Abdul Hamid

Introduction

An Indian Army man named Abdul Hamid Idrisi PVC served as the Company Quartermaster Havildar. The Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military medal, was given to him posthumously in recognition of his achievements during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. December 1954 saw Hamid enlisting in the army, where he was assigned to the Grenadiers' 4th Battalion.

During the Sino-Indian War, his regiment fought against the People's Liberation Army in the Namka Chu. A crucial position forward of the village of Chima on the Khem Karan-Bhikhiwind line was assigned to the 4 Grenadiers unit during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. Hamid destroyed nine Pakistani tanks at the Battle of Asal Uttar on September 9-10, 1965, sacrificing himself to take out the final tank.

About Abdul Hamid

• Full Name: Abdul Hamid
• Date of Birth: July 1, 1933
• Place of Birth: Dhamupur, Ghazipur district, United Provinces, British India
• Branch: Indian Army
• Rank: Company Quartermaster Havildar
• Years of Service: 1954-1965
• Mother's Name: Sakina Begum
• Father's Name: Mohammad Usman, a tailor
• Wife's Name: Rasoolan Bibi
• Place of Death: Chima, Khem Karan, Tarn Taran district, Punjab, India
• Date of Death: September 10, 1965

Childhood of Abdul Hamid

Abdul Hamid was born on July 1, 1933, in a village located in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district. His father, Mohammad Usman, was a tailor, and his mother, Sakina Begum, was a housewife. Hamid would sew clothing to support the business operated by his father.

Abdul Hamid's Military Career

On December 27, 1954, he enrolled in the Indian Army Reserve as a Grenadiers regiment member. He spent the remaining years of his career serving with the 4th Battalion of the regiment (previously the 109th Infantry). Alongside the Battalion, he participated at Ramgarh, Delhi, NEFA, Agra, Amritsar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi.

Hamid's Battalion, part of Brigadier John Dalvi's 7th Infantry Brigade, fought against the People's Liberation Army in the Battle of Namka Chu in 1962. After being encircled and severed, the Battalion fled on foot into Bhutan and Misamari. The Maha Vir Chakra was given to Second Lieutenant G. V. P. Rao posthumously for his war deeds; until Hamid's reference, this was the highest courage honor the unit had received since Indian independence.

• 1965's Indo-Pakistani Conflict

Pakistani soldiers tried a number of incursions across the Jammu and Kashmir border as a precursor to Operation Gibraltar, which was Pakistan's plan to enter the region and start a rebellion against the Indian administration. Between August 5 and 10, 1965, troops from India discovered a widespread infiltration. It was discovered via captured papers and captives that Pakistan had trained about 30,000 insurgents specifically for the goal of capturing Kashmir through a guerilla assault.

The guerilla groups were scattered, dissolved, or destroyed for reasons that are yet unknown, and the action never happened. In an effort to destroy the guerrilla bases, India defeated Haji Phir and Phir Saheba, while Pakistan attached an operation that resulted in the capture of Chhamb and Jourian. There were also attacks on Indian Air Force stations near Amritsar.

India started activities across the international boundary in a counteroffensive. Taking control of Pakistani territory east of the Ichogil Canal and preventing invasion along the Kasur-Khem Karan axis were assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. The division arrived at the canal and prepared for a Pakistani attack. Four Grenadiers were given a critical position on the Khem Karan-Bhikhiwind line ahead of the village of Chima.

• The Battle of Asal Uttar

On September 7 and 8, 4 Grenadiers came at midnight and, by sunrise, had dug trenches measuring 3 feet. The initial sounds of Pakistani tanks crossing the road were heard at 7:30 am, and within an hour and a half, the tanks were there. Hamid was in charge of the RCLR detachment on his Battalion's Jonga. The Battalion kept their fire until Hamid hit a tank with his RCL gun 30 feet away, causing the Pakistani soldiers in the two subsequent tanks to flee.

At 11:30 am, the Indians came under artillery assault, and then they came under another armored onslaught. Once again, the Pakistani soldiers inside the subsequent tanks retreated after Hamid took out another tank. By day's end, the Grenadiers' position was surrounded by anti-personnel and anti-tank mines placed by an engineering company.

On September 9, at 9:00 am, Pakistani Sabre planes attacked their unit, resulting in several losses. At 9:30, 11:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m., the Pakistanis launched armored strikes. By the evening, Hamid had managed to destroy four tanks. Thirteen tanks were destroyed by the Battalion, several of which were abandoned. When facing US-built Pakistani Patton tanks, the Indians withdrew a squadron of Sherman tanks, making them useless. Additionally, in order to position the centurion tanks for a tank fight, they were withdrawn. That meant that the only weapons the 4 Grenadiers had were explosives and RCL guns.

The initial batch of three tanks arrived at approximately 8:00 am on September 10; two tanks followed at a distance of 180 meters (or 200 yards). Hamid used his RCL gun to take out another tank. At nine in the morning, the Pakistanis launched another assault with more artillery assistance, and Hamid destroyed yet another tank. Moving to a new location, he gave his soldiers orders to seek shelter because his open vehicle was exposed to the attack. Hamid instantly observed a Pakistani tank. He was killed when he shot at the tank as it fired at him when he was by himself and unable to move. In the end, India won the war handily because the Battalion stopped the Pakistanis' additional attacks.

• Param Vir Chakra

Retired Indian Army officer Ian Cardozo has claimed that although Hamid was awarded India's highest military honor, it did not fully acknowledge the number of tanks he destroyed. It is unknown if Hamid destroyed the seventh tank, despite reports from battalions and regiments claiming seven vehicles. According to the citation, Hamid destroyed four more Pakistani tanks the day before, and he was killed while attacking the seventh. On September 10, just the two tanks that are known to have been destroyed by him are mentioned. When Hamid's death was reported to Army Headquarters in New Delhi, the honor was given posthumously; however, the authorities did not give him credit for the four tanks that were destroyed on September 9.

Legacy

India Post released a collection of five stamps honoring recipients of prizes for heroism on January 28, 2000, including a ₹3 stamp honoring Hamid. Hamid's bust and an image of a vehicle with a recoilless gun can be found on the stamp.

When Rasoolan Bibi, Hamid's widow, met with Indian President Pratibha Patil in Lucknow in 2008, she asked that a military recruiting center be built in his village, that Hamid's Dullapur home be turned into a memorial, that the nation observe the anniversary of his death, and that she helps her grandchildren in getting jobs with the government.

On September 9, in Asal Uttar village, a large sports and cultural festival is held annually in honor of Abdul Hamid. In honor of Hamid's 46th birthday, the Flags of Honour Foundation restored a memorial in his hometown of Dhamupur that had become dilapidated in 2011. Along with painting and repairing the gates and border, the refurbishment includes new statues of Hamid and landscape enhancements.

Then Chief of Staff General Bipin Rawat dedicated a monument in the Ghazipur area on September 10, 2017, the 52nd anniversary of Hamid's passing. Adhikar Sena President Amitabh Thakur charged that the Uttar Pradesh and Indian governments had neglected the Dhamupur monument in February 2023.

Events of September 10, 1965

The events of September 10, 1965, were examined in the tenth episode of the 1988 television series Param Vir Chakra, which focused on the lives of recipients of the Param Vir Chakra. Naseeruddin Shah portrayed Hamid, while Chetan Anand directed the episode.

Documentary Films

A TV documentary titled "Battle of Asal Uttar - Largest Tank Battle Since World War II" debuted in 2018 on Veer as part of the Discovery Channel series "Mission & Wars." The Indian Army published a biography of CQMH Abdul Hamid that describes his battle and death.

Awards

• Samar Seva Medal
• Param Vir Chakra
• Sainya Seva Medal
• Raksha Medal

Little-Known Information

• Prior to enlisting in the Indian Army, Abdul Hamid assisted his father in sewing clothing.
• On January 28, 2000, India Post released a Rs 3 pictorial postage stamp as one of a set of five stamps honoring recipients of the bravery medal.
• Additionally, the stamp included a picture of a vehicle with a recoilless gun on it in addition to a bust of Abdul Hamid.
• Abdul Hamid was also awarded the moniker 'Tank Destroyer'.
• His dream was to become a jawan in the army.
• Abdul Hamid served alongside a regiment against China in 1962 despite his joining the Indian Army in 1954.
• During the 1966 Republic Day Parade, President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan awarded the Param Vir Chakra to Abdul Hamid's wife, Rasoolan Bibi.
• In Dhamupur, the place where Abdul Hamid was born, a memorial has been built in his honor.
• Abdul Hamid joined the Indian Army in Varanasi at the age of 20, but after completing his training at the Grenadiers Regimental Centre in Nasirabad in 1955, he was assigned to 4 Grenadiers.
• During the 1965 India-Pakistan conflict, Abdul Hamid destroyed six Pakistani tanks by himself.
• When Rasoolan Bibi, the wife of Abdul Hamid, saw Pratibha Patil in Lucknow in 2008, she asked her to establish a military recruiting facility in Dhamupur village.