Betrayed by own troops, outnumbered a hundred to one, Lt Col Narain Singh Sambyal, OBE, fought till his last breath to defend Kashmir. His sacrifice delayed the enemy, and saved the state.
“We will fight for the Flag of our Maharaja till our last breath. Should we fall, the road to Srinagar shall still not open easily.”
..and he kept his word. Lt Col Narain Singh Sambyal, OBE embodied the finest Dogra soldierly virtues—discipline, loyalty, and quiet courage. Commissioned into the J&K State Forces in 1924 at the age of 21, he rose through the ranks quickly. His men remembered him as “a commanding officer who led by example. Never sending men where he would not go himself.”
During World War II, Lt Col Sambyal led his men through the malarial jungles of Burma, where the 4 J&K State Forces fought with distinction at Kennedy Peak and Meiktila. In one such operation, he reportedly carried a wounded sepoy on his shoulders for several kms to ensure he received treatment — an act that made him a legend among his men. His calm leadership under relentless Japanese fire and his compassion in command earned him the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946 — one of the earliest J&K officers to be so honoured.
In October 1947, when Pakistan launched Operation Gulmarg, Lt Col Sambyal was ordered to defend Muzaffarabad– Domel– Kohala, the lifeline to Srinagar. As thousands of Pak tribal kabalis poured in, betrayal struck from within. Two companies in his battalion, swayed by separatist sentiment and divided loyalties, mutinied and joined the invaders.
Cut off from reinforcements and surrounded on all sides, Lt Col Sambyal refused to retreat. He rallied his remaining men, organised a desperate rear-guard to shield fleeing civilians, and resolved to delay the enemy at any cost. Leading from the front, he moved to destroy the Kohala Bridge, the only route the raiders could use to reach Srinagar.
As the tribal columns, aided by mutineers, closed in near Domel, Lt Col Sambyal personally manned a Bren gun to cover his men’s withdrawal. His last orders, shouted over the gunfire, were: “Hold your ground, men! Blow the bridge if I fall!” Moments later, he was overpowered and killed — pistol in hand, fighting to the end. The 3 survivors later recounted how their commander’s stand delayed the enemy by two crucial days..
That delay allowed Brig Rajinder Singh, MVC (P) to form the Uri–Baramulla line of defence and gave the Maharaja time to sign the Instrument of Accession. The Indian Army airlifted to Srinagar on 27 October 1947, saving Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt Col Sambyal’s name stands beside Brig Rajinder Singh as one of the first Heroes of independent India’s defence of J&K —a soldier who faced mutiny, invasion, and death, yet held fast to honour.
Today, at the National War Memorial, his Air Warrior grandson, Gp Capt U. S. Sambyal laid a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, paying homage to a legacy etched in courage and sacrifice.
More than 7 decades later, the flame of his valour still burns bright and the hills he once defended still whisper his name to the wind.
Credits : Heroes In Uniform
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