Saluting our Heroes: 2nd Lieut Rama Raghoba Rane, PVC

From the Indian Army website:

The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously.

*** Saluting our Heores – 2nd Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, PVC ***

A few weeks ago, we recalled the heroic story of Naik Jadunath Singh on this blog. 2nd Lieutenant Raghoba Rane’s story takes off from almost the same point as Naik Jadunath Singh’s tale of bravery ended.

It is late March 1948.

The Indian Army has recaptured Jhangar and the plan now is to move from Naushara to Rajauri to deal with the raiders and Pashtun tribesmen in that area.

Some 28 miles of wild rugged terrain road (connects) Naushera with Rajauri, climbing from a hot dry plain about 1500 feet above sea-level, to a height of 5000 feet in beautiful natural surroundings …From Naushera to Merian the road passes through a stretch of very difficult rugged terrain with many defiles. From Merian onwards it..follows the western bank of the Manawar Tawi river through cliffs and spurs of varying height, some with a drop of 500 feet to the river below.

…The area is mined and effectively covered by the enemy…All culverts had been destroyed and many large boulders and felled pine trees had been laid across to form roadblocks, these obstructions had then been mined. The cliffs and defiles closer to the river had been deliberately cut and the road was non-existent in several places.

Lt Col Zorawar Singh, CO, Central Indian Horse had flown over the area during the planning stage of the operation and assessed the damage as “frightening”, reporting that it would require an immense effort in time and labour to make the road usable as an axis of advance. [link]

A map showing the advance to and the capture of Rajauri. Not to scale; the distance between Chingas and Rajauri is 14 miles (courtesy: Bharat-Rakshak.com).

The move to Rajouri – over this road as the “axis of advance” – is being led by 4 Dogra. The march leading up to an assault on Rajouri began on 8th April 1948.  4 Dogra has managed to capture Barwali Ridge in a short time but further advance is halted due to a large number of roadblocks and landmines.

The blocks are so well-prepared that even armour is finding it hard to cross over these obstacles. Their way is being cleared by a group of determined men, amongst them the 37 Assault Field Company which is attached to 4 Dogra. As the section starts clearing a minefield on April 8th, two sappers are killed and five others including Rane are injured in enemy mortar fire.

What happened next is best described in the Citation of Param Vir Chakra awarded to 2nd Lt Rane.

CITATION

Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, BOMBAY ENGINEER (SS-14246)

On 8 April 1948, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, Bombay Engineers, was ordered to be in charge of the mine and roadblock clearing party at Mile 26 on the Naushera-Rajouri road which passes through very hilly country.

At 1100 hours, on that date near Nadpur South, just as Second Lieutenant Rane and his party were waiting near the tanks to start the work of clearing the mines ahead, the enemy started heavy mortaring of the area, with the result that two men of the mine-clearing party were killed and five others including Second Lieutenant Rane were wounded. The officer at once reorganized his party and started work for the tanks to go on to their position.  Throughout the day he was near the tanks under heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar fire.

After an arduous day, the road is finally cleared for the tanks to move ahead. The leading team could have secured a well-earned halt at this point but Rane was made of sterner stuff.

As the sun began to set on the mountains, Rane and his men decided to continue working through the night so that a safe lane can be preapread for the tanks.

After the capture of Barwali Ridge at about 1630 hours, although knowing that the enemy had not been completely cleared of the area, Second Lieutenant Rane took his party ahead and started making a diversion for the tanks to proceed.  He worked on till 2200 hours that night in full view of the enemy and under heavy machine-gun fire.

On 9 April he again started work at 0600 hours and worked on till 1500hrs when the diversion was ready for the tanks to proceed. As the armoured column advanced, he got into the leading carrier and proceeded ahead.  After proceeding about half a mile he came across a roadblock made of pine trees.  He at once dismounted and blasted the trees away.  The advance continued.  Another 300 yards and the same story was repeated.  By this time it was getting on to 1700 hours.  The road was curving round the hill like a snake.  The next roadblock was a demolished culvert.  Second Lieutenant Rane again got on with the job.  Before he could start work, the enemy opened up with their machine-guns, but with super courage and leadership he made a diversion and the column proceeded ahead.  The roadblocks were becoming numerous but he blasted his way through.  It was now 1815 hours, and light was fading fast.  The carrier came across a formidable roadblock of five big pine trees surrounded by mines and covered by machine-gun fire.  He started removing the mines and was determined to clear the roadblock but the armoured column commander appreciating the situation got the column into a harbour area.

Lesser mortals would have collapsed of exhaustion at this point; men of lesser mettle would have at least asked for a bit of rest. Rane was neither.

On 10 April 1948 at 0445 hours, Second Lieutenant Rane again started work on the roadblock in spite of machine-gun fire with the support of one troops of tanks.  With sheer will power he cleared this roadblock by 0630hours.  The next thousand yards was a mass of roadblocks and blasted embankments.  That was not all.  The enemy had the whole area covered with machine-gun fire but with superhuman efforts, in spite of having been wounded, with cool courage and exemplary leadership and complete disregard for personal life, he cleared the road by 1030 hours.

The armoured column proceeded ahead and got off the road into the riverbed of the Tawi but Second Lieutenant Rane continued clearing the road for the administrative column.  The tanks reached Chingas by 1400 hours. 

The Army advanced another 13 km on this day before they encountered another major roadblock. The enemy pickets perched on the adjoining hills were guarding all approaches to this roadblock. 2nd Lieutenant Rane drove to the roadblock in a tank and crouching under it, blasted the block with mines. He continued to work on clearing the path ahead without rest or food till 2100 hours that night.

But his work was was not complete yet.

On 11 April 1948, he again started work at 0600 hours and opened the road to Chingas by 1100 hours.

He continued working till 2200 hours that night clearing the road (for the armour to move further towards Rajouri).

As the citation notes,

But for the grim determination and tireless diligence of 2nd Lieutenant Rane, who worked ceaselessly, our column could not have reached Chingas – an important feature which secured for us a vantage position to advance further.

Rane’e gallant and heroic effort – in complete disregard of his personal safety and wellbeing – led to a richly deserved Param Vir Chakra.  Although the situation in J&K stabilised in 1948, Rane’s exploits continued to earn him awards and citations.  During his 21 years’ service with the Army, he earned five M-in-D (Mentioned-in-Dispatches).

As some of you know, the post-independence military operations in Jammu & Kashmir led to some unforgettable displays of courage and bravery. The Army won five Param Vir Chakras (PVCs), 47 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs) and 284 Vir Chakras (VrCs), including three twin-awards of VrCs, during the years of 1947-48.

As you go about your day today, please take a minute to remember these “Bravest of the Braves”.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

Read the other posts in the “National Heroes “series here.

P.S. For those of you who may be interested in Military History, here is an excellent account of “The Recapture of Rajouri“.