Karam Singh, PVC (Param Vir Chakra), was an Indian Army soldier who displayed extraordinary bravery and gallantry during the Indo-Pak War of 1947.
Karam Singh was born on September 15, 1915. He was born in Barnala, Punjab. His father’s name was Uttam Singh. He completed his primary education from his village. Since childhood, he was inspired by the stories of the First World War.
Military career
In the year 1941 he joined the army. On September 15, 1941, he joined the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment.
World War II Military Medal
During World War II, Singh faced Japanese troops on the Burma Front in 1945. For his extraordinary gallantry and fighting skill he was awarded the British Gallantry Medal, “Military Medal” on March 14, 1944.
1948 India-Pakistan War: Official Citation
“Tithwal in Jammu and Kashmir was captured on May 23, 1948. After that date, the enemy made several attempts to recapture Richhmar Gali and from there Tithwal. On 13 October 1948, coinciding with Eid al-Adha, the enemy decided to launch a brigade attack to capture Richhmar Gali, and advance into the Srinagar Valley, bypassing Tithwal. Lance Naik Karam Singh was commanding a section in Richmar Gali. The enemy began its attack with heavy artillery and mortar fire. The fire was so accurate that not a single bunker in the Paltan area was left safe. Communication trenches caved in. Bravely, Lance Naik Karam Singh moved from one bunker to another, giving aid to the wounded and encouraging the men to fight. That day the enemy launched eight separate attacks. In one such attack, the enemy managed to gain a foothold in the platoon area. Immediately, Lance Naik Karam Singh, who by then was seriously wounded, threw himself into the counter-attack with a few men and after a close quarter encounter dislodged the enemy, sending many of the enemy bayoneted to bayonets. Were killed. Lance Naik Karam Singh proved himself a fearless leader in crisis.”
For his sheer bravery and sacrifice of his life for his country, Lance Naik Karam Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He was the first living recipient of this award. His bravery and leadership saved Tithwal’s position and essentially turned the tide of the battle.
Heritage
Singh died on January 20, 1993 in his village. In the 1980s, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), a Government of India enterprise under the auspices of the Ministry of Shipping, named fifteen of its crude oil tankers in honor of PVC recipients. One of these tankers was also in the name of Subedar (and Honorary Captain) Karam Singh.
Paramveer Chakra: 21 Paramveers who became immortal in the pages of history
| Name | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Somnath Sharma | Major | 3 Nov 1947 |
| Jadunath Singh | Naik | 6 Feb 1948 |
| Rama Raghoba Rane | Second Lieutenant | 8 Apr 1948 |
| Piru Singh | Company Havildar Major | 17 Jul 1948 |
| Karam Singh | Lance Naik | 13 Oct 1948 |
| Gurbachan Singh Salaria | Captain | 5 Dec 1961 |
| Dhan Singh Thapa | Major | 20 Oct 1962 |
| Joginder Singh | Subedar | 23 Oct 1962 |
| Shaitan Singh | Major | 18 Nov 1962 |
| Abdul Hamid | Company Quarter Master Havildar | 10 Sep 1965 |
| Ardeshir Tarapore | Lieutenant Colonel | 11 Sep 1965 |
| Albert Ekka | Lance Naik | 3 Dec 1971 |
| Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon | Flying Officer | 14 Dec 1971 |
| Arun Khetarpal | Second Lieutenant | 16 Dec 1971 |
| Hoshiar Singh Dahiya | Major | 17 Dec 1971 |
| Bana Singh | Naib Subedar | 23 May 1987 |
| Ramaswamy Parameshwaran | Major | 25 Nov 1987 |
| Manoj Kumar Pandey | Lieutenant | 3 Jul 1999 |
| Yogendra Singh Yadav | Grenadier | 4 Jul 1999 |
| Sanjay Kumar | Rifleman | 5 Jul 1999 |
| Vikram Batra | Captain | 7 Jul 1999 |
Tribute to 21 immortal martyrs from a grateful nation!
https://hindi.ultranewstv.com/jayanti/subedar-karam-singh-jayanti-vishesh-15-september/
