User:42 Med Regt/sandbox

History

42 Medium Regiment (DBN) was raised as 42 Field Regiment at Jhansi in the United Province, (Now Uttar Pradesh) on 01 August 1948 as a mixed class regiment. The Regiment was one of the first five regiments in the Royal Indian Artillery ordered to be raised in accordance with the policy of expansion of “Gunner Units”. Lt Col AS Narvane (Retired as Major General and ex DG Artillery) and Subedar Major Karam Singh (Retired as Honorary Captain) were the first Commanding Officer and Subedar Major. After shedding one battery to 3 Field Regiment, the Regiment became a pure ‘AHIR’ Regiment in May 1961.

After the raising regiment, participated in all major operations post independence. 1971 was a memorable year in the history of the Regiment in which, the regiment carried out heavy continuous bombardment on Pakistani Artillery and neutralized the Pakistani forces across the River Ravi in the Dera Baba Nanak sector in Gurdaspur District of Punjab. The regiment provided effective and continuous fire power and earned the honour title of “Dera Baba Nanak” in this battle. In recognition of the valour and courage displayed by the Regiment, was awarded two Vir Chakras, two Sena Medal and three Mention in Dispatches.

One more golden chapter was added to the history of 42 Field Regiment (DBN), when the former Commanding Officer of this regiment, General OP Malhotra, PVSM took charge as the Chief of Army Staff and later as the Governor of Punjab. Former Chief of Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC is another alumni of this regiment, to reach the highest rank in the Army. Lt Gen M M Lakhera, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, an ex officer of the regiment also served as Governor of Mizoram, Lt Governor of Pondicherry and Lt Governor of Andaman Nicobar. A total of fourteen officers of this Regiment have reached the rank of Major General and above.

Besides the wars, the Regiment has excelled during Peace and in Counter Insurgency Operations. In 1989-91 the regiment served in the remote, uncongenial high altitude and air maintained sector of Arunachal Pradesh, as part of ‘OPERATION FALCON’. In 1991-92 during ‘OPERATION RAKSHAK” the regiment was deployed in LONGOWAL of Punjab and earned enormous amount of goodwill of the populace while overseeing the conduct of elections in the state. In 1995-97, the regiment has done commendable work in Kheruh and Tangmarg areas of Kashmir valley. The regiment actively participated in “OP PARAKRAM” from 2001 to 2003 in Jammu and Kashmir. From 2003 to Oct 2006, the Regiment actively took part in “OP RHINO”. During this tenure, Regiment earned laurels and was awarded one Shaurya Chakra, one Sena Medal, eight Chief Of Army Staff Commendation Cards and six other Commendation Cards. The Regiment actively participated in ‘OPERATION RAKSHAK’ in J&K at from 2013 to 2016. From 2021 to 2023 the regiment was deployed in ‘OPERATION SNOW LEOPARD’ at in Eastern Ladakh.

Keeping up to the traditions, the Regiment has till now added laurels in the form of three Vir Chakra, one Shaurya Chakra, five Sena Medals, eighteen Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards and forty one other Commendation Cards after the 1971 operations. Since October 2023, the Regiment is located at peace station.

Operations Participated

Participated since Independence Indo Pak War 1965. ‘Operation CACTUS LILLY’ (DERA BABA NANAK) 1971’. Operation BLUE STAR (AMRITSAR) 1984. Operation TRIDENT & Op AVERT (AJNALA Sect) 1987- 88. Operation FALCON (LUMPO/NELYA) Arunachal Pradesh 1989 - 90. Operation RAKSHAK. Aid to Civ Auth (PATNA/ GAYA Sect) 1991. Operation RAKSHAK (KHERUH Sect) 1995. Operation RAKSHAK & Op PARAKRAM (J&K Sect) 2001-03. Operation RHINO & Op FALCON (ASSAM). . Operation RHINO (Nagrota) J&K. Operation MEGHDOOT (LEH LADAKH).

Gallantry Awards

S/No Rank Name Decoration Year (a) Lt Col A P Sharma Vir Chakra 1965 (b) Maj PK Sharma Vir Chakra 1971 (c) Capt J Kumar Vir Chakra 1971 (d) Lt Col A Manglik Sena Medal 1971 (e) Nk Mool Chand Sena Medal 1971 (f) Maj Rakesh Sharma Sena Medal 1997 (g) Lt KDS Rathore Saurya Chakra 2007 (h) L/Nk Mahender Singh Sena Medal 2007 (i) Maj S Ramesh Sena Medal 2010