Dhan Singh Thapa was an Indian military officer who was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military recognition. He was commissioned into the 1st Battalion , 8 Gorkha Rifles, 1949, and served the country for three whole decades.
Birth: 28th April 1928
Death: 6th September 2005
Branch: Indian Army
Years of Service: 1949-1980
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Unit: ⅛ Gorkha Rifles
Awards: Param Vir Chakra
Dhan Singh Thapa was born to Padam Singh Thapa in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. He had received a temporary commission as second lieutenant on 21 February 1951, with promotion to lieutenant on 21 February 1953. Later, he went on to receive a permanent commission as a lieutenant on 29 September 1956, and was promoted to captain on 21 February 1957.
The Sino-Indian War started in October 1962, and on October 21, Chinese forces moved north of Pangong Lake with the aim of capturing Sirijap and Yula. Srijap 1 was an outpost established on the northern bank of Pangong Lake by the 1st Battalion of the 8th Gorkha Rifles, led by Major Dhan Singh Thapa. The post was quickly surrounded by heavily armed Chinese troops. Major Thapa and his soldiers defended the post and resisted three attacks before being overrun. The remaining survivors, including Major Thapa, were taken as prisoners of war.
After the war ended, Thapa was released from captivity and was promoted to major on February 21, 1964, and to lieutenant-colonel on February 28, 1970. In recognition of his bravery and efforts to inspire his men under fire, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
He left the Army on April 30, 1980, as a lieutenant-colonel. After retiring, Thapa made his home in Lucknow and briefly worked as a director with Sahara Airlines.
Thapa passed away on September 6, 2005. He was survived by his wife, Shukla Thapa, and their three children.
In the 1980s, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), a government-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Shipping, dedicated fifteen of its crude oil tankers to honor the recipients of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC). The tanker MT Major Dhan Singh Thapa, PVC was handed over to SCI in 1984 and was in operation for 25 years before being retired.