BATTLE OF BADGAM (JAMMU & KASHMIR)-1947 1st PVC Major Somnath Sharma

The enemies are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round".

One arm in a sling, and a carbine in the other, Major Som Nath Sharma, Param Vir Chakra (P), led gallant Indian braves of 4 KUMAON in defence of Badgam On this day 03 November in 1947

🇮🇳 the Bravest of the brave, the 1st recipient of the PVC, laid down his life for the Nation.

As the IndianArmy landed in Srinagar in October 1947, securing the airfield at Badgam was of primary importance for further operations against the invaders from Pakistan.

On 03 November 1947, Maj Som Nath Sharma and his troops were ordered on a fighting patrol to Badgam village Prior to deployment, he had injured himself during a hockey game and his left hand was in a plaster cast.

He reached his objective at first light on 03 November and took up a position south of Badgam at 1100 hours. The enemy, estimated at 700, attacked his company position with 3-inch mortars, LMGs, and rifles.

Completely outnumbered and with fire being directed on its position from three sides, the company sustain heavy casualties. Maj Sharma urged his company to fight tenaciously, and kept rushing across the open ground to his sections exposing himself to heavy and accurate fire

Keeping his nerve, he skillfully directed the fire of his section into the ever-advancing enemy. He repeatedly exposed himself to the full fury of enemy fire and laid out cloth airstrips to guide our aircraft onto their targets in full view of the enemy.

Realising that casualties had affected the effectiveness of his light automatics, the #IndianBrave personally commenced filling magazines & issuing them to light machine gunners. A mortar shell landing right in the middle of the ammunition resulted in an explosion that killed him

In his last message to the Brigade HQs, he conveyed: ‘The enemy are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round’.

Major Somnath Sharma Sir had taken his 100 soldiers against 500 Pakistanis on 3 November and fought the war with great bravery.In Bargaon near Srinagar

His company had to stay and keep a close watch on the attack of Pakistan.Everything was going well but at 3:00 pm on 03 November 1947, suddenly around 500 Pakistani soldiers advanced towards them from three sides.They had to stop this attack at any cost. If Srinagar airport

If it had reached the hands of Pakistanis, then India would have suffered a huge loss.He sent a radio message and said that the enemy is just 50 yards away from us but I will fight with my comrades till the last bullet till death.He responded to the enemies very bravely

And when the BATTLE OF BADGAON was over, more than 200 Pakistani soldiers had been killed and the #IndianArmy had got time to save Srinagar airport, which changed the map of the entire war. 🔥

Salute to the immortal martyr Major Somnath Sharma Sir

on his martyrday.

SOON AFTER PARTITION, PAKISTAN ATTACKED JAMMU AND KASHMIR WITH TRIBAL LASHKARS AND PAKISTAN ARMY PERSONNEL DISGUISED AS TRIBESMEN. ON 28 OCTOBER 1847 THESE RAIDERS WERE FAST APPROACHING SRINAGAR.TO DEAL WITH ADVANCING RAIDERS, TACTICAL HEADQUARTERS OF 161 INFANTRY BRIGADE WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE AIRFIELD WITH 1 SIKH DEPLOYED AT PATTAN AND A COMPANY OF 1 PUNJAB AT MAGAM. TO FURTHER STEM THE ENEMY ADVANCE A COMPANY OF 1 KUMAON (PARA), WAS DEPLOYED AT MILESTONE 9 ON THE SRINAGAR BARAMULA ROAD, THE POINT FROM WHERE A FAIR WEATHER ROAD BRANCHED OFF TO GULMARG-BECAUSE OF THIS, AFTER LEAVING BARAMULA THE RAIDERS FANNED OUT IN A NUMBER OF GROUPS AND STARTED INFILTRATING TOWARDS SRINAGAR ONE SUCH HOSTILE FORCE HAD APPARENTLY INFILTRATED VIA GULMARG, AND POSED A SERIOUS THREAT TO SRINAGAR AIRFIELD. THEREFORE, LATE ON THE NIGHT OF 2/3 NOVEMBER, A FORCE OF THREE COMPANIES (TWO COMPANIES FROM 1 KUMAON (PARA) AND ONE COMPANY FROM 4 KUMAON) WAS BENT TO DEAL WITH A REPORTED CONCENTRATION OF OVER ONE THOUSAND HOSTILES NEAR BADGAM.

THE THREE COMPANIES REACHED THE HIGH BROUND NEAR BADCAM BEFORE DAYBREAK. PATROLLING OBSERVED ONLY A SIZEABLE NUMBER OF KASHMIRI REFUGEES CAMPING IN A NALA. AS NO RAIDERS WERE SIGHTED, BY THE AFTERNOON THE TWO PARA COMPANIES WERE WITHDRAWN. MAJ SOMNATH SHARMA WAS ORDERED TO SECURE THE HIGH GROUND WITH HIS COMPANY, WITHIN TWO HOURS OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE OTHER COMPANIES, THE KASHMIRI REFUGEES, WHO WERE IN REALITY THE RAIDERS IN DISGUISE, ATTACKED THE 4 KUMAON COMPANY, THE FIRST ATTACK SUPPORTED BY ACCURATE MACHINE GUN AND MORTAR FIRE WAS BEATEN BACK. REPEATED ATTACKS FOLLOWED IN QUICK SUCCESSION.DESPITE SUPPORT FROM THE FIELD BATTERY AND AIR STRIKES BY TEMPESTS AND SPITFIRES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE RAIDERS KEPT ON PRESSING THEIR ATTACK. OUTNUMBERED SEVEN TO ONE, THE BRAVE KUMAONIS DID NOT LOSE HEART AND FOUGHT VALIANTLY. DESPITE LOSING THEIR COMPANY CONMANDER MAJOR SOMNATH SHARMA AND BUFFERING HEAVY CASUALTIES, THE COMPANY HELD ON TO THEIR POSITIONS FOR BIX HOURS TILL ONE COMPANY OF 1/2 PUNJAB TOOK UP POSITIONS AT HUMHOMA, THUS SAVING TAIR FIELD, THE MAINSTAY OF KASHMIR VALLEY.

FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND GALLANTRY, MAJOR SOMNATH SHARMA WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PARAM VIR CHAKRA, AND BECAME THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE HIGHEST DECORATION OF FREE INDIA FOR EXCEPTIONAL GALLANTRY IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY.