Major Hoshiar Singh of 3 Grenadiers took and held Jarpal in December 1971, manning a machine gun himself while seriously wounded.
The bridgehead at Jarpal
On 15 December 1971, a battalion of the Grenadiers was ordered to establish a bridgehead across the Basantar river in the Shakargarh sector. Major Hoshiar Singh of 3 Grenadiers commanded its left forward company. His objective was Jarpal, a fortified locality held in strength.
Shelling and crossfire from medium machine guns met the company during the assault. He led the charge himself, and Jarpal was taken after hand-to-hand fighting.
Three attacks, then a battalion
The first response came on 16 December: three counter-attacks, two of them with armour. Hoshiar Singh moved from trench to trench under shell and tank fire, and his company beat off all three.
On 17 December, a battalion attacked with heavy artillery support. Hoshiar Singh had by then been seriously wounded by shelling, and he was again moving in the open when a shell landed near a medium machine gun post. It injured the crew and put the gun out of action. He ran to the pit and fired the gun himself.
The attack failed. The citation records 85 enemy dead left behind, among them the commanding officer and three other officers.
The Ministry of Defence awards portal gives his home as Rohtak. He refused evacuation, wounded as he was, until the ceasefire.
The citation
Major HOSHIAR SINGH (IC 14608), Grenadiers. (Effective date of the award--17th December, 1971)
On 15th December, 1971 a battalion of the Grenadiers was given the task of establishing a bridgehead across the Basantar river in the Shakargarh Sector. Major Hoshiar Singh was commanding the left forward company and he was ordered to capture the enemy locality at Jarpal. This was a well fortified position and was held in strength by the enemy. During the assault, his company came under intense shelling and effective cross fire from enemy Medium Machine Guns. Undeterred, he led the charge and captured the objective after a fierce hand to hand fight. The enemy reacted and put in three counter attacks in 16th December, 1971, two of them supported by armour. Major Hoshiar Singh, unmindful of the heavy shelling and tank fire, went from trench to trench, motivating his command and encouraging his men to stand fast and fight. Inspired by his courage and dauntless leadership, his company repulsed all the attacks inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Again, on 17th December, 1971, the enemy made another attack with a battalion supported by heavy artillery fire. Though seriously wounded by enemy shelling, Major Hoshiar Singh again went from trench to trench moving about in the open with utter disregard to his personal safety when an enemy shell landed near the Medium Machine Gun post injuring the crew and rendering it inoperative. Major Hoshiar Singh, realising the importance of the Machine Gun fire, immediately rushed to the Machine Gun pit and, though seriously wounded himself, manned the gun inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. The attack was successfully repulsed and the enemy retreated leaving behind 85 dead including their Commanding Officer and three other officers. Though seriously wounded Major Hoshiar Singh refused to be evacuated till the ceasefire.
Throughout this operation, Major Hoshiar Singh displayed most conspicuous gallantry, indomitable fighting spirit and leadership in the highest traditions of the Army.
Source: Ministry of Defence gallantry awards record. Reproduced as printed, including any errors in the original.
Cover image: Krishna Chaitanya Velaga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized for this page. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Major_Hoshiar_Singh_statue_at_Param_Yodha_Sthal_Delhi.jpg