.
The journey of a centenarian veteran soldier from pre-Independence days of the British Army to being the Hony Captain in the Indian Army has been a remarkable one. He was initially employed as Syce as per the traditional procedure in Jodhpur Lancers in 1939 and thereafter enrolled as Sowar in Horsed Cavalry.
He was extremely good at training the horses for war like situations and won many tent pegging trophies during Indian Tent Pegging competitions. On breaking out of World War-II, he moved along with Jodhpur Lancers and participated in the war fought on Persian territories (present day Iran & Iraq) and Palestine. On seeing his exemplary and extraordinary skills as horse mounted cavalier in the battlefield, he was given out of turn promotion as Jemadar (equivalent to Naib Risaldar).
(SUBHEAD)After the Independence Hony Capt Bhanwar Singh was sent to 2nd Lancers as Jemadar and later taken to ‘Tresath’ on its raising in 1956 as the Senior JCO Rajput Squadron by then Maj Darshan Jeet Singh Dhillon of 2nd Lancers. On promotion as Risaldar Major, he was sent on ERE to NCC Cannanore in 1967. After 2 yrs. of tenure at Cannanore, he got posted to NCC Jaipur in 1969. He was awarded the rank of Hony Lieutenant on 15 Aug 1971 and Hony Capt on 26 Jan 1972 after retirement.
Hony Capt Bhanwar Singh’s father late Shree Amar Singh was ADC to Maharaja Ganga Singh ji of Bikaner and a veteran of World War–I. Following the family legacy, Ris Maj & Hony Capt Bhanwar proved himself as a die-hard soldier and participated in WW-II, 1962, 1965 War and also formed part of UN peacekeeping mission in Congo.
