Pune's Hero


The city of Pune has produced several warriors. Some have lived to tell their tale of valour and some have not. The Epitaph at the Kohima war cemetery says it all. "When you go home, tell them we gave our today for their tommorow." Lieutenant Colonel A B Tarapore is one such warrior who did not live to tell his tale. On September 11, 1965, a regiment of the armoured Corps, commanded by Lt. Col. A.B.Tarapore, was given the task of delivering the main armoured thrust for the capture of Phillora in West Pakistan. While it was pushing forward to establish a steel wedge between Phillora and Chawinda as a preliminary to the attack on Phillora, the enemy launched a sudden counter-attack with heavy armour from Wazirwali. Lt. Col. A.B. Tarapore, who was then at the head of his regiment, defied the enemy's charge, held his ground and gallantly attacked Phillora. Though continuously under enemy attack and artillery fire, he remained unperturbed and refused to be evacuated even when wounded. Despite his injuries, he again led his regiment to capture Wazirwali on September 14 and Jassoran and Butur Dograndi on September 16. His own tank was hit several times. Under his inspired leadership, the regiment fiercely attacked the enemy's heavy armour and destroyed nearly 60 enemy tanks, suffering only nine tank casualties themselves. He was mortally wounded on September 16. The valour displayed by him in this action, lasting six days, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Indian Army. He was awarded the highest war-time gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously. The Colonel was born on 18 August 1923 in Bombay, Maharashtra. He joined the Hyderabad State Forces in 1942 and saw active service in West Asia during World War-II. He was commissioned into the Poona Horse on 1 April 1951. Lt. Col. AB Tarapore was in command of the Poona Horse during the biggest tank battle after World War II.