OUR CORRESPONDENT
POONCH: A wreath laying ceremony was organised by Nangi Tekri Battalion at General’s Memorial, Poonch to pay homage to Late Lieutenant General Daulat Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Western Command , Air Vice Marshall E.W Pinto, Air Officer Commanding of Western Air Command, Lieutenant General Bikram Singh, General Officer Commanding, 15 Corps, Major General K.N.D Nanavati, Military Cross, General Officer Commanding 25 Infantry Division, Brigadier S.R Uberoi, Military Cross, Commander of 93 Infantry Brigade and Flight Lieutenant S.S Sodhi who were killed in a helicopter crash on 22nd Nov 1963.
General Officer Commanding, the Ace of Spades Division was the Chief Guest of the ceremony, who laid the wreath and planted a silver oak tree sapling at the site. The ceremony was also attended by Commander of Krishna Ghati Brigade and other dignitaries from the local army and BSF units. The ex servicemen of Jhallas and Salotri area also paid homage to the departed souls. The important civil officials of Poonch civil administrative department attended the ceremony to pay respect to the departed leaders.
Lieutenant General Bikram Singh, General Officer Commanding, 15 Corps who died in the accident was held in very high esteem by the locals. As a token of their love and affection, people from Poonch and surrounding villages started having Akhand Path every year on the date of this fateful accident which they have continued even to date, indeed a great act of respect for the departed souls.