Victoria Cross Winner - Company Havildar-Major Chheluram

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dndeswal

Active member
Now-a-days, I am busy in preparing the wiki version of Capt. Dalip Singh Ahlawat’s book Jat Veeron ka Itihas (जाट वीरों का इतिहास). The contents uploaded so far can be seen at the following link-

http://www.jatland.com/home/Jat_History_Dalip_Singh_Ahlawat

In chapter XI (page 1016), the author mentions about a Jat Hero, winner of Victoria Cross, whose name was Company Havildar-Major Chheluram of 4/6th Rajputana Rifles. He sacrificed his life on the night of 19/20 April 1943 in the battle of Djebel Garci (Tunisia) during World War-II. He is stated to be born in 1905, in village Dinod (district Bhiwani, Haryana) in the house of a ‘Garhwal’ gotra Jat family.

Despite this heroic deed, we find his name missing in Jatland Wiki pages. One Jat colleague of mine makes a question-mark whether Chelluram was a Jat (doubt arises because Chheluram was recruited in Rajputana Rifles and that his native village Dinod may also contain some Rajput families as is the case with some villages of Bhiwani which have both Jat and Rajput population).

Could someone, especially from Army background or from Bhiwani area throw some light – whether the Victoria Cross winner was a Jat or a Rajput?

Then, we may create a separate page for Company Havildar-Major Chheluram.

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dndeswal said:
Now-a-days, I am busy in preparing the wiki version of Capt. Dalip Singh Ahlawat’s book Jat Veeron ka Itihas (जाट वीरों का इतिहास). The contents uploaded so far can be seen at the following link-

http://www.jatland.com/home/Jat_History_Dalip_Singh_Ahlawat

In chapter XI (page 1016), the author mentions about a Jat Hero, winner of Victoria Cross, whose name was Company Havildar-Major Chheluram of 4/6th Rajputana Rifles. He sacrificed his life on the night of 19/20 April 1943 in the battle of Djebel Garci (Tunisia) during World War-II. He is stated to be born in 1905, in village Dinod (district Bhiwani, Haryana) in the house of a ‘Garhwal’ gotra Jat family.

Despite this heroic deed, we find his name missing in Jatland Wiki pages. One Jat colleague of mine makes a question-mark whether Chelluram was a Jat (doubt arises because Chheluram was recruited in Rajputana Rifles and that his native village Dinod may also contain some Rajput families as is the case with some villages of Bhiwani which have both Jat and Rajput population).

Could someone, especially from Army background or from Bhiwani area throw some light – whether the Victoria Cross winner was a Jat or a Rajput?

Then, we may create a separate page for Company Havildar-Major Chheluram.

.
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I am from village Bilawal in Bhiwani district and am happy to inform that my Uncle, [Tauji ] served in the British Indian Military Services in the same Rajputana Rifles in 1940's to which Chaudhary Chheluram from Dinod , VC awardee belonged. My Tauji expired a few years back but used to narrate proudly the heroic tales of the battles fought by them during the course of WW II.

The suspicion is ill founded because, several other Jat persons from our village are still serving in the Rajputana Rifles as the recruitment of Rajputana Rifles with Headquarters at Delhi Cantt has never been restricted to any specific caste.

So without hesitation you can state with a sense of satisfaction that he was a Jat Hero of World War II.

Thanks.
 
देशवाल जी , राजपुताना राय्फल्ज ,पुराणी जयपुर स्टेट की सेना को दिया हुआ(सवतंत्र भारत में ) नया नाम हे । इस रेजिमेंट में जाट और राजपूत 50 % के अनुपात में भर्ती किये जाते थे । और राज के समय एक समय जाट कमांड करता था और अगली बार राजपूत कमांड करता था । आज की स्तिथि का मुझे पता नहीं , क्योंकि अब भारत की सेना के नियम के अनुसार क्या होता हे ,ये जानकारी मेरे पिता जी के कहे अनुसार मुझे मिली हे ,क्योंकि वे राजपुताना रायफल्स में थे ।
 
डॉ. राजपाल जी एवं रवीन्द्रजीत जी,

शंका समाधान के लिए धन्यवाद। भारतीय सेना के विक्टोरिया क्रॉस विजेताओं के नाम इस लिंक पर पढ़े जा सकते हैं -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Victoria_Cross_recipients_of_the_Indian_Army


कुछ अंग्रेज इतिहासकारों ने राजस्थान को राजपूताना लिखा है जो कि भ्रम पैदा करता है - अनजान लोग शायद यह नाम पढ़कर समझते हैं कि इस राजपूताना राज्य में राजपूतों का ही बहुमत है। राजस्थान में जाटों की संख्या राजपूतों से ज्यादा है, यह बात अलग है कि राजनैतिक गठजोड़ के कारण कोई मुख्यमंत्री जाट नहीं बन सका।

ठाकुर देशराज ने लिखा है कि राजपूताना एक भ्रामक नाम है। उनका सुझाव था कि इस प्रदेश का नाम वीरभूमि रख दिया जाये तो उत्तम है क्योंकि इसमें जाट, राजपूत, मीना, गूजर, विश्नोई, भील आदि अनेक वीर जातियां निवास करती हैं।

बात यही समझ में आती है कि राजपूताना राईफल्स नाम राजपूतों के नाम पर शायद अंग्रेजों ने नहीं रखा, बल्कि राजस्थान प्रदेश पर रखा है (जैसे बिहार रेजिमेंट)।

तो क्या जाट रेजिमेंट का नाम सिर्फ जाट कौम के नाम पर रखा गया है? लगता तो ऐसे ही है!

.
 
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maddhan1979 said:
I think he was a Jat:

http://www.jatland.com/home/Richhapal_Ram_Lamba
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These are old families and old blood, who did our community proud, i think there should be some organization which assists family of such people (who did us proud) in case they are in bad economic or any other situation.
Times and generation changes for everyone, bad and good times come and go, but memories and generations should not be washed away by time itself.
 
ravinderjeet said:
देशवाल जी , राजपुताना राय्फल्ज ,पुराणी जयपुर स्टेट की सेना को दिया हुआ(सवतंत्र भारत में ) नया नाम हे । इस रेजिमेंट में जाट और राजपूत 50 % के अनुपात में भर्ती किये जाते थे । और राज के समय एक समय जाट कमांड करता था और अगली बार राजपूत कमांड करता था । आज की स्तिथि का मुझे पता नहीं , क्योंकि अब भारत की सेना के नियम के अनुसार क्या होता हे ,ये जानकारी मेरे पिता जी के कहे अनुसार मुझे मिली हे ,क्योंकि वे राजपुताना रायफल्स में थे ।
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For complete details on the topic log in official website : http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Units/Infantry/104-Raj-Rif.html

An extract from the above website is produced for the benefit of the readers :


  • The Rajputana Rifles is the senior most Rifle Regiment of the Indian Army. Its first battalion was raised as far back as in January 1775. The Regiment, as it stands today was formed in 1921-22 during general re-organisation of the Indian Army. Battalions from the Bombay and Bengal Armies were also added in the Regiment. Each of the battalions, from the Bombay and Bengal Armies, have a long and glorious past. They have taken part in some of the bloodiest battles in many theatres of the world. During World War II, the battalions of this Regiment fought in every theatre in which the Indian Army was involved. Three of them, the 1st, 4th, and medium Machine Gun Battalions fought in Eritrea in North Africa and Italy as part of the famous 4th Indian Division, whose fighting record was the finest in World War II.
  • It was in the fighting in Keren in Eritria that Subedar Richpal Ram of the 4th Battalion won a Victoria Cross (Posthumous), the first VC of the Battalion and that of the Division in World War II. The second VC of the Regiment, again during World War II, was won by Company Havildar Major Chhelu Ram again of the 4th Battalion, at Djebel in Tunisia, at the end of the North African Campaign. This battalion alone won nearly 80 gallantry awards, including two VCs, in a five year campaign. The outbreak of hostilities in Kashmir, again saw the Rajputana Rifles in the thick of battle. During the brief period of the Jammu & Kashmir Operations in 1947-48, the Regiment was awarded 1 PVC, 2 MVCs, 14 VrCs and 49 Mention-in-Despatches. Company Havildar Major Piru Singh, 6 Raj Rif, is the first & only recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (Posthumous) for the Regiment, in 1948. In 1970 Captain Umed Singh Mahra, 19th Raj Rif, won for the Regiment its first Ashoka Chakra in Counter Insurgency (COIN) Operations.

Thanks
 
dndeswal said:
डॉ. राजपाल जी एवं रवीन्द्रजीत जी,

शंका समाधान के लिए धन्यवाद। भारतीय सेना के विक्टोरिया क्रॉस विजेताओं के नाम इस लिंक पर पढ़े जा सकते हैं -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Victoria_Cross_recipients_of_the_Indian_Army


कुछ अंग्रेज इतिहासकारों ने राजस्थान को राजपूताना लिखा है जो कि भ्रम पैदा करता है - अनजान लोग शायद यह नाम पढ़कर समझते हैं कि इस राजपूताना राज्य में राजपूतों का ही बहुमत है। राजस्थान में जाटों की संख्या राजपूतों से ज्यादा है, यह बात अलग है कि राजनैतिक गठजोड़ के कारण कोई मुख्यमंत्री जाट नहीं बन सका।

ठाकुर देशराज ने लिखा है कि राजपूताना एक भ्रामक नाम है। उनका सुझाव था कि इस प्रदेश का नाम वीरभूमि रख दिया जाये तो उत्तम है क्योंकि इसमें जाट, राजपूत, मीना, गूजर, विश्नोई, भील आदि अनेक वीर जातियां निवास करती हैं।

बात यही समझ में आती है कि राजपूताना राईफल्स नाम राजपूतों के नाम पर शायद अंग्रेजों ने नहीं रखा, बल्कि राजस्थान प्रदेश पर रखा है (जैसे बिहार रेजिमेंट)।

तो क्या जाट रेजिमेंट का नाम सिर्फ जाट कौम के नाम पर रखा गया है? लगता तो ऐसे ही है!

.
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Deswalji,

The war cry of the Jat Regiment indicates that it is so, see below:


  • War Cry: Jat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan (Brave Jat, Victory to God).
For further details log in official website of the Jat regiment :http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Units/Infantry/106-Jat-Regt.html

Thanks
 
maddhan1979 said:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/valgal/valour/INF3_0423.htm


Excellent documents in the lower right hand corner of the web page. Kindly klick on them to enlarge the document.
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The document is reproduced from the above mentioned link for the benefit of sharing the information on the bravery acts of the Jat under reference:

WO373_28_Richpal_Ram.jpg
 
Thanks we have proved it to be good discussion and Rajpalji provided rare documents. From the name of Chhelu Ram it is clear that he can not be Rajput as no Rajput puts Ram behind his name.
 
maddhan1979 said:
I think he was a Jat:

http://www.jatland.com/home/Richhapal_Ram_Lamba
Click to expand...

Some times it is sad to see such history, northwestern Bharat people who faught with British were themselves IndoEuropean people who were fighting IndoEuropean people on the opposite side. Rather British themselves are part of IndoEuropean tribes in ancient history and there was ruthless killing on each side and most of them came from the same blood of IndoEuropean people.
 
Peter Gill, an Anglo Indian Sergeant, killed many Indians, who had joined the first War of Indian Independence in 1857 and was promoted and awarded VC by the British.




There are many books on V C Winners. If interested one could visit :http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/aabooks.htm

One can find out other Jat winners of the Victoria Crosses in them.

But as of now I have not come across any book exclusively devoted to some Jat Victoria Cross winner.
 
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DrRajpalSingh said:
Peter Gill, an Anglo Indian Sergeant, killed many Indians, who had joined the first War of Indian Independence in 1857 and was promoted and awarded VC by the British.

There are many books on V C Winners. If interested one could visit :http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/aabooks.htm

One can find out other Jat winners of the Victoria Crosses in them.

But as of now I have not come across any book exclusively devoted to some Jat Victoria Cross winner.
Click to expand...

When u say "Anglo",, what does it mean? "Gill" as a family name can be found throughout western world and north west Bharat.
 
DrRajpalSingh said:
Peter Gill, an Anglo Indian Sergeant, killed many Indians, who had joined the first War of Indian Independence in 1857 and was promoted and awarded VC by the British.




There are many books on V C Winners. If interested one could visit :http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/aabooks.htm

One can find out other Jat winners of the Victoria Crosses in them.

But as of now I have not come across any book exclusively devoted to some Jat Victoria Cross winner.
Click to expand...

A slight correction: I think in 1857 there was no such thing as "India". In 1857, present day "India" was formed of several hundreds of kingdoms ruled by different kings, who were fighting wars in the name of religion, land, etc. If i remember correctly the last known big empire under one king that can konnekt with present day "India" was under the rule of "King Ashoka".
 
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