The Indian Army celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of the mechanisation of Indian Cavalry at Chandimandir on May 1.
From a humble beginning of Vickers light Tanks and Chevrolet Armoured Cars, the Indian Army became better equipped post independence with the coming in of Centurion Mk 7 and AMX-13 light Tanks. Since then the Armoured Corps has operated the indigenous Vijayanta Tanks, the Russian series of T-54, T-55 & T-72 Tanks and the state of the art T-90 tk and Main Battle Tank ((MBT) Arjun.
With the combination of forces and armoured vehicles, the Indian Army was able to register a first rate performance in the 1965 Indo Pak War. Equipped mainly with Shermans and Centurions, the Army was successful in destroying the sophisticated Pakistani Patton Tanks to form the famous graveyard “Patton Nagar” near Khemkaran in Punjab.
lt Col (later Gen) AS Vaidya and Col Caleb were awarded the MVC for their gallant performance in the Khemkaran Sector. lt Col AB Tarapore was posthumously honoured with the PVC for his valiant action against the Pakistanis in the Shakaragarh Bulge in the 1965 war.
In the 1971 war, the Corps was in the forefront of operations. Second lt Arun Khetarpal fought gallantly and was martyred in the Battle of Basantar, earning his Regiment and Corps yet another PVC.
The Corps boasts of a number of Gallantry awards including 2 Param Veer Chakra 16 Maha Veer Chakra, 24 Veer Chakra, 8 Shaurya Chakra and 53 Sena Medal. The event was celebrated at Khetarpal Officers Institute and was attended by the GOC-in-C, Western Command, lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra and a number of distinguished retired and serving officers.