Ian Cardozo is a Major General (Retd.) of the Indian Army, known for his important role in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. His leg was amputated during the war, and he was the first war-disabled officer of the Indian Army. The army that commanded and battalion and a brigade.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ian Cardozo was born on Saturday, 7 August 1937 (age 84 years; as in 2021) in Bombay Presidency, British India (now Mumbai). His zodiac sign is Leo. Ian completed his schooling from St. Xavier’s High School, Mumbai and then joined St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. His father encouraged him to read stories about army battles and to be more active in sports activities. Ian completed his education and then joined the National Defense Academy (NDA) and then he went to the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and joined the Indian Army as part of the 1/5 GR (5 Gorkha Rifles) Regiment.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 7″
Eye colour: black
Hair Colour: Gray (Half Bald)
Family
parents and siblings
Ian’s father’s name is Vincent Cardozo and his mother’s name is Diana Cardozo.
wife and children
Ian Cardozo married Priscilla in 1966 when he was 29 years old. They have three sons – Arun, Sunith and Vikram Cardozo.
Ian Cardozo with his wife and children
livelihood
When Ian Cardozo was 20 years old, he was drafted into the Indian Army and joined the Gorkha Rifles Regiment. He was 22 when his battalion was sent to Zero (near the China border) in Arunachal Pradesh as tensions were rising with the Chinese army. At the age of 25, he fought the Chinese army in 1962. He was 34 years old when his battalion was transferred from Jammu and Kashmir to Nagaland due to rising tensions between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Due to the sudden movement, his battalion had no artillery support, he decided to move forward and attacked the Pakistani soldiers with their kukris at night. They managed to kill 32 soldiers of a Pakistani company. During the war, journalists were allowed to provide updates on the battle and a BBC reporter reported that about 3,000 men from the Gurkha Regiment had arrived at the border to support the Indian Army. Upon hearing the news, some Pakistani officers decided to surrender to the Indian Army, to which the commanding officer responded by saying that they could not accept their surrender without official orders and that they would continue fighting each other. During the war, when they were moving forward to attack the Pakistani soldiers, Ian Cardozo’s foot accidentally fell on a landmine laid by the Pakistani soldiers and his leg was seriously injured. Initially, he asked for morphine or pethidine to ease the pain, but due to the absence of doctors, he could not get the necessary medicines and his leg could not be surgically amputated. He saw that the situation would only get worse from here so he took his kukri and decided to amputate his leg. After the amputation, Ian was asked to take up a desk job, but he took the matter to General Tapishwar Narayan Raina, who was the Army Chief at the time. General Raina took Ian to Ladakh where he conducted some fitness tests and observed his performance, then he gave official orders to allow Ian to command a battalion, and he further took command of a brigade.
Ian Cardozo drinking tea at an Indian Army post
medal
- Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
- army medal
- wound medal
- General Service Medal
- summer service medal
- eastern star
- defense medal
- war medal
- military service medal
- 25th Anniversary of Independence Medal
- 9 years long service medal
- 20 years long service medal
- 30 years long service medal
Facts/General Knowledge
- Ian Cardozo’s service number was IC-10407 and he served in the Army from 1954 to 1993.
Ian Cardozo during his posting in Jammu and Kashmir
- Ian Cardozo became the first NDA cadet to earn a silver medal for standing first in the order of merit and a gold medal for passing the academy with the best all-round performance.
- When Ian Cardozo was going through the pain of losing his leg, he refused to be operated on by a Pakistani surgeon who was a prisoner of war. He refused saying that he had seen the atrocities of the Pakistani Army with his own eyes and he would not like to lose his good leg. He asked his Commander-in-Chief to be present with him during the surgery to ensure his safety. Later, in an interview, Ian Cardozo thanked and praised the surgeon for his work and for helping him.
- In 2005, Ian Cardozo became Chairman of the Indian Rehabilitation Council and served in that position until 2011.
- Ian Cardozo retired from the Indian Army at the age of 56 as Chief of Staff of a corps in Assam. In the early 60s, Ian began his journey as a published author with his first book – ‘1971: Stories of Grit and Glory from the Indo-Pak War’. He has also written several other war-related books, such as ‘Param Veer: Our Heroes in Battle’, ‘Shaitan Singh: Incredible Heroism Displayed by a Small Group Against Hordes of Chinese in the Battle of Rezang La in 1962’, ‘The Sinking of INS’ Khukri: Survivors’ Stories’ and many others.
Cover of The Sinking of INS Khukri – Survivors’ Stories by Ian Cardozo
- Between his Army career and his new life as a published author, Ian Cardozo always kept his fitness at the top of his priority list. Since 2006, Ian has participated in the Mumbai Marathon along with 16 other battle-disabled army personnel.
Ian Cardozo (in circle) participating in the Mumbai Marathon
- Ian Cardozo had set a great example for people with disabilities and he also shared his life motto which he follows and this motto was given to him by Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. The motto was-
Do what you love, love what you do, never be afraid and never give up.”
- After losing his leg in a landmine accident, Ian Cardozo was offered a desk job in the Indian Army, but he refused, saying that he had joined the army to fight in the field and not work in an office. For. After spending seven years convincing his superiors, Ian was finally allowed to take his fitness test, which he passed with flying colors. Following this incident, the Indian Army relaxed its rules and regulations, allowing battle casualties to serve in the army with promotion.
- During an interview, Ian recalled an incident from his practice session before a raid on a Pakistani post. The regiment was throwing grenades at the wall when one grenade hit the wall and bounced back. He knew that the grenade had four seconds before it would explode, so he threw the grenade away from his soldiers to avoid any casualties. The grenade exploded in the air and everyone was astonished to see his bravery.
- On 15 October 2021, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and filmmaker Aanand L Rai announced the news of their third film together, Gorkha. The film is a biopic based on the life of the famous Major General Ian Cardozo and how his sacrifice and dedication helped the Indian Army win the Indo-Pak war in 1971. Upon receiving the news, Ian Cardozo said-
I am honored to tell this story on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war. It commemorates the courage and sacrifice of the armed forces of India. I look forward to working with Anand and Akshay as they bring this to life. This story reflects the values and spirit of every officer of the Indian Army.
First look poster of film Gorkha
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn