Balatikalanda Medappa Uthaiah

Balatikalanda Medappa Uthaiah

Balatikalanda Medappa Uthaiah was born at Virajpet ,Coorg. After passing SSLC examination, he joined a Cooperative Society in Mysore. He was a brilliant hockey player. This was noticed by the Mysore Infantry Officers and  they offered  him the post of Havaldar in 1st Battalion of Mysore Infantry in 1932. Jamedar Uthaiah married Miss K.M. Dottey Thangmma in April 1940 and at the time when the Second World War had started. Jamedar B.M. Uthaiah became part of First Battalion, Mysore Infantry which merged with the British Indian Army.

About

Born

13 Nov 1908

Died

25 Sep 1978

Family

Father

Baltikalanda Medappa

Spouse

Baltikalanda (Kodira) Dottey Thangmma

Son

Air Marshal Baltikalanda U Chengappa

Family Tree

Kodavaclan.co

Life

 

In Dec. 1940 , Jamedar Uthaiah proceeded to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh for additional training  for participation in the World War-II.  After their group completed training, they were not even given time to meet their families, but, were sent to Malaya via Bombay. The group saw heavy fighting with the large Japanese forces, and finally the entire battalion was taken captive including Uthaiah. The entire  battalion as Prisoners of War,  was taken to Japan to be put in a camp resembling a Concentration Camp of the Germans. The PoWs were tortured by the Japanese, and no communication with their families was permitted.  Jamedar Uthaiah was subjected to severe torture and ill treatment by the POW camp authorities who were well known for their ruthless brutal treatment to their prisoners.  Since the prisoners were not permitted to communicate with any one outside the camp, Jamedar Uthaiah’s whereabouts were not known to any one in India including his Army Unit.

Even after the end of WW2, still information was not there. After a gap of 5 years, during October 1945, the family was informed that Jemadar Uthaiah has arrived at Bangalore. He was put to quarantine, questioning, and trial  by the British Forces,  doubting  his involvement with the Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra Bose. After this “agnipariksha”, he was cleared and allowed to meet his family in Decmeber 1945 Thangamma was sick of the long separation. Uthaiah was posted to Bangalore  till about 1947.  Subedar Uthaiah was asked to proceed to Hyderabad for its liberation in 1948, with his unit which they successfully completed.  Inspite of his sacrifices and  sufferings, he was frustrated by the British Army treatment, and opted for voluntary retirement in 1950. He settled in Coorg with his family. He passed away in September 1978 at 69 years of age. Thangamma lived beyond 93 years of age at Virajpet.