The collection at the Army Museum Lahore features a diverse range of war instruments, including artillery guns, helicopters, aircraft, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, and vehicles, each with its own unique story of acquisition and allocation.
At the heart of the Army Museum Lahore lies an extraordinary testament to human ingenuity and the complexities of power—the outdoor weapons display. This exhibit is not merely a collection of instruments of war; it is a narrative of ambition, collaboration, and the silent persistence of those who shape history behind the scenes. The museum's founding director, Brigadier Sufyan (late), personally oversaw the design of the external weapons display. Headquarters Engineers 4 Corps were entrusted with the task of preparing platforms for the weapons. Each weapon on display carries its own unique story of acquisition and allocation.
Requests for these weapons were made through both official channels and personal initiatives. The dedicated efforts of the Commander 4 Corps and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 10 Division were pivotal in securing many of the pieces. The project's success would not have been possible without the support of the SD Directorate, GHQ. Weapons were generously donated by various headquarters and formations across the country, with a significant portion sourced from different locations within the 4 Corps' area of responsibility. Even after its unveiling, the collection continued to expand, incorporating helicopters, planes, and artillery pieces, serving as a reminder that history, like war, is always evolving.
1965 War: Centurion Tank Captured from the Indian Army (Kooshab)
The Centurion tank, captured by Pakistani forces from the Indian Army during the 1965 War, was initially displayed in Haripur City as a war trophy. A request was made to the GHQ, SD Directorate, to relocate this historic artifact to Lahore. Major General Muhammad Aamir and Brigadier Ali Amir Awan, both now Lieutenant Generals, took a personal interest in the effort.
A team from the Division Regiment Artillery was sent to Haripur to transport the tank to Lahore. The documents provided by the Deputy Commissioner of Haripur added a special significance to the relocation. This was no ordinary tank; it had belonged to the commanding officer (CO) of the 17th (Poona) Horse Regiment of the Indian Army. After its arrival, the tank, named Kooshab, was prominently placed as the first exhibit visitors encounter upon entering the Museum.
This Centurion tank, named Kooshab, was the personal tank of Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, the CO of the 17th (Poona) Horse Regiment in the Indian Army. Lieutenant Colonel Tarapore was posthumously awarded India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra, for his leadership during the 1965 War.
During the Battle of Chawinda, where the Pakistan Army successfully halted the advance of India's 1st Armored Division, Tarapore's tank was struck by Pakistan's 25 Cavalry, leading to his death. Following his demise and the relentless counterattacks by the Pakistan Army, the 17th (Poona) Horse was forced to retreat, leaving behind the tank of their CO as a trophy of war for the victorious Pakistan Army.
1965 War: Captured Indian Centurion Tank—“Bushire”
This captured Indian tank was initially displayed at the Fortress Stadium. The GOC of 10 Division, Major General Tariq Aman, authorized the transfer of the tank to the Army Museum authorities. He also directed that one of the four M48 tanks already approved for the Army Museum Lahore be displayed at the Fortress Stadium as a replacement for the captured Indian tank. Documents received from the unit confirmed that the tank was named Bushire, one of the command tanks of the 17th (Poona) Horse Regiment.
This captured Centurion tank, Bushire, belonged to the 17th (Poona) Horse and was seized during the 1965 War in the Battle of Butur Dograndi, near Chawinda. The Indian 8th Garhwal Rifles launched an attack on Butur Dograndi, but after suffering heavy casualties and the death of their CO, the unit was forced to withdraw under intense fire into nearby sugarcane fields. The battalion, already suffering daily casualties, had been without food for three days and survived on the sugarcane from the surrounding fields.
On September 17, as the 17th (Poona) Horse attempted to assist in the withdrawal of the 8th Garhwal Rifles, the tank was destroyed by the 3rd Frontier Force Regiment. The crew abandoned the tank and fled, while the tank commander, Captain Gurdial Singh (later promoted to Major General), was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW).
Captured Indian T-54 Tank
This captured Indian tank was displayed in Malir, Karachi. After conducting research, it was determined to be a war trophy from the 1971 War. Lieutenant General Sadiq Ali spoke with the Commander of 5 Corps and secured approval to display the tank at the Army Museum Lahore. The details accompanying the tank are as follows:
On December 3, 1971, Major Shabir Sharif Shaheed, Nishan-i-Haider, from the 6 Frontier Force Regiment, led his company in an attack and captured the Beriwala Bridge on the Sabuna Drain, located in enemy territory in the Sulemanki Sector. That same night, around 2300 hours, the Indian Army launched its first counterattack with the 4 Jat Battalion and a tank squadron from 18 Cavalry to retake the lost territory. Hearing the noise of the approaching tanks, Major Shabir Sharif Shaheed ordered his company's anti-tank detachments to engage the advancing enemy tanks.
In the ensuing battle, taking advantage of the darkness, some of the enemy tanks managed to get close to the Pakistani defensive positions. Sensing imminent danger as the enemy tanks closed in, Major Shabir Sharif seized a 3.5-inch rocket launcher from one of his anti-tank detachments and fired at the leading Indian 18 Cavalry tank. The rocket scored a direct hit, destroying the tank. The tank on display is the same refurbished Indian 18 Cavalry tank that Major Shabir Sharif Shaheed destroyed.
British Cast Iron 18-Pounder Smooth Bore Muzzle Loading Gun
During the collection of weapons, artillery pieces were difficult to acquire. However, we managed to obtain tanks and helicopters. Commander 4 Corps and the GOC of 10 Division decided to find artillery guns available for display in Lahore. Two guns were located at one of the gates of the Fortress Stadium (the gate on Shami Road). These were earmarked, and the decision was shared with the fortress authorities, in line with the directives from the Corps Commander and GOC.
The pair of 18-pounder guns was cleaned, painted, and made display-ready. Both are now placed at the main entrance of the museum.
The text written with the guns is mentioned below:
Gun Barrel
The 18-pounder cast iron artillery gun is a rare piece. In the early 1720s, six 18-pounder cast iron guns were developed to create an ideal medium artillery piece suitable for both land and sea operations. These guns underwent numerous trials and modifications. After extensive testing, the British Board of Ordnance selected the Bloomfield design, featuring a 9-foot-long barrel weighing 42 Hundredweight (cwt) or 4,760 pounds, for standardization in land service. These guns were approved at Woolwich in 1801 and issued to garrison artillery. During British rule in India, 18-pounders were initially used by the East India Company's army and later by the Royal Artillery for siege and garrison duties until the 1860s. The displayed gun bears the Royal Cypher of George William Frederick, King of England (1760-1820), embossed on its barrel.
Gun Carriage
The carriage of the 18-pounder gun was first experimented with in the mid-18th century and was called the English-type four-wheeled iron carriage. This design was patented by Stephen Remnant, the master smith to the British Board of Ordnance, in 1761. These carriages are reported to have come into service between 1801 and 1813.
T-33 Trainer Aircraft
The Army Museum Lahore decided to create a diorama of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed, NH, in the 1971 Gallery. The plan was to depict a cutout of a T33 Trainer Jet emerging from a wall in a "nose-down position," with the Shaheed officer seated inside. The goal was to illustrate the final moments of Rashid Minhas's martyrdom. Brigadier Sufyan (late) wrote a demi-official letter to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) requesting the cut-out cockpit portion of an old, obsolete T33 Trainer Jet. On September 29, 2015, the CAS not only approved the request for a complete T33 Trainer Jet but also directed his staff to transport, paint, and display it in the Army Museum Lahore. The T33 is now displayed in the museum in a nose-down position, paying tribute to the Shaheed young officer.
AH-1 Cobra Gunship Helicopter and MI-24 (Hind) Attack Helicopter
Army Aviation authorities sanctioned an Alouette, a Lama, and an MI-17 for display in the external area. The efforts of Colonel Riffatullah (later Brigadier) in securing the approval for these aviation assets are commendable. In addition to these, we aimed to display both a Cobra Gunship and an MI-24 (Hind) together.
MI-24 (Hind) Gunship Helicopters have been displayed only in Army and Aviation Museums worldwide, including those in Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom (UK), Ukraine, and the U.S. In comparison, Cobra Gunship helicopters are displayed only in museums in Australia, Japan, the UK, and the U.S. However, these two Gunship Helicopters (MI-24 Hind and Cobra) are displayed together in just two museums globally: the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
The Cobra gunship was sanctioned and transported from Multan. Meanwhile, the museum was inaugurated in August 2017 and opened to the public in September 2018. During a visit by Lieutenant General Aamir Riaz, Brigadier Sufyan (late) once again requested the sanctioning of the MI-24 (Hind). A fresh case was initiated, and ultimately, the Chief of General Staff (CGS) approved it for the Army Museum Lahore in 2018. The "bird" was then transferred from Quetta to Lahore through the efforts of 10 Division Artillery.
At the Army Museum Lahore, the MI-24 (Hind) is displayed alongside the Cobra, making the museum the third in the world to house these two helicopters together. This uniquely curated display is titled "Conflicting Ideologies and Conflicting Technologies." The other two museums displaying this combination are in the U.S.
Afghan and Russian MI-24 (Hind) Gunship Helicopters were used in numerous cross-border military operations against Pakistan and also violated Pakistani airspace. Several books, blogs, and articles have reported that six MI-24 (Hind) Afghan/Russian Gunship helicopters defected to Pakistan during the Afghan War. One of these helicopters is displayed in the museum.
In addition to these prominent displays, a large number of weapons have been showcased in the external area. These include artillery guns, multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, A vehicles, B vehicles, radars, aircraft, and helicopters.
The outdoor exhibits at the Army Museum Lahore are a powerful reflection of the courage and dedication that have shaped Pakistan’s military history, offering visitors a chance to connect with the past and honor the stories behind each piece.
The writer holds a degree in Asian Studies with a major in Archaeology from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. She has served as Curator-Research and Public Relations Officer at the Army Museum Lahore and has been associated with the museum since its thematic inception and gallery design. She has also worked as a Research Officer at the Military Heritage Branch, HQ Lahore Corps. Currently, she is pursuing her postgraduate research degree at the University of Buckingham, London Campus, UK.
E-mail: [email protected]
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