<b>November 18, 1962</b>
<span style='color:red'>Chushul - The Last Stand</span>
In Leh region, the C company of the 13th Kumaon Battalion, under Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (Param Vir Chakra, Posthumous) held off a fierce Chinese attack on November 18, 1962, at the Rezang La heights that they held. Massively outnumbered and outgunned, the defenders died almost to the last man, and expended their last round. Of the 118 men at Rezang La 109 men laid down their lives, 5 were captured by Chinese and only 4 men returned back alive. But most importantly, they succeeded in blunting the Chinese assault, killing as many as a thousand Chinese in the process at Rezang La and at nearby Gurung Hill. Thereafter, the Chinese did not push further towards the Chushul plain. It was a critical checkpoint on a potential Chinese advance on Leh.
The Battle of Chushul by L.N. Subramanian - Bharat Rakshak
The story of 13th Kumaon is the kind of thing that would make the patriotic Indian stand tall with tears in his eyes. Yet, we do not stand in silence for a moment in memory of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati and his gallant men. No poet eulogizes them as Tennyson did the Light Brigade. There is only a small memorial at the site, which says:
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>How can a Man die
Better than facing Fearful Odds,
For the Ashes of His Fathers
and the Temples of His Gods,
To the sacred memory
of the Heroes of Rezang La,
114 Martyrs of 13 Kumaon
who fought to the Last Man, Last Round
Against Hordes of Chinese on 18 November 1962
Built by All Ranks 13th Battalion, The Kumaon Regiment.</span>
<img src='http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/PVC/arimage/Maj%20Saitan%20Singh.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<span style='color:red'>Param Veer Chakra Major Shaitan Singh Bhati</span>
PVC CITATION
Major Shaitan singh
13 KUMAON (IC 7990)
Major Shaitan singh was commanding a company of an infantry battalion deployed at Rezang La in the Chusul sector at a height of about 17,000 feet. The locality was isolated from the main defended sector and consisted of five platoon-defended position. On 18 November 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the company position to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked it in overwhelming strength in several successive waves. Against heavy odds, our troops beat back successive waves of enemy attack. During the action, Major Shaitan singh dominated the scene of operations and moved at great personal risk from one platoon post to another sustaining the morale of his hard-pressed platoon posts. While doing so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead his men, who, following his brave example fought gallantly and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. For every man lost to us, the enemy lost four or five. When major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him but they came under heavy machine-gun fire. Major Shaitan Singh then ordered his men to leave him to his fate in order to save their lives. Major Shaitan Singhâs supreme courage, leadership and exemplary devotion to duty inspired his company to fight almost to the last man.
Major Shiatan Singh Bhati - Indian Army Website
Rajeev Srinivasan wrote in 2002: Why is there nothing written about them along the lines of what Tennyson did, as in these excerpts from his stirring poem:
Half a league half a league
Half a league onward...
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred...
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd;
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die...
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;...
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade...
Rajeev Srinivasan on Rediff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaitan_Singh
<span style='color:red'>Chushul - The Last Stand</span>
In Leh region, the C company of the 13th Kumaon Battalion, under Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (Param Vir Chakra, Posthumous) held off a fierce Chinese attack on November 18, 1962, at the Rezang La heights that they held. Massively outnumbered and outgunned, the defenders died almost to the last man, and expended their last round. Of the 118 men at Rezang La 109 men laid down their lives, 5 were captured by Chinese and only 4 men returned back alive. But most importantly, they succeeded in blunting the Chinese assault, killing as many as a thousand Chinese in the process at Rezang La and at nearby Gurung Hill. Thereafter, the Chinese did not push further towards the Chushul plain. It was a critical checkpoint on a potential Chinese advance on Leh.
The Battle of Chushul by L.N. Subramanian - Bharat Rakshak
The story of 13th Kumaon is the kind of thing that would make the patriotic Indian stand tall with tears in his eyes. Yet, we do not stand in silence for a moment in memory of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati and his gallant men. No poet eulogizes them as Tennyson did the Light Brigade. There is only a small memorial at the site, which says:
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>How can a Man die
Better than facing Fearful Odds,
For the Ashes of His Fathers
and the Temples of His Gods,
To the sacred memory
of the Heroes of Rezang La,
114 Martyrs of 13 Kumaon
who fought to the Last Man, Last Round
Against Hordes of Chinese on 18 November 1962
Built by All Ranks 13th Battalion, The Kumaon Regiment.</span>
<img src='http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/PVC/arimage/Maj%20Saitan%20Singh.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<span style='color:red'>Param Veer Chakra Major Shaitan Singh Bhati</span>
PVC CITATION
Major Shaitan singh
13 KUMAON (IC 7990)
Major Shaitan singh was commanding a company of an infantry battalion deployed at Rezang La in the Chusul sector at a height of about 17,000 feet. The locality was isolated from the main defended sector and consisted of five platoon-defended position. On 18 November 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the company position to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked it in overwhelming strength in several successive waves. Against heavy odds, our troops beat back successive waves of enemy attack. During the action, Major Shaitan singh dominated the scene of operations and moved at great personal risk from one platoon post to another sustaining the morale of his hard-pressed platoon posts. While doing so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead his men, who, following his brave example fought gallantly and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. For every man lost to us, the enemy lost four or five. When major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him but they came under heavy machine-gun fire. Major Shaitan Singh then ordered his men to leave him to his fate in order to save their lives. Major Shaitan Singhâs supreme courage, leadership and exemplary devotion to duty inspired his company to fight almost to the last man.
Major Shiatan Singh Bhati - Indian Army Website
Rajeev Srinivasan wrote in 2002: Why is there nothing written about them along the lines of what Tennyson did, as in these excerpts from his stirring poem:
Half a league half a league
Half a league onward...
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred...
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd;
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die...
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;...
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade...
Rajeev Srinivasan on Rediff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaitan_Singh