Abrar Husain
Encyclopedia
Major General
Abrar Hussain, HJ, MBE (1918–1992) was a Pakistani military hero of World War II
and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
.
family of Oudh. He was educated at La Martinere School and Colvin Taluqdars' College
, Lucknow
, where he excelled in both academics and sports. His excellent personal conduct and exemplary character led the College Principal to declare him as "the best boy who has passed through my hands in 10 years." These qualities would continue to be the hallmark of Abrar Hussain for the rest of his eventful life. In 1939, he graduated in History
, Political Science
and English Literature
from Allahbad University. On the outbreak of World War II
, he joined the Indian Military Academy
at Dehradun
and was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion
of 10th Baluch Regiment
(now 7 Baloch) on 31 July 1940. His brother (later rose to Brigadier) Noor Ahmad Hussain, served as the aide-de-camp (ADC) to Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
.
in anticipation of the impending war with Japan
. On 8 December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya and rapidly overran the British forces, who surrendered on Singapore Island
on 15 February 1942. Among the Allied Prisoners of War was 2/10th Baluch, who had given an excellent account of themselves despite the Allied defeat. The Japanese separated Indian officers and men from the British and subjected them to intense propaganda and pressure to join the Japanese-sponsored 'Indian National Army
' (INA). The Baluchis mostly stood firm. Prominent among them was Lieutenant Abrar Hussain, who refused to betray his Honour. The Japanese sent him along with 150 recalcitrant Gurkhas for use as coastal mine-breaching suicide troops on successive island landings. After three such landings, the group arrived on the island of New Britain
in the South Pacific
, where they were used for building airstrips. Led by their gallant commander, the group remained defiant despite severe privations and cruelty of their Japanese captors. By 1945, the Allies had severely disrupted Japanese communications in the South Pacific resulting in starvation among the Japanese, who reportedly had turned to cannibalism. Lieutenant Abrar not only managed to survive, but also demanded and received the surrender of the thousand-strong Japanese garrison.
For his exemplary conduct, personal bravery and strength of character, Lieutenant Abrar Hussain was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire
(MBE).
in August 1947, Abrar Hussain opted for Pakistan. In 1949, he graduated from the Command and Staff College
, Quetta
. His varied appointments in Pakistan Army included Command of 17 Baluch (now 19 Baloch), instructor at Staff College and staff appointments at General Headquarters, Rawalpindi as Deputy Director Military Operations, Deputy Director and then Director Staff Duties. Here, he was directly involved from 1955 to 1958 in the induction of US military equipment for modernization of four infantry and one and a half armoured divisions. He was promoted Brigadier in 1956. As Military Secretary from 1958 to 1964, he was also president of the Army Reforms Committee. Promoted Major General in 1964, he was given the task of converting 100 (Independent) Armoured Brigade Group into 6 Armoured Division. The fact that he was an infantry officer and yet had been entrusted with the raising of an armoured formation, speaks volumes of the esteem in which he was held by the Army High Command. He would soon vindicate that confidence in the coming war with India
. His task was far from complete, when India invaded Pakistan on 6 September 1965. The 6 Armoured Division was still a paper formation without a division's normal complement of fighting or supporting elements. There were only two armoured regiments and one infantry battalion, while there were no integral brigade headquarters in the division.
The main thrust of the Indian offensive was in the Sialkot
Sector, where they attacked with three infantry and one armoured divisions. Facing them was the overstretched 15 Infantry Division. As enemy intentions became clear, and he made inroads towards Chawinda
, 6 Armoured Division was inducted into the battle. The 24 Infantry Brigade was provided to General Abrar, and with these meagre resources, he was ordered stop the enemy. For some time, the situation for Pakistan was critical. It was here that his strength of character, calmness and indomitable spirit provided the inspiration to his outnumbered and outgunned troops, who stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds. Some of the fiercest tank battles since World War II
were fought on the Battlefield of Chawinda but every attempt by the Indians to breakthrough was foiled. In the words of General KM Arif, who was then a staff officer in 6 Armoured Division:
By 22 September, the Indians had shot their bolt and asked for a ceasefire. Major General Abrar Hussain and his 'Men of Steel' had saved the day for Pakistan. For his inspiring leadership and skillful conduct of operations, he was awarded the Hilal-i-Jurat. He remains one of Pakistan's most successful field commanders. In 1968, General Abrar was commanding the Command and Staff College, Quetta, when he asked for early retirement due to some irreconcilable differences with GHQ. Typical of him, he never complained or uttered any grievances. On 16 April 1975, in retirement, General Abrar suffered a stroke which paralyzed the right side of his body and impeded his speech. He battled against the affliction for seventeen long years with the same quiet dignity and fortitude with which he had lived his life. On 15 March 1992, the grand old soldier and gentleman; one of Pakistan's greatest military heroes, faded away from this world.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Abrar Hussain, HJ, MBE (1918–1992) was a Pakistani military hero of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
.
Early life
Major General Abrar Hussain was born on 2 September 1918 in a TaluqdarTaluqdar
A taluqdar or talukdar , is a term used for Indian land holders in Mughal and British times, responsible for collecting taxes from a district...
family of Oudh. He was educated at La Martinere School and Colvin Taluqdars' College
Colvin Taluqdars' College
Colvin Taluqdars' College in Lucknow is one of the oldest public schools in India.-History:Sir Auckland Colvin, Lieutenant Governor of the North West Provinces, while functioning as Lieutenant Governor of Avadh and Agra in 1889, conceived the idea of a school with the object of imparting education...
, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, where he excelled in both academics and sports. His excellent personal conduct and exemplary character led the College Principal to declare him as "the best boy who has passed through my hands in 10 years." These qualities would continue to be the hallmark of Abrar Hussain for the rest of his eventful life. In 1939, he graduated in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from Allahbad University. On the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he joined the Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
at Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
and was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion
126th Baluchistan Infantry
The 126th Baluchistan Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1825 as the 2nd Extra Battalion of Bombay Native Infantry. It was designated as the 126th Baluchistan Infantry in 1903 and became 2nd Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
of 10th Baluch Regiment
10th Baluch Regiment
The 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After the Partition of India, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments...
(now 7 Baloch) on 31 July 1940. His brother (later rose to Brigadier) Noor Ahmad Hussain, served as the aide-de-camp (ADC) to Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
.
World War II
In October 1940, 2/10th Baluch was dispatched to MalayaBritish Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
in anticipation of the impending war with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. On 8 December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya and rapidly overran the British forces, who surrendered on Singapore Island
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
on 15 February 1942. Among the Allied Prisoners of War was 2/10th Baluch, who had given an excellent account of themselves despite the Allied defeat. The Japanese separated Indian officers and men from the British and subjected them to intense propaganda and pressure to join the Japanese-sponsored 'Indian National Army
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
' (INA). The Baluchis mostly stood firm. Prominent among them was Lieutenant Abrar Hussain, who refused to betray his Honour. The Japanese sent him along with 150 recalcitrant Gurkhas for use as coastal mine-breaching suicide troops on successive island landings. After three such landings, the group arrived on the island of New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
in the South Pacific
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, where they were used for building airstrips. Led by their gallant commander, the group remained defiant despite severe privations and cruelty of their Japanese captors. By 1945, the Allies had severely disrupted Japanese communications in the South Pacific resulting in starvation among the Japanese, who reportedly had turned to cannibalism. Lieutenant Abrar not only managed to survive, but also demanded and received the surrender of the thousand-strong Japanese garrison.
- In December 1945, an Australian force arrived in New Britain and were astonished to find it in Allied hands, even if the commander and his men were skeletons in rags, carrying Japanese weapons.
For his exemplary conduct, personal bravery and strength of character, Lieutenant Abrar Hussain was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(MBE).
Career in Pakistan Army
On partition of IndiaPartition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in August 1947, Abrar Hussain opted for Pakistan. In 1949, he graduated from the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
. His varied appointments in Pakistan Army included Command of 17 Baluch (now 19 Baloch), instructor at Staff College and staff appointments at General Headquarters, Rawalpindi as Deputy Director Military Operations, Deputy Director and then Director Staff Duties. Here, he was directly involved from 1955 to 1958 in the induction of US military equipment for modernization of four infantry and one and a half armoured divisions. He was promoted Brigadier in 1956. As Military Secretary from 1958 to 1964, he was also president of the Army Reforms Committee. Promoted Major General in 1964, he was given the task of converting 100 (Independent) Armoured Brigade Group into 6 Armoured Division. The fact that he was an infantry officer and yet had been entrusted with the raising of an armoured formation, speaks volumes of the esteem in which he was held by the Army High Command. He would soon vindicate that confidence in the coming war with India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His task was far from complete, when India invaded Pakistan on 6 September 1965. The 6 Armoured Division was still a paper formation without a division's normal complement of fighting or supporting elements. There were only two armoured regiments and one infantry battalion, while there were no integral brigade headquarters in the division.
The main thrust of the Indian offensive was in the Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
Sector, where they attacked with three infantry and one armoured divisions. Facing them was the overstretched 15 Infantry Division. As enemy intentions became clear, and he made inroads towards Chawinda
Chawinda
Chawinda is a town of the tehsil Pasrur of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 32°23'08.05" N 74°42'43.94" E with an altitude of 165 metres . It is known as "the Graveyard of Tanks" because of the large number of tanks destroyed in Battle of Chawinda during 1965...
, 6 Armoured Division was inducted into the battle. The 24 Infantry Brigade was provided to General Abrar, and with these meagre resources, he was ordered stop the enemy. For some time, the situation for Pakistan was critical. It was here that his strength of character, calmness and indomitable spirit provided the inspiration to his outnumbered and outgunned troops, who stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds. Some of the fiercest tank battles since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were fought on the Battlefield of Chawinda but every attempt by the Indians to breakthrough was foiled. In the words of General KM Arif, who was then a staff officer in 6 Armoured Division:
- The Battle of Chawinda produced moments of extreme anxiety and pressure. General Abrar remained composed during the battle, never losing sense of balance and cool nerves. On three occasions when some others got adversely affected, he stood firm and provided leadership of high quality. On September 11, the enemy attacked the Chawinda defences held by a weak force which had taken over the responsibility only hours earlier. The attackers and defenders suffered considerable losses in the encounter. This was the worst situation faced by 6 Armoured Division in the war. Inspiring the division from the front, Abrar went to the critical part of the frontline, relieved the force with an infantry brigade and stabilized the situation before returning to his Headquarters.
By 22 September, the Indians had shot their bolt and asked for a ceasefire. Major General Abrar Hussain and his 'Men of Steel' had saved the day for Pakistan. For his inspiring leadership and skillful conduct of operations, he was awarded the Hilal-i-Jurat. He remains one of Pakistan's most successful field commanders. In 1968, General Abrar was commanding the Command and Staff College, Quetta, when he asked for early retirement due to some irreconcilable differences with GHQ. Typical of him, he never complained or uttered any grievances. On 16 April 1975, in retirement, General Abrar suffered a stroke which paralyzed the right side of his body and impeded his speech. He battled against the affliction for seventeen long years with the same quiet dignity and fortitude with which he had lived his life. On 15 March 1992, the grand old soldier and gentleman; one of Pakistan's greatest military heroes, faded away from this world.
Further reading
- Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2010). Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
- Ahmed, Lt Gen Mahmud. (2006). History of Indo-Pak War – 1965. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
- Hussain, Maj Gen Abrar. (2005). Men of Steel: 6 Armoured Division in the 1965 War. War Despatches of Major General Abrar Hussain. Rawalpindi: Army Education Publishing House. ISBN 969-8125-19-1
- Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1984). The Pakistan Army: War 1965. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.