Dalpat Singh (soldier) explained

Honorific Prefix:Thakur
Dalpat Singh Shekhawat
Birth Date:26 January 1892
Birth Place:Jodhpur, Jodhpur State, British Raj (modern-day Rajasthan, India
Death Place:Haifa, OETA (modern-day Israel)
Nickname:"Hero of Haifa"
Birth Name:Dalpat Singh
Allegiance: British Empire
Serviceyears:1910–1918
Rank:Major
Unit:15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade
Commands:Jodhpur Lancers
Battles:Battle of Haifa (1918)
First World War
Awards:Military Cross (posthumously)

Thakur Dalpat Singh MC (November 1892 – 23 September 1918) was a British Indian Army officer, known as the "Hero of Haifa" for his actions in the Battle of Haifa during World War I.[1]

Early life

Singh was born to a noble family[2] of the Shekhawat clan of Ravana Rajput community in the princely state of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, then under the British Raj.[3] He was the son of Col.Thakur Hari Singh of Deoli.

Military career

By 1918, Singh was commander of the 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade, which consisted of regiments of Indian troops from Jodhpur ("Jodhpur Lancers"), Hyderabad, Mysore, Patiala and Alwar. The 15th Brigade served alongside the British Army during the last months of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War.

On 23 September 1918, a combined British-Indian force, including the Jodhpur Lancers, successfully captured the crucial Port of Haifa from the Ottoman Army. During the battle, Singh was killed.

After the battle, Singh was awarded the Military Cross. His citation read as follows:

Commemoration

During a visit to Haifa, Israel, in 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Indian Cemetery and unveiled a plaque to Singh, with Singh's "Hero of Haifa" moniker.

The Mayor of Haifa Yona Yahav, during the centenary year of the battle, paid tribute to Singh, asserting:[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Haifa Day: 104 years ago, gallant Indian cavalrymen liberated this city in Israel from Ottoman rule . 22 September 2022 . The Free Press Journal.
  2. Web site: Bowden . Bill . Major Thakur Dalpat Singh . Old Eastbournian . . 5 April 2023.
  3. News: Jangid . Khinvra . From Jodhpur to Haifa: Representations of ‘Hero of Haifa,’ Dalpat Singh . 5 April 2023 . . 28 September 2018.
  4. News: Israel celebrations honour Indian soldiers who liberated Haifa city during World War I . 5 April 2023 . . 6 September 2018.