World War veteran dies
June 18th, 2011 - 4:05 pm ICT by IANSShimla, June 18 (IANS) Piyara Singh, a World War II veteran who took seven bullets but survived while fighting against Germany, has died here at the age of 106, his family said.
Piyara Singh, who was unwell for some time, died in Takoli village in Una district Thursday. He was cremated in the village.
“My father died a natural death at my youngest brother’s house,” his eldest son B.S. Rana told IANS. Piyara Singh’s wife, Hansa Devi, had died at age 101 in November 2009.
Rana said his father was born Jan 6, 1906 in a village in Hoshiarpur district in Punjab. His mother was born March 15, 1908 in Takoli village in Una.
The couple, who married in 1922, saw five generations. They have left behind 92 family members.
Piyara Singh joined the British Indian army in 1930. He fought the Germans in Sudan during World War II.
He retired on medical grounds with a pension of just Rs.8. This had swelled to Rs.12,000 a month now.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, the elderly couple voted together.
“We have been voting since the first election (1952). We would love to participate in the next election too,” Piyara Singh had said after casting his vote.
- Death separates Himachal's longest wedded couple - Nov 24, 2009
- Oldest couple votes in Himachal - May 13, 2009
- Former army chief revisits his Kashmir roots - May 12, 2012
- Punjab village ends up voting for wrong constituency - Feb 26, 2012
- Stopping by the polling booth on wedding day (Punjab poll diary) - Jan 30, 2012
- Shekhawat, a vice president and political stalwart liked by all (Obituary) - May 15, 2010
- 'Nobel Laureate Har Gobind Khorana revolutionised biotechnology' - Nov 12, 2011
- Police rescue kidnapped NRI, one held - Aug 14, 2010
- Ex-child star and 'Superman' actor Jackie Cooper dies at 88 - May 05, 2011
- Actor G.D. Spradlin dies - Jul 27, 2011
- Former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is dead (Lead) - May 15, 2010
- Bali Ram Bhagat is dead - Jan 02, 2011
- India's first field marshal Sam Manekshaw remembered - Apr 03, 2012
- On wedding trip, NRI kills wife - Mar 16, 2011
- Father arrested for killing daughter - Jul 24, 2010
Tags: british indian army, bullets, elderly couple, eldest son, family members, five generations, germans, hansa, indian army, left behind, lok sabha election, medical grounds, natural death, rana, rs 8, shimla, sudan, war ii veteran, war veteran, world war ii