A Hero

Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, PVC was born on August 19, 1923, in Mumbai. He was a senior officer in the Indian Army. He belonged to the family of General Ratanjiba who had led the army of Shivaji and was awarded 100 villages, Tarapore being the main village. Later his grandfather relocated to Hyderabad and started working under the Excise Department of the Nizam of Hyderabad. After his death, Ardeshir was appointed in his father’s job. 

Later he joined the Hyderabad Army and was commissioned in January 1942. Initially, he joined the infantry but was later transferred to an armoured regiment namely the 1st Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers. During World War II, he fought in the Middle East.

After the Hyderabad State was annexed by India in 1948, Tarapore was selected to join the Indian Army. He was commissioned again in April 1951 and joined the Poona Horse regiment, 17th Battalion. Later he attended a training course in the United Kingdom on the Centurion tank. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, 17 Horse saw action in the Sialkot sector. Tarapore led the regiment in several tank battles between 11 and 16 September and was killed in the battle at Butur-Dograndi on 16 September. He was an ace tank commander like General Montgomery and was very much loved by his army men.

When he was very young he had saved his sister, Yadgar, from the family cow that had broken loose. When he was seven years old he went to the Sardar Dastur Boys’ Boarding School in Pune. He completed his matriculation in the year 1940. After finishing school, he applied to the army and was selected. He did his initial training in the Officers’ Training School Golconda and was sent to Bangalore after that.

Popularly known as “Adi”, Ardeshir Tarapore was still unhappy, as he wanted to join an armoured regiment. On one fine day, his battalion was inspected by Major General El Edroos, the Commander-in-Chief of the state forces. At the grenade throwing range, due to an accident, a grenade fell into the bay area. Adi was quick to pick it up and throw it away. However, the grenade exploded which left him injured as the flying shrapnel had hit his chest. This was witnessed by Major General Edroos. He was quite impressed by the exemplary courage displayed by Ardeshir. Major General Edroos summoned Ardeshir to his office and congratulated him for his efforts. Ardeshir took the opportunity to request a transfer to an armoured regiment. The General agreed, and Ardeshir was transferred to the 1st Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers. Interestingly, 1st Hyderabad Lancers fought with the Poona Horse in the Operation Polo.

He also saw active service in West Asia during World War II during this period. Hyderabad later was merged with the Union of India, and its army was amalgamated with the Indian Army. Ardeshir was shifted to the Poona Horse and was commissioned in Poona Horse on 1 st April 1951. He rose to become Commanding Officer (CO) and commanded his own regiment in the Poona Horse in the 1965 war against Pakistan. In this battle, his heroics led him to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his action in the battle.

He joined the army as an officer, and glory touched his feet when some of the fiercest tank battles were fought in the history of the war between India and Pakistan, in the year 1965. 

On 11 September 1965, the Poona Horse Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Tarapore, was assigned the task of delivering the main armoured thrust for capturing Phillora in the Sialkot Sector in Pakistan. During the mission, his regiment suddenly came under surprise attack.

Lt Col Tarapore defied the enemy’s charge, and gallantly attacked Phillora with his battalion, even under continuous enemy shelling. He was injured but refused to be evacuated. On 14 September 1965, his regiment captured Wazirali, and by 16th, they captured Jassoran and Butur-Dograndi. The enemy lost around 60 tanks in the battle, but Lt. Col Tarapore was mortally wounded in the action.

Though the Indian army lost nine tanks as compared to the sixty tanks of the enemy side, giving India an upper-hand in the battlefield. However the loss of a brilliant and brave heart soldier, Ardeshir Tarapore was a deep blow to the nation.

Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore would be always remembered as a die-hard patriot who gave the national pride and honour much more importance than his own personal safety. Though injured, he kept on fighting, refusing to be brought back. This gave inspiration to his entire team who eventually fought with much more vigour under the able command of Ardeshir Tarapore. However Tarapore's tank was again hit and engulfed in flames, and he died a hero's death!

Salute to this brave heart!