Historic Role of 3rd Armoured Brigade

Address to officers and men of 3rd Armoured Brigade, Risalpur: April 13, 1948 I am pleased to have visited you today at your Headquarters. "Risalpur", as the name indicates, has been the home of Cavalry for a long time. For centuries the Cavalry has been regarded as the "Corps d'elite" of every nation. Although you have now changed your mounts for the awe-inspiring machines - the tanks, your perseverance, patience, coolness and dash that had to be displayed by a cavalier, must still remain your guiding light. Your Brigade is the only one of its kind in the Pakistan Army, in fact, in the whole of Muslim World. This unique distinction that you enjoy is a befitting compliment to the biggest Muslim State. Your victories and achievements in World War II are too well-known for me to recount. Your Brigade invariably formed the spearhead of the Fourteenth Army's advance from Manipur Road to Rangoon, and the privilege of continuing to wear the famous Fourteenth Army badge by your Brigade is befitting of your deeds. Since the establishment of Pakistan almost every unit of this Brigade has been reformed, and within this short period of 8 months you have knit yourself into a formidable team. All this happened while you were continuously being called upon to perform multifarious duties, such as evacuating millions of stranded Muslims from the Eastern Punjab, and States, and maintaining law and order within your own borders. This is a great achievement in itself and can only be attributed to the high morale, integrity, selfless devotion to duty and loyalty. I have no doubt that you will always be prepared to take on any hazardous duty which you may be called upon to perform. Lastly, I would like to mention how pleased I am to see this formation which is fully equipped and trained to fight with up-to-date and modern instruments. This is indicative of a nation's fitness to take an equal place with other big nations of the world.