John Dalvi
Encyclopedia
Brigadier John Parashuram Dalvi was the commander of the Indian 7th Brigade. The 7th Brigade was destroyed in the 1962 Sino-Indian War
. Brigadier Dalvi was captured by the PLA
on October 22, 1962.
, Iraq
where his father was serving with the British administration. He returned to India in 1923 and studied at St. Mary's High School Mumbai. He graduated and joined to study under the Jesuists at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. In 1940 with the outbreak of World War II he joined Indian Army
.
. Throughout the war he continued to serve with the 5th Battalion. He took part in Field Marshal Sir William Slim
's pursuit of Japanese Army. From October 1944 to March 1945 he saw fighting with 19th Indian Division notably at the Crossing of the Irrawady.
For his services he was mentioned in despatches for gallant and distinguished service.
In 1945 he was selected to join the staff of General Sir Montagu Stopford, GOC XXXIII Corps and later GOC-in-C of 12th Army Burma
In 1947 he was posted as instructor to Indian Military Academy
, Dehradun
. He was then moved to 5 Gorkha Rifles as 2nd in command. In 1949 Dalvi was attached with Brigade of the Guards
.
In 1950, he was selected for Staff College, which he graduated in 1951. He then commanded 4th Guards and later 2nd Guards.
In October 1960 he was given an accelerated promotion to be appointed as Brigadier Administration to XV Corps. In January 1962, he was given the Command on 7th Infantry Brigade in NEFA
and fought in the Sino-Indian War
He was taken Prisoner of War
on 22 October 1962 and was repatriated in May 1963.
His book is in direct contradiction with the book authored by his erstwhile C.O. - General Brij Mohan Kaul
In his book Brig. Dalvi bitterly described about his return to India:
"We landed in Dum Dum airport in Calcutta on May 4, 1963. We were received cordially, appropriately. But the silence there was disquieting. I realized later. We had to prove we weren’t brainwashed by Chinese ideology. We had to prove we were still loyal to India. My own army maintained a suspicious distance. The irony cannot be harsher: this treatment from a country, which for more than a decade had brainwashed itself into holding the Chinese baton wherever it went."
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
. Brigadier Dalvi was captured by the PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
on October 22, 1962.
Background
Dalvi was born on 3 July 1920 in BasraBasra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
where his father was serving with the British administration. He returned to India in 1923 and studied at St. Mary's High School Mumbai. He graduated and joined to study under the Jesuists at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. In 1940 with the outbreak of World War II he joined Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
Career
Dalvi was commissioned into the Baluch RegimentBaloch Regiment
The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
. Throughout the war he continued to serve with the 5th Battalion. He took part in Field Marshal Sir William Slim
William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim
Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill"'Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia....
's pursuit of Japanese Army. From October 1944 to March 1945 he saw fighting with 19th Indian Division notably at the Crossing of the Irrawady.
For his services he was mentioned in despatches for gallant and distinguished service.
In 1945 he was selected to join the staff of General Sir Montagu Stopford, GOC XXXIII Corps and later GOC-in-C of 12th Army Burma
In 1947 he was posted as instructor to Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. He was then moved to 5 Gorkha Rifles as 2nd in command. In 1949 Dalvi was attached with Brigade of the Guards
Brigade of the Guards
Brigade of The Guards is a regiment of the Indian Army. It is the first "All India" mixed "All Class" Composition Infantry Regiment of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together in various battalions of the Regiment...
.
In 1950, he was selected for Staff College, which he graduated in 1951. He then commanded 4th Guards and later 2nd Guards.
In October 1960 he was given an accelerated promotion to be appointed as Brigadier Administration to XV Corps. In January 1962, he was given the Command on 7th Infantry Brigade in NEFA
NEFA
NEFA is an abbreviation that has several meanings:* -N-ethyl-4,4a,9,9a-tetrahydro-1H-fluoren-4a-amine* The Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation* Non-essential fatty acid* North East Folklore Archive* North East Forest Alliance...
and fought in the Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
He was taken Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
on 22 October 1962 and was repatriated in May 1963.
Books authored
On his return to India, he authored a book about the 1962 war, titled The Himalayan Blunder: The curtain raiser to the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The book was banned in Indian almost immediately on its release. But later it was allowed.His book is in direct contradiction with the book authored by his erstwhile C.O. - General Brij Mohan Kaul
Brij Mohan Kaul
Brij Mohan Kaul was the controversial General who resigned in the aftermath of the Indian military debacle against the Chinese in the 1962 Sino-Indian War...
In his book Brig. Dalvi bitterly described about his return to India:
"We landed in Dum Dum airport in Calcutta on May 4, 1963. We were received cordially, appropriately. But the silence there was disquieting. I realized later. We had to prove we weren’t brainwashed by Chinese ideology. We had to prove we were still loyal to India. My own army maintained a suspicious distance. The irony cannot be harsher: this treatment from a country, which for more than a decade had brainwashed itself into holding the Chinese baton wherever it went."