Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane,PVC

Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane,PVC

BOMBAY ENGINEER (ARMY NO -SS-14246)

2/Lt Rama Raghoba Rana, popularly known as Rama to his friends and classmates, was born on 26thJune 1918, in a small village of Chendia, in Dist Karwar Karnataka.He belonged to the famous Khastriya Maratha family in karwar district.2/Lt Ram Raghoba Rane  was commissioned in Corps of Engineers (Bombay Engineers) on 15^th Dec 1947 ( the year of Indian independence).

Jhangar in the Rajouri sector which had fallen in the hands of enemy in Dec 1947 was successfully captured and regained back in the year 1948 (on18th March).

When the Pakistan army launched multi dimensional attack to capture Kashmir and annexe it a its own territory, the then Maharaja of Kashmir had entered into  an agreement  with Indian Govt and asked for military aid and help to safeguard kashmir.The Indian troops then planned an advance from Naushahra to Rajauri to protect the natives from atrocities of the raiders. Half-way lay the Chingas, on the old Mughal route to Kashmir. 

The 4 Dogra commenced the advance to Rajauri on 8 April 1948. It attacked the Barwali ridge, 11 km north of Naushahra and captured it after driving out the enemy from well-prepared positions. But beyond Barwali, the increasing number of road-blocks and minefields obstructed the progress of the battalion. Even armour could not cross over these obstacles

During this critical phase, 2nd Lieutenant Rane and his section of 37 Assault Field Company, attached to 4 Dogra, performed yeoman service.

As the section started clearing a mine-field on 8 April, two sappers were killed and five others including Rane were injured by enemy mortar fire. However, 2/LtRane and his men completed the work by the evening and enabled the tanks to push forward. But the enemy had not been cleared from the area and road ahead was still unsafe for the advance.

2nd Lieutenant Rane worked during the night to prepare a safe lane for the tanks. On 9 April his men worked continuously for twelve hours to clear mines and remove road-blocks. Where the road was found un-negotiable he made a diversion for the column to pass through. 2nd Lieutenant Rane continued this work in the face of enemy artillery and mortar fire.

On 10 April inspite of himself being injured my mortar and artillery shelling, he woke up early to resume work on the road-block, which could not be cleared the previous night. He cleared this huge road-block of 5 big pine trees, surrounded by mines and covered by intensive machine-gun fire, within two hours.

The Army advanced another 13 km on this day before they encountered another major road-block. The enemy pickets perched on the adjoining hills were guarding all approaches to this road-block. 2nd Lieutenant Rane drove to the road block in a tank and crouching under it, blasted the block with mines. He thus opened the road before the end of the night.

On 11 April he worked for 17 hours to open the road to Chingas and beyond. 2nd Lieutenant Rane made a substantial contribution in facilitating the Indian advance on Rajauri. It cost the enemy about 500 dead and many more wounded. It also helped in saving many innocent lives in Chingas and Rajauri. But for the grim determination and tireless diligence of 2nd Lieutenant Rane, who worked ceaselessly, our column could not have reached Chingas - an important feature which secured for us a vantage position to advance further.

The efforts made by 2nd Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane during the advance to Rajauri earned him the highest war-time gallantry medal, Param Vir Chakra

2/Lt Ram Raghoba Rane had a very distinguished career in the Indian army and  retired at the rank of Major from the Indian Army in 1968. During his 21 years' service with the Army, he earned five M-in-D (Mentioned-in-Despatches) apart from being awarded PARAM VIR CHAKRA