When Sparrow Flew Like Eagles: 1971 Indo-Pak War of Liberation of Bangladesh - Memoirs of a Signal Officer

When Sparrows Flew Like Eagles is a unique book that explores the role of soldier-signallers in the final outcome of the 1971 Bangladesh operations, emphasizing their importance as a force multiplier and a military training document. It sheds light on the challenges faced by middle-level officers during war and the ingenuity displayed in solving them, dispelling the myth that communication problems are rarely spoken about. Brigadier Narayanan's experiences provide valuable lessons.

Format: Hardback
Length: 174 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2020
Publisher: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers

When Sparrows flew like Eagles is a unique book in many ways. Firstly, it is perhaps the first time anyone has attempted to write about the role of soldier-signallers in the final outcome of a war, as they did in IV Corps Operations in 1971, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh. The author brings out why signal communication is a force multiplier to win battles and ultimately the War; when timely, how it can avert an unwanted tactical battle and save human lives and war resources.

Apart from being a historical narrative, the book has immense value as a military training document. It emphasises human behaviour under stress, including the psychological dimensions of leadership qualities required at the middle and top management levels during war or warlike situations.

The book makes interesting reading, especially for signal officers. The story of the 1971 Bangladesh operations has been written by several officers who took part in them, but this is perhaps the first account by a signal officer. Though the story covers a relatively narrow spectrum of engineering communications at Corps level – operating aspects such as signal centre, exchanges, and ciphers are not covered – it gives an insight into the problems faced by a middle-level officer during war and the ingenuity displayed in solving them.

Communications during war have a peculiar characteristic. If things go wrong, they are highlighted by everyone and are often blamed for failures. If things go well, they are rarely mentioned. In the Sino-Indian conflict in 1962, Signals were blamed for debacles at various stages. On the other hand, the Goa operations in 1961 and Bangladesh operations in 1971 were virtually a walk-over for the Indian Army. As a result, communication problems were hardly spoken about.

The account written by Br. Gopal Swarup is a valuable addition to the literature on signal communication during war. It sheds light on the challenges faced by signal officers and the ingenuity displayed in solving them, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the field.

Weight: 348g
Dimension: 161 x 237 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9788194465904