Battle of Badgam The Battle of Badgam was a small defensive encounter which took place at Badgam in the Kashmir valley on 3 November 1947 between troops of the Indian Army and tribal raiders from Pakistan during the Indo - Pakistani War of 1947 . The small battle was decisive in that one company of 4th Battalion , Kumaon Regiment under Major Som Nath Sharma , who won a posthumous Param Vir Chakra , was decimated but by causing severe casualties on the advancing tribal " lashkars " halted their momentum , thus gaining time for additional Indian forces to fly in and save the Kashmir Valley from falling in the nick of time . Backdrop . The battle took place at a point when Indian troops had just begun their fly - in into Srinagar airfield during the opening stages of the war . The lashkars were advancing along three axes - North of Wular lake , along the main Muzzafarabad - Baramula - Patan - Srinagar axis and from Gulmarg . Along the Gulmarg route , a lashkar of 700 raiders was known to be approaching Badgam but no contact had been made with it . The lashkar would soon be in a position to seize the airfield and block the induction of Indian troops by air . Alternatively , they could bypass the Patan defenses from the south and reach Srinagar unhindered . At that moment , only a weak brigade of Indian troops , withdrawn from refugee protection duties in Punjab and hastily airlifted , stood between groups of tribal lashkars advancing towards Srinagar . Indian troops were deployed only at Srinagar airfield , Magam and Patan . A detachment of Mahrajah ' s Bodyguard ( State Forces cavalry ) reconnoitred North of Wular Lake . Patrol plan . Brigadier L . P . Sen , newly arrived commander of 161 Infantry Brigade decided to send a strong fighting patrol to the hills overseeing Badgam village 5 km west of it . The task of the patrol was to search the area in the vicinity of Badgam and the area between Badgam and Magam for signs of the infiltrating Pakistanis . The patrol was to comprise two companies of 4th Battalion , Kumaon Regiment ( 4 KUMAON ) reinforced with a company of 1st Battalion , Kumaon Regiment ( 1 KUMAON ) . The 1 KUMAON company was tasked to patrol ahead of Badgam by bounds , and link up with 1st Battalion , Punjab Regiment ( 1 PUNJAB ) at Magam after which it would return by road . If no contact was made , the 4 KUMAON companies would fall back one by one , vacating Badgam at 1400 hrs . On 3 November 1947 , Major Som Nath Sharma , commanding D Company of 4 KUMAON , led the patrol . The patrol proceeded as planned without incident till the time came for withdrawing from Badgam . Sharma was ordered to fall back one company at a time , one company at 1400 hrs and he along with his company at 1500 hrs . At 1430 hrs , movement of tribals was seen to the West and near Badgam village . Sharma correctly surmised the movement in Badgam village was meant to divert attention while the attack would come in from the west . The lashkar attacked from the West . Sharma ' s company was soon surrounded by the enemy from three sides and sustained heavy casualties from the ensuing mortar bombardment . Sharma realized the importance of holding onto his position as both the city of Srinagar and the airport would be vulnerable if it were lost . Under heavy fire and outnumbered seven to one , he urged his company to fight bravely , often exposing himself to danger as he ran from post to post . Despite the forward two platoons falling , Sharma desperately clung to his position with the depth platoon . While he was busy fighting the enemy , a mortar shell exploded on the ammunition near him . His last message to Brigade HQ received a few moments before he was killed was : " The enemies is only 50 yards from us . We are hopelessly outnumbered . I will not withdraw one inch but fight to the last man last round . " Brigadier Sen ordered an reorganisation of the defenses . 1 PUNJAB was ordered to vacate Magam immediately and fall back to Srinagar . By nightfall troops of 1 PUNJAB were in Srinagar and detachment sent to approach the Badgam feature . By then the KUMAON position had been long overrun . Aftermath of battle . The company of 4 KUMAON under Maj Som Nath Sharma was decimated . For his courageous " last man , last round " stand , Maj Sharma was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra , Independent India ' s newly instituted highest award for gallantry . The fierce resistance of Sharma ' s company had caused 200 casualties to the raiders . Also , the tribal leader of the lashkar had a bullet through his leg . The Pakistani raiders made no attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities that night and move to the airfield or to Srinagar city . It is surmised that incapacitation of the leader , the heavy losses and reports of movement of 1 PUNJAB into the area had caused the raiders to misjudge the tactical situation . This bought time for additional Indian troops to in the valley to fall back from Patan to Srinagar , reorganise and block all routes of ingress to Srinagar . In this manner , Sharma ' s courageous fight prevented the fall of Srinagar and arguably the Kashmir Valley to Pakistan .