Raj Mohan Vohra

Lieutenant General Raj Mohan Vohra, PVSM, MVC (7 May 1932 – 14 June 2020) was a General Officer of the Indian Army. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his bravery and leadership in the Battle of Basantar during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.[1][2]

Lieutenant General

R M Vohra

PVSM, MVC
Born(1932-05-07)7 May 1932
Simla, Punjab Province, British India
Died14 June 2020(2020-06-14) (aged 88)
New Delhi, Delhi, India
AllegianceIndia
Service/branchIndian Army
Years of service1952–1990
RankLieutenant General
Service numberIC-6121
Unit14th Horse
4th Horse
Commands heldEastern Army
4th Horse
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistan War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
AwardsParam Vishisht Seva Medal
Maha Vir Chakra

Early life and education

Vohra was born on 7 May 1932 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India to Bakshi Sant Ram. He attended St. Edward's School in Shimla. He had four brothers, all of whom joined the Indian Army. They all served in the Indian Armoured Corps as well. All the brothers rose to be General Officers – two Major Generals and two Lieutenant Generals.

Career

Vohra was commissioned into 14 Horse on 4 December 1952. As a major, in 1963, he was selected to attend the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.[3] During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he fought in the Punjab sector.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Vohra posing in front of a destroyed Pakistani Patton tank

As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded the 4 Horse in Shakargarh sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.[1]

On 5 December, his regiment spearheaded the advance of the 54th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General WAG Pinto, and captured well protected important positions such as Bhairo Nath, Bari Lagwal, Chamrola, Dharman, Chakra and Dehlra. During the Battle of Basantar, his regiment came under heavy fire from the enemy and faced heavy resistance but destroyed 27 enemy tanks. His unit suffered little casualties and faced repeated attacks from the enemy. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his bravery and leadership.[4][1]

Maha Vir Chakra

The citation for the Maha Vir Chakra reads as follows:[5][6]

Gazette Notification: 18 Pres/72,12-2-72

Operation: 1971 Cactus Lily Date of Award: 16 Dec 1971

CITATION

LIEUTENANT COLONEL RAJ MOHAN VOHRA (IC-6121)

4 HORSE

Lieutenant Colonel Raj Mohan Vohra was commanding 4 Horse in the Shakargarh Sector of the western front. His regiment spearheaded the advance capturing. in its wake Bhairo Nath, Thakurdwara, Bari Lagwal, Chamrola, Darman, Chakra and Dehlra. Each of these positions was fortified with tanks, missiles and minefields. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Lieutenant Colonel Vohra moved well forward and provided inspiring leadership to the regiment. During the battle of Basantar River, his regiment, inspired by his personal example and courage, stood fast against repeated attacks by the enemy armour and destroyed 27 enemy tanks with minimal casualties to the unit.

Throughout the operations, Lieutenant Colonel Vohra displayed conspicuous gallantry and inspiring leadership in keeping with the highest traditions of the Army.

As a General Officer, Vohra commanded the Army War College, Mhow (then called College of Combat), which was also commanded by his brother, Inder Mohan Vohra.[7] Vohra served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from 1988 to 1990.

L-R (Tank driver, Lt. Col. RM Vohra, Lt. Butalia, Capt. RS Dhillon)

Honours and decorations
Param Vishisht Seva Medal Maha Vir Chakra
ONUC Samanya Seva Medal Samar Seva Star Paschimi Star
Raksha Medal Sangram Medal Sainya Seva Medal Videsh Seva Medal
25th Anniversary Independence medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Death

He died on 14 June 2020 from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.[8][9]

References
  1. B. Chakravorty (1995). U.P. Thapliyal (ed.). Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners. Allied Publishers. p. 370. ISBN 81-7023-516-2. During Indo-Pak War 1972, Lt Col Vohra commanded the 4 Horse in Shakargarh sector
  2. "Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra, PVSM, MVC (retd) @ TWDI". twdi.in. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. "DEFENCE SERVICES STAFF COLLEGE RESULTS" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 17 April 1964.
  4. Battle of Basantar citation, Gallantry Awards, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
  5. "RAJ MOHAN VOHRA | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in.
  6. "Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra, PVSM, MVC (retd) @ TWDI". twdi.in. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  7. "..:: India Strategic ::. Appointments: Air Marshal SBP Sinha is IAF's new Deputy Chief". www.indiastrategic.in. April 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  8. Fallen warrior: A final farewell
  9. Shukla, Ajai (16 June 2020). "1971 war hero Lieutenant General R M Vohra dies of Covid-19". Business Standard India.
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