Manoj Kumar Singh, VrC

Biography

Sepoy Manoj Kumar Singh hailed from Narayanpur village in the Bhojpur district of Bihar. The son of Shri Ramji Singh and Smt Somaro Devi, he was drawn to military life from his younger days and joined the Army after completing his school education. He was recruited into the 12 Bihar battalion of the Bihar Regiment, an infantry regiment renowned for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours. After completing his training, he developed into a fine soldier with admirable soldierly skills. In November 1999, his unit was deployed in Jammu & Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. Although Operation Vijay had drawn to a close, the Line of Control remained active with sporadic trans-LoC violence. On 9 November 1999, the Pakistan Army launched an attack on an Indian post preceded by heavy artillery bombardment. The assault was repulsed, and the Army decided to launch a well-coordinated operation named 'Operation Birsa Munda' to pursue the fleeing enemy. Sepoy Manoj Kumar Singh was part of the Number 1 Ghatak Team, led by Capt Gurjinder Singh, tasked with destroying an enemy post. The enemy resorted to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire, while heavy snowfall and poor visibility at the snowbound post, located at 11,200 feet, increased the difficulty. Undeterred, Sepoy Manoj Kumar Singh and his buddy charged furiously onto an enemy bunker, lobbing a grenade and killing two enemy soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. This inspired his comrades to press home the assault. He then destroyed the next bunker with a pole charge, but while charging into it he was struck by a Rocket Propelled Grenade and thrown into the gorge. In the ensuing operation, 17 enemy soldiers were killed and 14 bunkers destroyed. For his conspicuous bravery and supreme sacrifice, Sepoy Manoj Kumar Singh was awarded the Vir Chakra.