One of the two temples at Helmet Top. Picture by Ripunjoy Das

Helmet Top (Lohit), Jan. 16: At 8,000 feet above sea level, where the rarefied air makes breathing an arduous task, thousands of Indian soldiers had valiantly fought a losing battle against the marauding Chinese army in the winter of 1962.

Hundreds of bravehearts perished in the war ? one of the least known events in Indian history ? as they held off the invaders at this point for 22 days.

Over four decades later, the brave soldiers have finally found their place under the sun ? a memorial made of black marble is coming up at Helmet Top hamlet, 600 km from Dibrugarh town in Assam. It is being built jointly by 5/11 Gorkha Rifles, 382 Field Regiment and 62 Engineering Regiments of the army and 48 Border Roads Task Force.

?Though we don?t know the exact number who died here, the names of 500 have been inscribed on the memorial. Many of those killed were never identified,? an army official said. The memorial pays homage to the ?Defenders of Walong?, he added.

The place, marked as Walong in official records, was given the name Helmet Top by the local Singpo and Misimi tribesmen who saw military helmets strewn all over what was once a battle zone for decades.

Over the past few years, army personnel gathered war memorabilia ? iron helmets, empty cases of light machine gun magazines, fired mortar shells and silver mugs used by soldiers ? which have been lying in the open and put them together at one place.

Different units of the army gradually built two small temples around these items.

Armymen regularly offer puja at the temples whenever they are in the area for ?acclimatisation sessions?.

Helmet Top is almost a straight climb of around 18 km from Walong village. The 116 BRTF is building a road on the stretch. Though BRTF vehicles ply on the road for construction, it has not been officially opened to traffic, including that of the army.

The Chinese invasion of India in the Lohit Valley had commenced with the attack on McMahon ridge at 11.45 pm on October 21, 1962. By October 25, the Chinese forces had managed to advance towards Walong, which was being defended by the 11 Infantry Brigade.

There was an acute shortage of artillery, rations, ammunition, winter clothing and other defence items but the soldiers are said to have fought on bravely.

?It was a miracle that even in these extreme conditions, the Indian troops under the inspiring leadership of Brig. N.C. Rawley held back the Chinese for 22 days at a position called the Tiger?s Mouth because of numerous casualties in war,? the army official said.

The Chinese are also said to have suffered heavy casualties ? around 4,000 ? in the war.

Paying tribute to the soldiers, local legislator and Arunachal Pradesh minister Kalikho Pul said: ?We are proud of our soldiers who defended Walong at that time. Even now we have to think twice before we plan to visit Helmet Top due to the tough geographical terrain?.

The army official recalled that years ago, Time magazine had paid homage to the martyrs of Walong in a befitting manner: ?At Walong, Indian troops lacked everything. The only thing they did not lack was guts?.