New Delhi: Lance Naik Albert Ekka, PVC served in the Indian Army from 27 December 1942 to 3 December 1971. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he was killed in the Battle of Gangasagar. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
Albert Ekka was born on December 27, 1942 in Gumla, Jharkhand in Jari's village. Julius and Mariam Ekka were his parents. The Ekka family was a member of an aboriginal tribe.
Since he was a young boy, Ekka was interested in hunting, which was a popular sport among the tribals. He was a better soldier because of his prior experience of hunting in forests and skillful use of the terrain. As he grew up, Ekka became interested in the army and on 27 December 1962, he joined the Bihar Regiment.
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Ekka was transferred to the 14th Battalion of the Brigade of the Guards when it was raised in January 1968. While serving in the North East, he witnessed counter-terrorist operations in action. Ekka was promoted to the rank of Lance Naik in preparation for the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
gangasagar war
The 14 Guards was a unit assigned to IV Corps as soon as the war began. IV Corps' advance depended on the capture of Gangasagar, 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) south of Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district, and the 14 Guards was tasked with this.
The unit set up its defense and positioned itself close to the Akhaura train station, 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) south of Gangasagar. Their primary line of defense was the high ground surrounding the railway station, followed by anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.
During the patrol Pakistani soldiers were seen walking on the railway tracks. Rapidly two attack enemy positions along the track
When a battalion of the Brigade of Guards attacked enemy positions at Gangasagar on the Eastern Front, Lance Naik Albert Ekka was a member of the Left Forward Company. The enemy had placed a stronghold here which was well defended.
Despite heavy small arms fire and intense shelling, the assault troops attacked the target and engaged in bloody hand-to-hand combat. A Light Machine Gun (LMG) used by the enemy was causing significant damage to Lance Naik Albert Ekka's company. Irrespective of his own safety, he attacked the enemy bunker, killed two enemy soldiers and silenced the LMG.
Despite being seriously wounded in this encounter, he continued to fight alongside his comrades through the mile-deep objective, bravely clearing bunker after bunker.
An enemy medium machine gun (MMG) fired from the second floor of a heavily fortified structure toward the north end of the objective caused heavy casualties and slowed the attack. Once again, in spite of a grievous injury and intense enemy fire, this brave soldier kept moving forward till he reached the structure and hurled a grenade into the enemy bunker, killing one enemy soldier and The other was seriously injured.
However, the MMG kept firing. Lance Naik Albert Ekka, who was leading his company and ensuring the success of the attack, with extraordinary bravery and tenacity climbed a side wall. Once inside the bunker, he bayoneted an enemy soldier who was still firing and silenced the machine gun. But during the process he received serious injuries and passed away after being hit.
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Lance Naik Albert Ekka displayed most conspicuous bravery and fortitude in this action, and he made the ultimate sacrifice in accordance with the best military customs.
