2nd Lt Devpal Singh Deval VrC

Second Lieutenant Devpal Singh Deval was born on 6th May 1949 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He was the elder son of Thakur Bhawani Danji Deval of Basani Dadhawariyan (Dist. Pali, Rajasthan) and Smt. Prakash Kanwar Ujwal of Ujalan (Dist. Jaisalmer, Rajasthan). After his graduation in English literature, he joined the Indian Army as he always aspired to be an officer in the Army. 2nd Lt Deval was commissioned into 5 Gorkha Rifles Regiment, a regiment known for its gallant soldiers and a rich history of battle honours.

2nd Lt Deval had an interest in adventure sports and successfully completed the courses in the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Commando course at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh at a young age. As the Indian Army was mobilized to take on the threat of Pakistan on the eastern front, 2nd Lt Deval’s unit was deployed on the then East Pakistani border of India. Though the war with Pakistan actually commenced on 03 Dec 1971, when Pakistani Air Force attacked Air Bases of India, the border skirmishes were going on much before that and 2nd Lt Deval’s unit was involved in one such skirmish on 28 Nov 1971.

Border Skirmish: 28 Nov 1971

2nd Lt Devpal Singh Deval got wounded while fighting with the Pakistan Army On 26 Nov 1971. But on being told by his commanding officer to go to the hospital and rest, he refused to go to the hospital and continued to fight the war after first aid. On 28th Nov  1971, another company ‘A’ of his regiment came under the direct fire of heavy machine guns of the enemy. The company was so positioned on the ground that it was not possible for any soldier of  ‘A’ company to launch an attack on the machine gun post and there was the danger of a large number of casualties. 2nd Lt Devpal Deval then volunteered for the difficult task, though he was from the ‘B’ company, to save the doomed soldiers of ‘A’ company.

From his secured place 2nd Lt Devpal came out with hand grenades and lobbed them at the enemy’s machine gun post. The Pakistanis changed the direction of machine gun fire on gallant Devpal and ripped his body, but the hand grenades thrown by him had found their mark and silenced the machine gun by killing the soldiers manning the post. This valiant action by 2nd Lt Deval changed the course of the battle and the lives of the soldiers of ‘A’ Company were saved. 2nd Lt Deval displayed raw courage and awe-inspiring daredevilry at the tender age of 23 years.

2nd Lt Devpal Singh Deval was given the nation’s third highest gallantry award “Vir Chakra” for his exceptional courage, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice beyond the call of duty.