Harbaksh Singh

Who was Harbaksh Singh?

Lieutenant General Harbaksh Singh was a senior Indian Army officer who played a key role during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Vir Chakra.

He joined the India Military Academy in 1933. He was commissioned on the 15 July 1935 and started his career with a year's post-commission attachment with the 2nd battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Rawalpindi with whom he saw service on the North West Frontier during the Mohmand operations of 1935. He later joined 5/11 Sikh Regiment at Aurangabad.

During the withdrawal from Kuantan on January 5, 1942 Capt Harbaksh Singh drove into a Japanese ambush and was seriously injured. He was taken prisoner of war as Singapore fell to the Japanese. He was repatriated only in September 1945 after cessation of hostilities.

He recuperated in Ambala, and was soon posted as second-in-command of 4 Sikh at Campbelpur. In 1947 he completed the Long Staff Course at Quetta and was posted as GSO-1, Eastern Command.

When Lt. Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, C.O. of 1 Sikh was killed during the Kashmir operations in 1948, he volunteered to command the battalion.