Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 10 Oct: Having lost her father when she was barely five years old, Cheryl Dalby alias Cheryl M Soggee, the eldest daughter of Captain John Albert Dalby, who laid down his life in the line of duty during the Sino-India war in 1962 in the Kameng sector, has penned a book titled Serendipitous Moments as a tribute to her late father.
The book is scheduled to be launched in Bangalore (Karnataka) on 19 October, coinciding with her father’s birthday.
Cheryl lives in Perth, Australia. Her deep connection with erstwhile NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh) is indelible. She visited Jang (Tawang) in 2019 to pay homage to her late father. It is believed that Captain Dalby was last seen at Tawang Chu (Jang) bridge on 17 November, 1962, when his team, the 4th Gharwal, was attacked by Chinese troops.
Captain Dalby and his comrades responded by pounding Chinese positions with accurate firing. The initial waves of Chinese attacks did not achieve much success as the Indian soldiers, though outnumbered, fought with great courage.
During the heavy exchange of fire, Captain Dalby was seriously injured, and later succumbed to his injuries. But his body was never recovered.
Captain John Dalby, an Anglo-Indian, hailed from Bangalore. He joined the Joint Services Wing (JSW, subsequently known as NDA) course, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 5 Field Artillery Regiment, an important combat arm of the Indian Army, known for its field guns, howitzers, mortars, and other weaponry.
Cheryl’s childhood was overshadowed by the trauma of growing up not knowing if her dad was ever coming home, and seeing her mother, a young widow at 29 years old, suffering horrific trauma of shock and loss. However, she became resilient and well-rounded, mostly due to the efforts of her loving mother and maternal grandparents, positive experiences, and deep friendships at school.
She visited her father’s regiment in Aurangabad, Jaswant Garh, and the area around the Jang bridge in Tawang, where her father was last seen.
She also visited the four surviving veterans of her father’s regiment in Bamnu village.
Her visit to India in 2019 brought to an end her quest to find her father, and started the process of acceptance and healing.
Cheryl concludes her book with the sentence, “No war has victors, only victims.”
Arrangements have reportedly been made to have the book launch livestreamed to spread Cheryl’s message of peace and harmony across the world.
The launch programme will commence with a wreath-laying ceremony, which will offer Cheryl, for the first time in 61 years, the opportunity to honour her father on his birthday by laying a wreath at his memorial.
