Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 10: Freedom Fighters Memorial Association (FFMA) on Thursday paid floral tributes to Martyr Hav Abdul Hamid at a function held in its office at Dogra Shaurya Samarak, Amphalla here.
The programme was organised by the Chairman Ved Gandotra, Vice Chariman Rajiv Mahajan and President R.C Puri of the Association.
Martyr Hamid had destroyed several Pakistani tanks in the Khem Karan sector during the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
Speaking on the occasion, the members threw light on the Indo-Pak War of 1965, which was won under the dynamic leadership of late Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then Prime Minister of India.
On September 10, 1965, they said, a Pakistan regiment launched an attack at a strategic location near Cheema village (Bhikkiwind Road) in the Khem Karan sector.
Intense artillery shelling preceded the enemy attack and then Patton tanks penetrated the forward position, they said.
Realising the gravity of the situation, they added, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, who was then commander of a RCL gun detachment moved defended the country.
Taking an advantageous position, the members said, Abdul Hamid knocked out the leading enemy tank and then, swiftly changing his position, sent another tank up in flames.
By this time, the enemy tanks in the area spotted him and brought his jeep under concentrated machine-gun and high-explosive fire.
Undeterred, Havildar Abdul Hamid kept on firing on yet another enemy tank with his recoilless gun. During this, he got wounded and later succumbed to his injuries.
Among those who were present on the occasion included Th. Karnail Chand, S.S Bhawal, R.P Sharma, Ravinder Mittal, Prabhat Kapahi, Sukhminder Singh Maini, Pritam Sharma and others.
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