66th Armoured Regiment (India)
66th Armoured Regiment is an armoured regiment which is part of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. [1] The regiment was raised on 1 September 1966 by Lt Col Narinder Singh at Ahmednagar as the "66th Cavalry". The name was changed on 14 January 1967 to 66th Armoured Regiment .[1] The regiment was raised with Sherman tanks and re-equipped in November 1969 with Vijayanta tanks.[1] The regiment recruits Ahirs, Marathas and South Indians but without single-class squadrons having classes mixed right down to tank troop level instead.[1]
| 66th Armoured Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1966 – present |
| Country |  |
| Allegiance | India |
| Branch |  |
| Type | Armour |
| Size | Regiment |
| Motto(s) | Maan ya Veergati (Honour or Valiant Death) |
| March | Sare Jahan Se Achha Hindustan Hamara |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | 66 Armd Regt |
One of the commandants of the regiment, Lt Col Vishwa Nath Sharma, went on to become the Chief of the Army Staff from 1988 to 1990.[1]
Operations
The 66th Armoured Regiment fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as the integral armoured regiment of the 15th Infantry Division (XI Corps). For its performance in operations, it was awarded the theatre honour "Punjab 1971". After the war, the 66th participated in full strength in the Republic Day Parade of 26 January 1972 which was the victory parade to commemorate India's victory in the 1971 war.[1]
Cap badge
The regiment cap badge depicts a Vijayanta tank within a diamond-shaped tank troop formation sign and is devoid of the national emblem, the regiment number or the regimental motto.[1]
The shoulder title consists of the numeral "66" within a diamond-shaped tank troop formation sign in brass.[1]
The regiment has gained notoriety for adopting the Death's Head emblem to emblazon their tanks, despite official disapproval. The death's head has a scroll with the regimental motto inscribed. The death's head motif (in silver plate) is used as the officer's pouch badge . The emblem very closely resembles that of the 17th/21st Lancers, an erstwhile cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1993.[1]
References
- Nath, Ashok (2009). Izzat: historical records and iconography of Indian cavalry regiments, 1750-2007. Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India. pp. 644–646. ISBN 978-81-902097-7-9.