Mahavir Chakra (MVC)

During the night of 13 September 1948, Havildar Fateh Singh was 21/C of a platoon in Zojila Pass area when the platoon came under heavy enemy automatic fire and suffered heavy casualties. The leading and rear companies were also subjected to heavy enemy fire and the slightest movement became impossible. At 1530 hours, the commanding officer ordered Havildar Fateh Singh to move down a flat spur and collect the wounded and the weapons of the dead. He was shot twice in reaching the lower slopes. During this period he had become a target for the enemy and was constantly fired upon. He, however, collected four wounded and eight weapons of the dead under continuous enemy fire.

At 1915 hours as he was about to return he encountered 15 hostiles who were moving up the hill collecting arms and killing the wounded. Though himself wounded, Havildar Fateh Singh stuck to his post and kept the hostiles at bay with grenades. He killed three of them, and then the remaining with drew. When all was clear, he moved back with the wounded. His was a unique example of gallantry.