In November 1947, one man stood like a rock between the Pakistani forces and Poonch. Forty thousand refugees depended on him for food, shelter and protection from looters for a year. Braving all odds, he built an airstrip and courageous pilots like Baba Mehar Singh flew supplies and ammunition there until the siege was broken. Taken prisoner of war by the Japanese in Singapore, he escaped with two fellow officers and spent six months traversing enemy-occupied Malaya, Thailand and Burma to reach India. This man served India more than his duty. But his generals punished him, denied him justice, court-martialled him and expelled him. They took away his medals but could not take away his Military Cross. This man was Brigadier Pritam Singh, MC. The people of Poonch call him Sher Bachcha and worship him even today.