Draft:Sumer Singh

Lieutenant Colonel Sumer Singh, MBE (also referred to as Sumer Singh Shekhawat) was an officer of the Indian Army who served with the Sawai Man Guards (later associated with the Rajputana Rifles) and participated in the Second World War as well as the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947–1948 and 1965.

Early career and Second World War service

Commissioned in 1939 into the Sawai Man Guards, the state forces of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur, he served continuously from 1939 until 1946. His wartime postings included the North-West Frontier Province (1940), Eritrea and Abyssinia during the East African Campaign (1941), Libya and Egypt in the North African Campaign (1942–1943), Palestine, and Italy with the Central Mediterranean Forces (1944–1945).

He served briefly with the 4th Rajputana Rifles at Benghazi before joining the 37 Beach Group for Combined Operations in Italy. For his service in these operations he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The award was presented by Viceroy Lord Wavell.

From 1945 to 1946 he was posted in Hong Kong, where he was involved in the administration of Japanese prisoners of war drawn from Hong Kong, Malaya, Burma and Indonesia. He completed this period of service without home leave.

Post-Independence service

After Indian independence he took part in operations in Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 against Pakistani forces. He again saw active service during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He retired from the army in 1966.

Later life

Sumer Singh lived in Jaipur. He was the founder of the Rajasthan Ex-Servicemen’s League. Two of his sons reached the rank of lieutenant general in the Indian Army. He turned 100 in March 2016 and was felicitated by ex-servicemen’s organisations on that occasion.