against then Major General Sam Manekshaw, the Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College. The COI was convened with Singh as the presiding officer. The COI under Singh exonerated Manekshaw, saving his career. Manekshaw would later go on to become the 7th Chief of the Army Staff, leading the Army to victory in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and becoming the first Field Marshal of India. Singh led the Western Command during the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Death and legacy On 22 November 1963, Singh was killed when his helicopter crashed en route to Poonch. In a great loss to the Indian Armed Forces, the crash claimed six distinguished officers. The officers who were on the helicopter apart from Singh were: Lieutenant General Bikram Singh, General Officer Commanding XV Corps Air Vice Marshal Erlic Pinto, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command Major General N K D Nanavati, General Officer Commanding 25 Infantry Division Brigadier S R Oberoi, Commander 93 Infantry Brigade Flight Lieutenant S S Sodhi, Pilot The news of the air crash came as a shock to the nation. A black-bordered extraordinary Gazette of India was issued on 23 November. The issue was raised in both houses of Parliament of India and addressed by the Minister of Defence Yashwantrao Chavan. The Rajya Sabha observed one minute's silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and adjourned for the day. The Ministry of Defence, the three service headquarters and all defence establishments in New Delhi were closed on 23 November as a mark of respect. All public events of the Defence Minister and Service Chiefs were also cancelled. The officers were laid to rest with full military honours. Singh was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal posthumously on 26 January 1964. A memorial has been built at the site of the air crash, commemorating the names of the victims. The Indian Army organises an annual event to pay homage to them. An 'Akhand Path' is also organised by the people of Poonch and surrounding villages, as a mark of their love and affection towards the departed souls, every year to commemorate the tragic accident. In April 1964, the Government of Himachal Pradesh constructed the General Daulet Singh Park in Shimla in recognition and to commemorate the distinguished service of Singh. A bust of Singh is also installed in the park. The park was inaugurated by Singh's