Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 24: Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS), J&K celebrated Haifa Victory Day today to pay respect to the soldiers of three Indian Cavalry Regiments – Mysore, Hyderabad and Jodhpur Lancers who showed their valour and liberated Haifa from Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Haifa in 1918.
Major General, S.K Sharma (retired), president FANS J&K gave details of the complete operation.
He said, Haifa is a strategically located coastal city in Israel which was under Ottoman Empire since 16th century. During 1st World War the British forces fighting with Ottoman Empire and Russia came to halt due to the control of Haifa city with the adversaries.
Without conquering Haifa city, they could not have proceeded on with their advance to other Middle East countries. British forces tried but most of their troops were either killed or made prisoners of war. This was the time when Indian Troops were called in to fight and conquer Haifa.
Two regiments of Indian troops Jodhpur Lancers and Mysore Lancers were given the responsibility to attack and conquer it where as the third regiment was tasked to look after the PW camp. The city of Haifa was controlled by around 1,500 Ottoman and Austrian Troops. They had positioned their field guns and medium machine guns on the Mount Carmel. The Indian troops, mounted on their horses and long spears in their hands dashed on to the Ottoman troops. Crossing the marshy land and river Nuhar, their flying and daring actions defeated the enemy. Their field guns and MMGs were silenced with bare spears and gallant action of mounted troops.
Though Indian troops lost eight of their soldiers, yet they were able to kill many troops of Ottoman and Austria, captured 1,300 troops and made them prisoners of war.
Maj Dalpat Singh of Jodhpur Lancer was declared ‘Hero of Haifa’ who, later, was awarded Military Cross by the British Govt posthumously.
Vijay Singh Sambyal, former DIG and Vice President FANS told that the stories of Maj Dalpat Singh and the valiant actions by Indian soldiers are in the syllabus of 3rd to 5th classes in Israel to motivate their own children. He stressed the need to include the stories of the valiant actions of our soldiers in the text books of school children so that our children also get motivated and feel proud of our ancestors.
Dinesh Gupta and Prem Sadotra, General Secretaries FANS conducted the proceedings of the function.
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