Havildar Ishar Singh

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Havildar Ishar Singh was the leader of the 36th Sikhs of Sikh Regiment (now the 4th Sikh Regiment).

The strong, resilient nature of this man inspired the other twenty men whom he was with to fight till the bitter end. Facing 10,000 Afghan tribesmen, the 21 men were defending Fort Lockhart, now in north-west Pakistan, during the battle of Saragarhi, which was under siege from Afghan Pathans. Eventually, after sustained resistance, and refusal to surrender, Havildar Ishar Singh was fighting alone. Unfazed, he stood in the doorway from which the invaders had forced themselves in. Exposed to hordes of tribesmen, he opened fire on the mob of Pathans. However, he was soon toppled, and died unconquered. The war cry which emerged from his lips as he perished displayed the sheer courage and patriotism he and his colleagues possessed. He was, with his colleagues, posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit.