Hero of 1965 war

Hero of 1965 war
Brigadier (retd) Desmond E Hayde, Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), former commanding officer (CO), 3 Jat who led his battalion successfully in the battle of Dograi. passed away peacefully at Kotdwara on on 25 Sep 2013.
Battle that stands out with clarity in military history, despite the passage of time, is the battle of Dograi on the Indo-Pak border in the 1965 war. The Jats known for their sustained dogged courage in battle led by Lt Col Hayde, (MVC) achieved a superb victory against overwhelming odds. For his undaunted leadership and bravery, he was awarded with the Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest military decoration of the country.
Hayde’s battalion also got the unique distinction of being addressed by the then Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri at Dograi itself. It was during his address to this famous battalion that the Prime Minister had given the famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan’. Brig (retd) Desmond E Hayde, MVC is also one of the only military leaders whose portrait was drawn by MF Hussain himself at the battleground. This portrait holds a place of pride at the museum located at Jat Regimental Centre, Bareilly.
The actions of 3 Jat under Lt Col Desmond Hayde initially on September 1 and then again on September 21 of crossing the Ichhogil Canal and capturing Dograi right up to Batapore-Attocke Awan and knocking on the very doors of Lahore speaks for itself about the battalion’s leadership and the bravery of the troops.
Brigadier Desmond E Hayde, MVC, was born at Exeter, UK on November 28, 1926 into an Anglo Indian family of Irish lineage. Educated up to senior Cambridge at Asansol and Banglore, he joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on January 20, 1947 and was commissioned into the Jat Regiment on September 12, 1948.
After retirement, he was engaged deeply in affairs of the benefit of the ex-servicemen and welfare of the regiment. A true philanthropist, he donated a lot for betterment of the lives of the Jat soldiers. He had donated his lands in Kotalwara, Uttarakhand, to set up a school there.
He is survived by his three sons Walter, Michael and Norman. His last wish was to be buried next to the grave of his wife in Bareilly at a cemetery close to the Jat Regimental officers.(25 Sep 2013)