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| History of Poonch city vis-à-vis Link up Day celebrations | | | Early Times Report
Poonch, Nov 22: City of Poonch was the capital of Poonch State and was garrisoned by 2000 men of the state forces in Oct 1947.
The hills around Poonch were occupied by about 3000 hostiles.
Hajipir Pass, held the key to Poonch from the North. A relief column of 161 Brigade composed of 1 KUMAON (PARA) less one company managed to reinforce the Poonch Garrison by scrambling across the stream on 21 Nov.
With Naushera, Jhangar, Rajouri, Mirpur and Kotli in the South and Hajipir Pass in the North in the enemy hands, Poonch was completely cut off and the C-in-C Army recommended its evacuation.
However a deliberate political decision was taken not to do so to save it from the fate which befell the Non-Muslims of Mirpur.
The garrison was to remain more or less isolated throughout the winter and the summer following.
Picquets were set up to observe and control enemy activity and a militia force was raised out of volunteers from amongst the 40,000 refugees. An airstrip built so that supplies, troops and equipments could be air lifted and refuges evacuated on the return flights.
During Jan and Feb 1948, 3/9 GR and 4 Mountain Battery were flown in to reinforce the garrison. A field battery followed in March after a night landing. In order to feed the garrison and the refugees, harvesting was done in enemy held territory by refugee men and women under escort and grain was also collected from surrounding villages in foraging operations which sometimes cost a number of lives.
With the Indian Army on the defensive at this time and the enemy successes in Tithwal sector, his morale was high. In September, the enemy brought forward some 25 pounder guns and put the Poonch air field out of commission.
It was then decided that while the Poonch Brigade will carry out operation to free the Suran and Mandi valleys astride the tracks leading to the Srinagar valley across the Pir Panjal range, a link up with Poonch would be affected from the south i.e. Rajouri- Mendhar side. Deception measures were taken to prevent the enemy reinforcing Poonch, a strong force was to demonstrate towards- Kotli to keep the enemy guessing as to the real objective.
The 1,656 meter high Pir Badesar feature dominating the Jhangar- Kotli road was taken on 15 Oct by 268 Brigade which had relieved 50 Parachute Brigade at Jhangar. 5 Brigade reached Rajouri on 20 Oct and captured Pir- kalewa on way to Mendhar on 28 Oct. 19 Brigade captured Naghun on 5 Nov and Ramgarh fort and Bhimber Gali on 9th.
The link up with the force advancing from Poonch was affected on 20th though Mendhar was entered only on 23 Nov 1948 when Brigadiers Yadunath Singh and Pritam Singh shook hands to symbolize the link up.
Thus ended a year long siege which the Battle Honour Poonch commemorate for the period 20 November 1947 to 23 November 1948.
Poonch Link Up Day is celebrated every year by the people of Poonch to commemorate the linkup between Brig Pritam Singh forces and the forces advancing from Rajouri near Poonch. The Poonch link up was the last of Indian Army's offensive operations and also the biggest of the campaign.
Deception was the key to the success of this brilliant operation which led to the liberation of 4,800 sq km of territory. Poonch deserves to be included among the great Military Sieges in the Military history. |
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