81 Medium Regiment (India) Explained

Unit Name:	81 Medium Regiment
Dates:	1961 – present
Country:	India
Allegiance:	India
Branch:	Indian Army
Type:	Artillery
Size:	Regiment
Identification Symbol:	81 Med Regt
Identification Symbol Label:	Abbreviation
Nickname:	The Mighty One
Motto:	Sarvatra, Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory)
Colors:	Red & Navy Blue
Anniversaries:	1 March – Raising Day

81 Medium Regiment is part of the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army.

Formation and history

The regiment was raised on 1 March 1961 at Jalandhar Cantonment, Punjab as 81 Heavy Mortar Regiment. The first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Sreedharman Singh .^[1] The regiment was subsequently converted to a field regiment and is now a medium regiment. The regiment consists of 147, 148 and 149 medium batteries.

Operations

The regiment has taken part in the following operations^[1] –

• Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 – The regiment took part in Operation Riddle. It lost one officer and four other ranks during the war.^[2]
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 – 81 Field Regiment took part in Operation Cactus Lily and fought valiantly in Battle of Chhamb. It was part of the divisional artillery of 10 Infantry Division, but saw most of the action under 191 Infantry Brigade.^{[3] [4] [5]} The unit lost one officer and eight other ranks during the war.^[6] It fired over 6400 rounds during this operation.^[7]
• Counter-terrorist operations - The regiment took part in anti-insurgency operations in Firozpur, Punjab, near the Bhutan–India border in Assam, and in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 2000s.
  • Operation Rakshak I and II (Punjab)
  • Operation Rhino
  • Operation Rakshak (Jammu and Kashmir)
    • Operation Vijay Operation Parakram Operation Snow Leopard

Gallantry awards

The regiment has won the following gallantry awards^[1] –

• Vir Chakra – Havildar K Palani^[8]
• Mentioned in dispatches – Colonel P Prabhu Raj^[9]

Motto

The motto of the regiment is मेहनत की जीत (Mehnat Ki Jeet), which translates to ‘Victory of hard work’.^[1]

Notable officers

• Brigadier Sreedharman Singh – First commanding officer
• Lieutenant General Eric George Kerr – He was the first Adjutant of the regiment, retired as Director General of the Artillery
• Lieutenant General Ashok Manglik – He was the first Quarter Master of the regiment
• Brigadier Vijay Chopra – Commanded the regiment
• Brigadier Ashish Uppal – Silver Gun winner

See also

• List of artillery regiments of Indian Army

Notes and References

1. Web site: 81 Field Regiment Golden Jubilee APO postal cover. 2011-03-01. 2023-10-03.
2. Web site: Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997, 1965 war. 2023-10-03.
3. Web site: Review of Battle of Chamb 1971. 2021-04-04. 2023-10-03.
4. Web site: Battle of Chhamb: Indo-Pak War 1971 in Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Vol. CLI, No. 626, October-December 2021.. 2021-10-01. 2023-10-03.
5. Book: Singh, Jagjit. Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971. 1994. Spantech & Lancer. 978-1897829554. 78–88.
6. Web site: Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997, 1971 war. 2023-10-03.
7. Web site: Anjan Mukherjee in Evolution of Indian Artillery and its Impact on India's Comprehensive Military Power, chapter II. 2023-10-03.
8. Web site: Gazette of India, No 31, page 312. 2021-07-31. 2023-10-03.
9. Web site: List Of Personnel Being Conferred Gallantry And Distinguished Awards On The Occasion Of Republic Day-2021. 2023-10-03.