Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Prithipal Singh Gill (11 December 1920 – 5 December 2021) was an Indian military officer and centenarian known for being the only soldier in the Indian Armed Forces to have served in all three of its branches.

Career

Born in Patiala State on 11 December 1920, Gill studied at Government College Lahore. A passionate flyer, he earned a flying licence at

Walton Airport Walton Airport , also known as Walton Airfield, is situated near Model Town, 10 km (6 mi) from the city centre of Lahore, in Punjab province of Pakistan. It was founded in 1918 and is named after Sir Colonel Cusack Walton. The airport ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

, and in 1942, without informing his family, joined the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

. Commissioned a pilot officer, Gill was training on Harvard aircraft at Karachi when his father Harpal Singh Gill, an army officer, arranged for his transfer from the IAF as the family considered flying unsafe. Gill transferred to the Royal Indian Navy, and was commissioned a temporary sub-lieutenant in the gunnery branch of the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR) on 25 January 1943. For the remainder of the Second World War, Gill served on minesweepers and escort vessels, serving on convoy duties protecting shipping in the Persian Gulf. He was subsequently sent to attend the Long Gunnery Staff Course at the Army School of Artillery in Deolali, qualifying as an instructor. He ended his naval service in September 1948, and briefly served as a civil servant. In April 1951, Gill joined the Indian Army. Though he had initially hoped for assignment to his father's former battalion, the 1st

Sikh Regiment The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Sikh regiment is the highest decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 82 ...

, he was instead posted to the Regiment of Artillery due to his prior experience with gunnery. His initial posting was with the Gwalior Mountain Battery, equipped with 5.4 inch guns. Gill later served with 34th Field Regiment and was promoted to major on 13 May 1956. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 2 August 1962, Gill raised and commanded 71 Medium Regiment during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. Seeing action in the Sialkot sector, during a battle he personally led a mission to retrieve four of his guns which had been cut off by the enemy. He was promoted to colonel on 19 June 1968 (seniority from 24 May), and was appointed a sector commander in the Assam Rifles, stationed at

Ukhrul Ukhrul/Hunphun ( Meitei pronunciation:/ˈuːkˌɹəl or ˈuːkˌɹʊl/) is a town in the state of Manipur, India. Ukhrul is the home of the Tangkhul Nagas. It is the administrative headquarter of the Ukhrul district. There are also four sub-div ...

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

. He took early retirement from the army, relinquishing his commission on 1 December 1970.

Personal life

Gill married his wife Preminder Kaur (born 1927) on 24 December 1950. He died on 5 December 2021, less than a week before his 101st birthday in his home in

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gill, Prithipal Singh 1920 births 2021 deaths Men centenarians Indian centenarians Indian military personnel of World War II Indian Air Force officers Royal Indian Navy officers Indian Army officers Indian aviators Indian military aviators Government College University, Lahore alumni