Service No : 3168723
Date of Birth : January 2, 1959
Place of birth : Bharatpur Dist(Raj)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Havildar
Unit : 17 Jat
Arm/Regt : The Jat Regiment
Operation : Op Vijay ( Kargil )
Awards : Mention-in-Despatches
Martyrdom : July 7, 1999
Hav Bhagwan Singh Dagur
Havildar Bhagwan Singh Dagur was born on January 2, 1959, in Abhaurra village, located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. Growing up in a rural setting, he was shaped by the strong cultural heritage and warrior ethos of his region. Rajasthan, a land known for its rich history of valor and sacrifice, instilled in him a sense of duty and patriotism from an early age. The son of Shri Choudhary Birbal Singh Dagur and Smt Rumali Devi, Bhagwan Singh grew up in a family that valued hard work, integrity, and service to the nation. He completed his initial schooling in his native village, where he demonstrated a keen interest in physical activities and showed a natural inclination towards the disciplined lifestyle of a soldier. Inspired by the stories of brave warriors and the respect commanded by military personnel, he harboured a strong desire to join the Armed Forces, a dream he pursued with unwavering determination.
At the age of 18, on August 3, 1977, Hav Bhagwan Singh realized his childhood dream by joining the Indian Army. He was recruited into the 17 Jat Battalion of the Jat Regiment, one of the oldest and most respected infantry regiments of the Indian Army. He embraced the regiment’s traditions and quickly adapted to the rigors of military life. Throughout his career, he served with dedication and displayed exemplary soldierly qualities. During his service, he participated in numerous training exercises and field operations, honing his skills as an infantryman. In the midst of his military career, Bhagwan Singh found personal happiness when he married Ms. Malti Devi. By the year 1999, Hav Bhagwan Singh Dagur had completed over 20 years of service in the Indian Army. His extensive experience included deployments in various terrains and operational environments, ranging from the arid deserts of Rajasthan to the challenging mountainous regions of the northern borders. He had gained valuable insights into the complexities of infantry operations and had become a seasoned and reliable soldier within his unit.
Battle of Point 4875 (Kargil War) : 07 Jul 1999
During July 1999, Hav Bhagwan Singh’s unit 17 Jat was deployed in J & K along the LOC. In 1999, the Indian Army detected a massive infiltration by the Pakistani military and paramilitary forces in the Kargil region of Jammu and Kashmir. The army quickly mobilized its forces to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators from Indian territory. Hav Bhagwan Singh’s 17 Jat Battalion, under the command of Col US Bawa, was inducted into the Mushkoh Valley on 22 May 1999. The battalion was functioning under the command of 79 Mountain Brigade (79 Mtn Bde), with overall operational control being exercised by 8 Mtn Div (Mountain Division) under Maj Gen Mohinder Puri. By 30 June 1999, the Indian Army had captured many militarily significant features including Pt 5140 and Pt 4700. The next important feature that was needed to be captured was Pt 4875 which dominated the National Highway from Mugalpur to Drass a stretch of about 30 km. A feature called 'Rocky Knob' linked it with Tiger Hill. Its capture was important to seal the enemy operations in Mushkoh and hasten its withdrawal. A bold plan was made by 79 Mtn Bde under the command of Brig RK Kakar to capture Pt 4875 by utilizing the elements of 17 Jat, 13 JAK Rif, 2 Naga, 12 Mahar, and 21 Para(SF) along with the Artillery support. Pt 4875 feature comprised Whale Back, Pimple I, Pimple II, Southern Slope, and Flat Top; and the Northern side was named Twin Bumps and Saddle.
As per the operational plan, the attack was to be launched on 04 July, and in Phase-I 17 Jat was to capture Pimple I and Whale Back from the south by 05 July morning. In the same phase, 13 Jak Rif was to capture South Spur from the southeast and Pt 4875 from the south; a team of 21 Para(SF) was to establish a block along Safaid Nala; a company of 12 Mahar was to establish a firm base at Pt 4540 and Tekri to interdict enemy between Twin Bumps and Pt 4875. In Phase-II, 17 Jat was to capture Pimple II by 07 July morning and exploit up to North Spur; 13 JAK Rif was to capture Flat Top in the same time frame and 2 Naga was to capture Twin Bumps by 07 July morning and exploit towards the northeast. Capt Anuj Nayyar, who was promoted to the rank of Captian on 23 June 1999, was functioning as platoon commander of 'Charlie Company' under Major Padam Janghu with Major Ritesh Sharma as second-in-command. The assault was launched as planned on 04 July at 2100 hrs by 17 Jat and 13 JAK Rif after softening the enemy targets with two batteries of Bofors. By 0500 hrs, on 05 July, A and D Companies of 17 Jat under the command of Maj RK Singh and Maj Deepak Rampal respectively captured Whale Back and Pimple I despite stiff enemy resistance. In the same time frame, 13 JAK Rif captured Flat Top and by midday, the Pt 4875 was also captured. However, the enemy was still holding out at many places and Phase II of the attack was needed to be launched.
The Charlie Company of 17 Jat led by Maj Ritesh Sharma launched the attack on Pimple II on 06 July night from the direction of Whale Back. During the initial phase of the assault, the company commander Maj Ritesh Sharma got wounded after sustaining splinter injuries and was evacuated. Capt Nayyar who had been promoted to the Captain’s rank during the Kargil war itself, took over as the company commander. The Pakistani infiltrators had constructed several bunkers on Pt. 4875 which were attacking our troops with automatic machine guns. Hav Bhagwan Singh and his comrades fought with admirable courage and eventually cleared all four enemy bunkers on Pt. 4875. However, while doing so, Hav Bhagwan Singh got injured in the enemy firing. He soon succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. The securing of the Pimple Complex area paved the way for the recapture of Tiger Hill which finally forced Pakistan to retreat its forces to pre-conflict positions. Besides Hav Bhagwan Singh, the other brave hearts martyred in this entire operation included one officer, Capt Anuj Nayyar, and 27 other soldiers. The other martyred soldiers included Hav Kumar Singh, Hav Hari Om, Hav Mahavir Singh, Nk Balwan Singh, Nk Krishan Lal, Nk Rishipal Singh, Nk Ram Swaroop Singh, L Nk Rajesh, L Nk Ramvir Singh, L Nk Vijay Singh, L Nk Rajbir, Sep Raj Singh, Sep Karan Singh, Sep Kalu Ram Jakhar, Sep Kanchi Singh, Sep Satyvir Singh, Sep Surender, Sep Anil Kumar, Sep Hawa Singh, Sep Jitendra Singh, Sep Naresh Kumar, Sep Shish Ram, Sep Virander Kumar and Sep Syodana Ram. L Nk Rajendra Singh & Sep Dharamvir Singh were martyred on 8th Jul 1999, whereas Nk Shyam Bir Singh succumbed to his injuries on 9th Jul 1999. Hav Bhagwan Singh was a gallant and courageous soldier, who laid down his life in the service of the nation, following the highest traditions of the Indian Army. Hav Bhagwan Singh was awarded "Mention-in-Despatches" (Posthumously) for his commendable courage, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice.
Hav Bhagwan Singh is survived by his father Shri Choudhary Birbal Singh Dagur, mother Smt Rumali Devi, wife Smt Malti Devi and daughter Ms Krishna.
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