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location in Kanchrapara awaiting further
orders. We were scheduled to move to
the western front for an operational
deployment there. The period or duration
of that was unknown. After our field tenure
in NEFA near Tezpur, we were earmarked
for Jamshedpur- Tatanagar also called the
‘Steel City’. However, the war had broken
out and we were not sure of our status for
a peace location. Jamshedpur had been a
Gunner Station with 67 Field Regt having
been there earlier before the war for some
time but after fighting the war and the
Liberation of Bangladesh, they were moved
out towards Gujarat.
However, just before moving to the
western sector in December 1971, we
were pleasantly surprised to be told by
Headquarters Eastern Command that our
regiment 14 Field should take over the
stores and barracks from the army unit
there and establish ourselves within 96 Drs William and Rita Bhatnagar today
hours and then move on to the western unit there with the Brigade & Division
front. We did this immediately and we being in Namkum & Ranchi. But at that
moved convoys in tandem round the moment after the war we were all poised to
clock to establish ourselves in the steel be deployed on the western front.
city. Our rear party was to be one Junior During my duties with the shifting from
Commissioned Officer and 10 Other Ranks Kanchrapara to Jamshedpur I happened
who would keep guard in the rear at to hear of this doctor couple William and
Jamshedpur, while the regiment moved Rita Bhatnagar through a Capt Kumar in
to the west. A few of the rear party had the town there. He referred to this couple,
planned to get their families, which had so I spoke with them. They both readily
been permitted since the unit was relocated accepted assisting our rear party while
there after a difficult field tenure followed we moved to the western front. Hence
by the war. from December 1971 till we returned to
A good lady doctor was needed for our Tatanagar in July 1973, Rita and William
families and the rear party, since there was were the custodians for all medical
no proper military hospital there, except for assistance to our small rear party and the
a Section Hospital, with one Capt from the families that had moved there. It was only
Army Medical Corps (AMC) who would be after July 1973 that our Adjutant then Capt
often moved out on temporary duty. Our Jay Sapatnekar formally gave her Dr Mrs
Commanding Officer was also the Station Rita the letter of appointment as Medical
Commander there and we were the only Officer for our Family Welfare Centre.

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #27 | SEPTEMBER 2021 31