26 Air Defence Regiment (India) Explained

Unit Name:26 Air Defence Regiment
Dates:1941 – present
Country:India
Allegiance:
India
Branch:
Indian Army
Type:Corps of Army Air Defence
Size:Regiment
Identification Symbol:26 AD Regt
Identification Symbol Label:Abbreviation
Colors:Sky Blue and Red

26 Air Defence Regiment is an Air Defence regiment of the Indian Army.

Formation

26 Air Defence Regiment was raised on 1 October 1941[1] at Drigh Road, Karachi as the 2nd Indian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment[2] [3] under Lt Col EC Kensington, RA.

History

World War II
  • On 1 August 1942, the Regiment joined the Eastern Army and was deployed in Bengal and Assam. From November 1943 to December 1945, the Regiment was placed under Gen Slim's XIV Army under the IV Corps[4] and was the only Air Defence Regiment to enter Rangoon after its capture.[5] Havildar Surat Singh won the Indian Distinguished Service Medal.[6] [7]
    Partition of India
  • In 1947–48, a train carrying refugees from Nizamuddin to Attari was attacked by a mob near Ludhiana. Maj Gurcharan Singh[8] and Naib Subedar Dhan Singh[9] displayed courage of the higher order and protected the refugees. For their bravery, they were awarded the Ashoka Chakra, Class II and Ashoka Chakra, Class III respectively.[10]
    Hyderabad Police Action (1948): The Regiment participated in the annexation of the state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union.
    Sino-Indian War
  • The Regiment was deployed in the Eastern Theatre. In addition to its Air Defence role, detachments of the Regiment were deployed in infantry role in Tawang and Senge of Arunachal Pradesh.[11]
    Indo-Pak War (1965)
  • The Regiment was deployed in the Eastern theatre, where 6 F-86s were engaged and 2 were shot down.[11]
    Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
  • The Regiment was deployed in the Punjab sector and shot down 7 aircraft. The Regiment was awarded 1 Vir Chakra,[12] 1 Shaurya Chakra,[13] 1 Vishisht Seva Medal, 1 Sena Medal[14] and 2 Mention in Despatches.
    Other Achievements:

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Platinum Jubilee Celebration Of 26 Air Defence Regiment at skyhawktimes.com. 2016-10-01. 2020-09-26.
    2. Web site: 26 Air Defence Regiment celebrates Platinum jubilee at timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ . 2016-10-06. 2020-09-26.
    3. Web site: Sainik Samachar . 2016-10-16. 2020-09-26.
    4. Book: Higgins, WJ. CSI Battlebook 10C Imphal Kohima. https://web.archive.org/web/20210214094251/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a151628.pdf. live. February 14, 2021. 1984. Combat Studies Institute. 19.
    5. Web site: "Corps of Army Air Defence raising day to change to 15 September to recognise WW-II origin" at theprint.in/ . 2020-08-31. 2020-09-26.
    6. Web site: Indian Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiments at www.airdefence.in. 2019-06-07. 2020-09-26.
    7. Web site: London Gazette 16-11-1994. 1944-11-16. 2020-09-26.
    8. Web site: Gurcharan Singh Kirti Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in . 2020-09-26.
    9. Web site: Dhan Singh Shaurya Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in . 2020-09-26.
    10. Web site: Gazette of India, No 17, page 126. 1952-01-26. 2022-10-11.
    11. Web site: 26 AD-Indian Army Postal Cover . 2020-09-26.
    12. Web site: Shreepati Singh Vir Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in . 2020-09-26.
    13. Web site: Vishnu Datta Sharma Shaurya Chakra at gallantryawards.gov.in . 2020-09-26.
    14. Web site: Naib Subedar Rati Ram - Sena Medal Citation in The Gazette of India No 10. 1974-03-09. 2020-10-18.

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