Old warriors plan reunion

Kozhikode, Sep 21 (UNI) Former soldiers of a distinguished Indian Artillery Regiment, which won the 'Gazala' battle honour in 1942 and their family members have planned a reunion in the temple town of Guruvayur in Thrissur district on October 2.

The expected participants include Brig Bharathan, Col Ravindranath, Hony Capt Bhaskaran Nair and Hony Capt K Thampan Menon, among others, and their family members numbering about 100, organising secretary of 7 Field Regiment Old Gunners Association (SEFIROGA) P N Nair told UNI.

He said the regiment, serving somewhere in the frontier area, had also promised to send a representative to participate in the gathering.

Deployed at Bir Haichiem in the deserts of Libya to take on the Allied North African forces during the Second World War, the 18 Field Battery, a sub unit of the regiment, was raided by about 100 tanks of the German Elite Panzer Corps led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Despite insufficient manpower, the battery was able to destroy about 26 tanks forcing the enemy to flee from the battle field, thus winning the Gazala battle honour for the Regiment.

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