Major Somnath Sharma

This brave soldier of Fourth Kumaon regiment sacrificed his life at the young age of 24. With his hand already in plaster from an injury sustained in a hockey game, Sharma insisted on being with his company in combat when they were airlifted to Srinagar on October 30, 1947 to fight Pakistani invaders.

On November 3, when Sharma's company was on a patrol of Badgam village, it was approached by a tribal lashkar of 700 raiders from the direction of Gulmarg. The company was soon surrounded from three sides and endured heavy casualties from the ensuing heavy mortar bombardment. Realising that Srinagar and the airport would be vulnerable if they abandoned the battle at this point, Sharma ran from post to post, encouraging his men to fight in the face of an enemy that outnumbered them seven to one. When heavy casualties adversely affected their firing power, Sharma, with his left hand in plaster, took to filling the magazines for the men operating light machine guns. While he was busy fighting, a mortar shell exploded on

the ammunition near him, killing him instantly.

His last message to Brigade HQ, received a few moments before he was killed, was: "The enemy is only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round."