Winning Command
It has played the part of saviour — in times of war, conflict, crisis and natural calamities. Vijay Mohan captures the many milestones and triumphs of the Army’s sword arm, Western Command, on its 60th Raising Day

GRAD multi-barrel rocket launchers in action

The Western Command has been the traditional sword and shield of the nation. It has been the guardian of the heartland in peace, low-intensity conflict and war and has rendered invaluable aid to civil authorities in time of need.

As the Western Command turns 60 today, it looks ahead to meet the constantly evolving requirements of war and peace and face new challenges emanating from a fast-changing geo-strategic environment. At the same time its draws it strength from a chequered history embellished with stories of valour and sacrifice.

The genesis of the Western Command can be traced back to the abolition of the Presidency armies on April 1, 1895, and the subsequent formation of four commands. In June 1947, the Punjab Boundary Force, comprising units of Indian as well as Pakistani armies, was set up for both East and West Punjab. It was disbanded on September 15, 1947, with the two nations taking responsibility for their respective territories. It was then that Headquarters Delhi and East Punjab (DEP) was raised at Delhi, with Lt Gen Dudley Russell as the first General Officer Commanding-in-Chief.

Headquarters DEP was assigned the task of restoring law and order in Punjab, which was caught in the midst of riots following the Partition. Since the task required constant movement, a special self-contained train with coaches from the Viceregal Train was placed at its disposal.

1947-48 war

The Command was baptised by fire soon after it was raised. With the outbreak of war between India and Pakistan on October 26, 1947, the area of responsibility of the Command was extended to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Command was required to check large bands of raiders, backed by the Pakistani Army, from infiltrating into the state. Troops were immediately airlifted into the war zone and a battalion — the famed 1 Sikh — was effectively deployed on October 27. This action gave the Indian Army a foothold for undertaking subsequent operations which saved Srinagar from being captured by Pakistan.

Later, with the operational area of the Command extending beyond Delhi, it was decided to re-christen DEP as Western Command on January 18, 1948.

Since the Government of India had imposed a ban on the movement of British officers in J&K due to political reasons, it was decided to replace Lt Gen Russell. On January 20, 1948, Lt Gen (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa took over the reigns of the Western Command.

Tactical Headquarters (THQ) was set up at Jammu to ensure that peace-keeping operations in J&K went on unhindered. The THQ returned to Delhi after the ceasefire on December 31, 1948. A few days later, Lt Gen Cariappa was elevated as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and on January 15, 1949, Lt Gen S. M. Srinagesh was appointed as the GOC-in-C.

By now, Delhi was becoming crowded and problems of infrastructure and paucity of accommodation in the Capital led to the Command being shifted to Shimla, the erstwhile capital during the Raj, in 1954.

Chinese invasion

In 1962 came the Chinese aggression. Despite the overwhelming odds, a number of officers and men from formations under the Western Command exhibited exemplary courage. The Command managed to save a major portion of Ladakh, including Leh and Chushul, from falling into enemy hands.

The call to pick up arms came again in May 1965 when Pakistan’s “Gibraltar Force”, consisting of trained guerrillas, started operations with the aim to capture the Kashmir valley. Anti-guerrilla operations launched by the Command cleared the Valley of Gibraltar Force within three months. This was followed by a major armour-backed Pakistani attack in the Chhamb Sector on September 1, 1965. The aim of the attack, code named Operation Grandslam, was to isolate Kashmir from the rest of India.

The Western Command, which had captured certain areas across the ceasefire line, including the strategic Haji Pir Pass, decided to open new fronts. It deployed its formations towards Sialkot and Lahore — a manoeuvre which checked the advance of Pakistani Patton tanks in Chhamb. Western Command Headquarters, then under Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, was shifted to Ambala during the operations, but reverted to Shimla after the war was over.

It was during this war that the famous Battle of Dograi, described as “the infantryman’s finest hour” was fought. The 3rd Battalion of the Jat Regiment had attacked and vanquished a well-entrenched enemy three times in strength.

The decisive Battle of Assal Uttar, fought on September 10, gave India its largest haul of Pakistani tanks when the offensive launched by Pakistan’s 1 Armoured Division was blunted. Six Pakistani armoured regiments were checked by three Indian regiments and by the end of the battle, the 4th Infantry Division had captured 97 tanks, including 72 Pattons which were superior to the Indian tanks.

In 1971, Command Headquarters moved again, this time to Jalandhar. While the Army, under the leadership of Lt Gen Sam Manekshaw (later Field Marshal) went into what was then known as East Pakistan, the western front wasn’t free of threats. India’s involvement in the liberation of Bangladesh was expected to provoke Pakistan to open up the western front. Under the command of Lt Gen K.P. Candeth, preparations to combat enemy movements were made.

The epic Battle of Longewala, fought in the deserts of Rajasthan and captured in the film Border, and the vital Battle of Basantar are fine examples of military victories achieved by the Western Command despite numerical weakness in specific sectors. Even the Pakistani Army has generally acknowledged these two battles as the most humbling defeats.

By now the Western Command had assumed responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan. The diverse terrain and climatic conditions — from snowbound peaks to jungles and deserts — necessitated specialised defence doctrines, tactics and equipment. To overcome area-specific problems related to command and control, the Western Command was bifurcated. On July 15, 1972, the Northern Command was raised with its headquarters at Udhampur to cover J&K and parts of Himachal Pradesh.

Checking terrorism

Headquarters of the Western Command stayed at Shimla for another 13 years and in February 1985, during the tenure of Lt Gen (later General) K. Sundarji as the Western Army Commander, it was moved to Chandimandir.

June 1984 saw the mobilisation of a large number of troops in Punjab and Chandigarh to combat terrorism. Failing internal security and growing terrorism in Punjab led to Operation Bluestar and Operation Rakshak. Western Command took charge, restoring normalcy in the strife-torn state. Punjab, which had become a hotbed of terrorism, soon had a democratically-elected government.

Tension between India and Pakistan in 1999 and 2002 again saw the Western Command readying itself for action. The Kargil conflict in 1999 saw the Western Command remaining on the alert, while the December 2002 attack on Parliament saw complete mobilisation and adoption of a war posture by the Command.

With changing times and emerging strategic requirements, the Army’s command structure was revamped and a new command, South Western Command, was raised at Jaipur. This saw the Western Command shedding some of its area in Rajasthan from Sriganganagar to Bikaner. In return, it acquired responsibility of the area north of Pathankot till Akhnoor, which was earlier the responsibility of the Northern Command. The 10 Corps at Bathinda was moved from the ORBAT (Order of Battle) of the Western Command to the South Western Command. A new formation, 9 Corps, comprising two divisions based in south-western J&K was raised at Yol near Dharamsala to execute the Western Command’s responsibility for the newly acquired area.

Apart from maintaining stability and peace, the Western Command has rendered yeoman service during national calamities not only in its own area of responsibility but also in other parts of the country. It has undertaken numerous missions in aid of civil authorities and rescued hundreds of people affected by floods, earthquakes and landslides.

Sign of pride

Western Command’s insignia or formation sign is a red shield with a black band dividing it into three equal parts. The Dharam Charka representing the Buddhist wheel which also adorns the National Flag is superimposed in gold on the shield. “Truth and virtue ought to be the controlling principles of all those who work under this flag, again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation and life in movement,” said Dr S. Radhakrishnan, former President of India, while interpreting the significance of Western Command’s insignia.

Total command
Western Army Commanders who later became Chief of Army Staff:

Pakistani weapons captured in the Battle of Dera Baba Nanak in 1965

Lt Gen K M Cariappa
Lt Gen S M Srinagesh
Lt Gen K S Thimayya
Lt Gen P N Thapar
Lt Gen SHFJ Manekshaw
Lt Gen T N Raina
Lt Gen K V Krishna Rao
Lt Gen K Sundarji
Lt Gen S F Rodrigues
Lt Gen B C Joshi
Lt Gen J J Singh

PARAM VIR CHAKRA WINNERS
The Param Vir Chakra is the highest award for gallantry. Below are officers and men who were serving the Western Command at the time they were decorated with the award:

Name Unit Date Place

Indian troops atop a captured Pakistani tank in the Shakargarh sector in 1971

Maj Somnath Sharma** 4 Kumaon Nov 3, 1947 Kashmir

Nk Jadu Nath Singh** 1 Rajput Feb 6, 1948 Kashmir

Lt R R Rana** Engineers Apr 8, 1948 Kashmir

CHM Piru Singh** 6 Raj Rif Jul 18, 1948 Kashmir

L Nk Karam Singh 1 Sikh Oct 12, 1948 Kashmir

Maj Dhan Singh Thapa 1/8 GR Oct 20, 1962 Ladakh

Maj Shaitan Singh** 13 Kumaon Nov 18, 1962 Rezang La

CQMH Abdul Hamid** 4 Grenadiers Sep 10, 1965 KhemKaran

Lt Col A B Tarapore** 17 Horse Oct 15, 1965 Shakargarh

Lt Arun Kheterpal** 17 Horse Dec 16, 1971 Shakargarh

Maj Hoshiar Singh 3 Grenadiers Dec 17, 1971 Basantar

** Posthumous