Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, belonged to the family of General Ratanjiba who commanded the army of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and who was also awarded with 100 villages; Tarapore village was one of those. From the very young age Ardeshir Burzorji was very brave he resuced the life of his sister; Yadgar from a family cow who lost her control. He did his schooling from Dastur Boy’s Boarding School in Pune and accomplished his matriculation in 1940. He wanted to join Indian Army thus as soon as he completed his school he applied for the same and fortunately got selected also. He was sent to Banglore after completing his initial tranning in the Officers’ Tranning School in Golconda. Further he was enlisted as the Second Lieutenant in the 7th Hyderabad Infantry.
He was popular with the nickname ; ‘Adi’. Adi was not quite happy with his selection in the Infantry since he wanted to join the armoured regiment. Fortunately he even got a golden chance to prove his efficiency when he bravely acted at one of an incident during an accident in which a grenade fell into the bay area. Adi without having any second thought jumped and threw it away, the grenade blasted in the middle when Adi was throwing it that also made him wounded. This whole incident was witnessed by Major Gneral Edroos who later on, specially called Ardeshir Burzorji to his office and congratulated him. At that time Adi shared his aspiration of working in the armoured regiment which was happily welcomed by MajorGeneral Edroos. Ardeshir Burzorji was then transferred to the 1st Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers.
Indian Army Career
With the merger of Hyderabad with the Union of India, Indian Army hereafter fused. Lieutenant Ardeshir Burzorji was then shifted to The Poona Horse and was accredited in Poona Horse on 1st April 1951. He very efficiently commanded his own regiment in the Poona Horse war in 1965 against the Pakistan. He fought in the highest traditions of the Indian army while boarding his Centurion Tank and got recognized for his bravado in the Indo-Pak War of 1965. This only, made him being awarded with the highest gallantry award the Param Vir Chakra.
Battle of Phillora, Sialkot area, Pakistan
Lieutenant Colonel was commanding the Poona Horse Regiment when on September 11th 1965, he was delegated the task of transporting the main armoured thrust in order to capture Phillora, Sialkot sector in Pakistan. The attack had to be initiated from the rear, while the regiment was nudging between Phillora and Chawinda it was suddenly got counter attacked by the enemy’s heavy armour charge from Wazirali. But Lieutenant Colonel A B Tarapore was not at all deterred from this constant firing from enemy tanks and artileries. He rather refused to evacuate and decided to hold the ground and with the help of one of his squardrons corporated by an infantry battalion, he fought tremendously well. On 14th September, Lieutenant Colonel AB Tarapore along with the regiment succeeded in capturing Wazirwali and later on 16th September Jassoran and Butur-Dograndi.
Lieutenant showed the great heights of leadership and perseverance even when his own tank was intensely attacked and ruined by the enemy. He did not give up his high spirit to fight and tremendously motivated his regiment. Under the command of such a lionhearted leader the regiment destroyed around sixty Pakistani Army tanks. Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji’s tank was hit and encased in the horrendous flames of fire. He died on September 16th 1965 as a Hero and a great Leader of the battle. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously.
