1971 war veteran Lt Gen WAG Pinto passes away

Pune: Lt Gen Walter Anthony Gustavo (WAG) Pinto (retd), who fought in the World War II and was known for his role in the famous battle of Basantar during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, passed away on Thursday of old age at the Southern Command hospital in Wanowrie.
He was 96 and is survived by two sons and four grandchildren. His last rites will be performed with full military honours on Sunday in Pune.The location is yet to be decided, his granddaughter Andrea said. He retired as Central Army Commander in June 1982 and settled down in Pune.
After completing the six-month emergency commission training course at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, he was commissioned into the 13th Frontier Force Rifles of the British Army in 1943. The then Second Lieutenant Pinto was posted to the Machine Gun battalion.
In 1949, the Indian Army raised the Brigade of the Guards. Pinto was selected for the 3rd battalion of the Guards and he took over as a Company commander in 1950. In the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the then Major General Pinto commanded the 54 Infantry division in Western theatre. His division captured several crucial outposts of the enemy nation during the war.
“The country will remember him as the General who led the Infantry to victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. But to me, his victories on the battlefield played a small part in the man I will always remember. The grandfather I knew was the one sitting in his armchair by the television with a beret on his head and his faithful dachshund by his side, absorbing every bit of the news he could. During the lockdown, I took up baking and I would get him freshly baked cakes and cookies. He claimed to enjoy everything I baked,” Andrea said.
Lt Gen BT Pandit (retd), who fought under his leadership in the war, told TOI on Friday, “He was my role model and would remain so forever. He would always be remembered for his competitiveness and jovial nature. During the war, he was there on the battlefield with a small group. He motivated us in his unique way.”
After retirement, he had penned a book titled ‘Bash on Regardless’.