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REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY-THROUGH THE REUNIONS
THE STORY BEHIND THE “GUNNER IN TAKE POST POSITION” STATUE
ubedar Major (Honorary Captain) Mool Singh, a Gunner
S JCO, who hailed from Alwar was chosen to model for the
Gunner statue at the War Memorial, based on his built, height
and impressive moustache. Mool Singh, since his enrolment in
1960 and thereafter in his first unit (5 Medium Regt) was a
steadfast soldier, who served with dedication and rose to
become a Subedar Major in 1987 and retired in 1990 as a
Honorary Captain.
When the search for an ideal model for the statue of the
War Memorial began, after laying of its foundation stone in
September 1980, Mool Singh was found to be fitting the bill
and was selected by none other than General OP Malhotra, the
then COAS, for the role.
As a Recruit in 1960 War Memorial Statue
Accordingly, Naib Subedar Mool Singh, Training JCO of the
Centre, was fitted and kitted to be a Gun No1 and therefore
modelled as the “Gunner in Take Post Position”. He was not
happy about the fact his statue had been erected while he was
still alive. Matters came to a head when he was asked to salute
his own statue, being an act of reverence to the immortal
martyrs, and he cribbed again saying, “First you have made
my statue while I am still alive now you are asking me to
salute it. I must be the only living Gunner in the history of
Artillery to have this unique distinction”.
Mool Singh had this unique distinction and his form
has been immortalised for times to come. This illustrious
Gunner JCO passed away on 12 Aug 2016 due to age related
problems at his home town in Alwar. And just the story
remains, for now!
The Mool Chand Story . . .
On Retirement in 1990