quater desk 2011 navy magazine
TRANSCRIPT
Contents
Opinions expressed are those of the authors. They do not reflect
the views of IHQ, MoD (Navy) or the Editor.
o Editorial 02
o Message from CNS 03
o Letters to the Editor 04
o Sagar Parikrama 05
o 275 years of Bombay Dockyard 09
o Second Innings 27
o Interview - V Adm VA Kamath 31
o Transition from RIN to IN 35
o Golden Jubilee of INAS 300 53
o Camaraderie 63
o Close Encounters 66
o Humour 70
o Those were the Days 75
o Pot-pourri 107
o Book Review 133
o Tributes and Obituaries 135
o Adventure and Travelogue 147
o Command News 162
o Charter News 172
o List of Contributors 176
24
Editor
Shirley Ramsay
Illustrations
V Adm G Mahadevan,
AVSM, VSM
We acknowledge yeoman support by
V Adm MP Muralidharan, AVSM, NM
Chief of Personnel
and
V Adm SPS Cheema, AVSM, NM
Chief of Personnel Services
DESA Team
Cmde MVS Kumar, VSM
Cdr JK Choudhary
Lt Cdr Ansaree Begum
Published by
Directorate of Ex-Servicemen Affairs
6th Floor, Chanakya Bhawan
Yashwant Palace,
Chanakya Puri
New Delhi - 110 021
Tele: 011-24121068/26880943
Email: [email protected]
Production
Capricorn
9899905275
Contributions to QD may be sent to:
The Editor, Quarterdeck,
G-93, Jalvayu Vihar, Sector 25
NOIDA - 201 301.
email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0120 2537251
Quarterdeck 2011 is privileged to carry two unique contributions – the first is an interview ofVice Admiral VA Kamath, who would be 90 years old in March this year, and a sole survivor ofthe pre-second World War Navy; he shares historic experiences and recapitulates his viewson the transition of the Indian Navy. The second is an impassioned articulation by Vice AdmiralMP Awati on his dream project “Solo Circumnavigation of the Globe” accomplished adroitly byCdr Dilip Donde, earning worldwide acclaim for the Indian Navy.
The Indian Navy has attained the graceful stature of senior citizenry. Beginning of the 21stCentury has augured very well for our Navy and the first decade of the millennium haswitnessed substantial growth, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. The second decadeand the times that lie ahead hold even greater promises for her continuing growth.
During her historic growth, Indian Navy has witnessed many ships, submarines, squadrons,units and establishments crossing Silver and Golden Jubilee milestones. It is the endeavour ofQuarterdeck to recognise each such historic event by inviting contributions to recount theglorious past by both Veteran and serving fraternity. Such contributions lend a unique flavourto Quarterdeck. Accordingly, the current edition carries excellent articulations/presentationsfrom our Veterans on the 275th anniversary of Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, the transition fromRIN to IN and the Golden Jubilee of Indian Naval Air Squadron 300 (White Tigers). In thiscontext, I would like to reiterate my appeal for greater participation on such celebratory themesin Quarterdeck’s future endeavours.
On a sad note, Quarterdeck bids final adieu to two of our contributors-Vice Admiral SMGadihoke and Commodore MK Banger, whose articles find a proud place in this edition.Quarterdeck deeply appreciates the enthusiasm and hard work put in by them in compilingtheir articulations, despite the advanced age.
Quarterdeck 2012 will be 25th edition of this magazine. Therefore, I look forward to anenthusiastic response from our readers and patrons in sending their contributions toQuarterdeck which crosses an important milestone in its journey, emerging the most favouredand widely read magazine of the Navy Foundation. So, please look out for approved themesfor the Silver Jubilee edition, which will be circulated through NHQ, IG shortly, and also remainin touch with respective charters of Navy Foundation for details. Please forward yourcontributions in soft copy to [email protected] .
This edition would again not be the same without the valuable contribution of Vice AdmiralGanesh Mahadevan, particularly his unique design by fusing heritage paintings of NavalDockyard, Mumbai for the cover page. I also deeply appreciate the help provided by PDESAand his staff in bringing out this edition.
Quarterdeck wishes all our readers and their families a Happy New Year!
Editorial
j{kk ea=ky;,dh-r eq[;ky;¼u©lsuk½uà fnYyh - 110011
Integrated Headquarters
Ministry of Defence (Navy)
New Delhi - 110011
Admiral Nirmal VermaPVSM, AVSM, ADC
Chief of the Naval Staff
,Mfejy fueZy oekZih oh ,l ,e] , oh ,l ,e] ,Mhlh
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message
The history of the Navy is a continuum, as indeed is its evolution. Quarterdeck epitomizes this by
transcending generations of naval personnel and connecting our eventful yesterday with what we
see as an exciting tomorrow. In providing our revered veterans the opportunity to share their
experiences and wisdom with those at the helm today, the publication provides younger
professionals crucial insights that will strengthen them as they sail the Navy into the future.
It is both remarkable and striking that our theme for Navy Week 2010 reflects this very notion.
“Glorious Wake, Vibrant Future” is not a mere slogan. It represents the Navy’s enduring effort to
not just celebrate past achievements, but also learn from its less successful experiences; and not
just routinely plan for the future, but also consolidate its hard-gained current strengths.
As the Navy surges into the second decade of the 21st century and shoulders greater
responsibilities in support of national security and economic development, I am optimistic that it
will remain on-station and ready to face squarely all emerging challenges. With a series of high-
capacity inductions on the verge of materialising, our force structure is poised to see a qualitative
and quantitative expansion. While venerated platforms such as Dunagiri and Vagli retired this
year after decades of loyal and distinguished service, the induction of Shivalik, the roll-out of the
naval LCA prototype and the soon-to-be commissioned UAV Squadron in Porbandar and Fleet
Tanker Deepak underline an upcoming trend of substantial force additions. Yet our personnel
continue to remain our most critical and capable asset. Their professional excellence,
extraordinary dedication and never-say-die attitude are force-multiplying attributes that promise
to propel the Navy in the wake of their illustrious forebears, into a vibrant and glorious future.
I convey my warm felicitations to the Editorial Team of Quarterdeck 2011 and wish the readers of
the magazine a happy and healthy year ahead.
Jai Hind.
Admiral
Chief of the Naval Staff
* It gives me great pleasure to let you know that I have
started to read this wonderful magazine since last few
years. This has been mainly possible due to one wonderful
officer: Commodore Monty Khanna. He has been
circulating your magazine to us in the USA. Not only it
reminds me of wonderful time I spent in the Navy but your
magazine has inspired me to start writing on regular basis.
I am thankful to you and your contributors who make this
magazine a treasure worth reading and encouraging me to
write few articles about my experiences.
* I have gone through the annual publication
Quarterdeck 2010. It is an effulgent compendium
contributed predominantly by the smart old for the benefit
of the smarter present. As we know, sea is a body of
saltwater covering most of the earth’s surface and it is
rightly regarded as a geophysical entity, distinct from earth
and sky. It is the place of duty 24x7 for naval personnel. In
this context, let me wish that the Indian Navy sails the
seven seas and shares the seventh heaven. Further, this
182 page edition is a rare piece of collection of valuable
articles and related photographs which empirically reveals
the eminence of the Editor who certainly deserves a
bouquet of kudos and a garland of appreciation.
* In QD 10, dear Shirley, you have “packed a
plentiful, powerful punch” of some humour, nostalgia,
lessons and of course narratives. The last named,
inevitably-inescapably have an element of too much ‘I’.
We ‘oldies’ think of nothing else but Them Days in our
times etc but when one reads that refrain from someone
young (Lt Cdr Khosla) it shows how easily and quickly
we delve into the past. But above all, the broad spectrum
in your compilation opened my eyes to the reality of the
21st century. Our grand old service has made giant
strides which leave me out of breath and panting! A quick
look at the last two issues shows QD 09’s 71 has has on
board 20 Admirals, 11 Ladies, 40 others whereas in QD
10’s 80 the numbers respectively are 23, 10 and 47. I will
leave readers to ‘read’ into those figures!
* It was indeed a pleasure to read the
‘Quarterdeck’ and to revive the memories of glorious
naval tenure. Every year in the month of May, after
the annual meeting of the Navy Foundation the
‘Quarterdeck ‘ is received and its entire contents are
thoroughly read by me within a couple of days itself.
I have always wanted to scribble something for the
Quarterdeck, but the time and my handwriting have
been preventing me till now! After reading the article
‘Hole-in-one at Gulmarg’ written by Cdr BS Hothi, we
are old colleagues, I have been inspired to recount
nostalgic reminiscences.
* Bravo for your efforts in successfully bringing
out the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Quarterdeck.
You have been a worthy mentor and deserve
applause for maintaining personal rapport with the
contributors which goes a long way towards making
this magazine a hallmark of excellence.
A special accolade for Vice Admiral Ganesh
Mahadevan for providing high quality cartoons and
illustrations on regular basis for the last so many
years! Hoping for his continued labour of love! Last
but not the least, sustained and behind the scene
efforts by DESA team needs to be applauded.
4
Letters to the Editor
I first read Joshua Slocum’s `Sailing Alone Around the World’ in 1948. I
had picked up the book from a roadside sale in London when I was at the
RNC Greenwich. Slocum had built the boat himself from a derelict on a
Massachusetts beach on the US Atlantic coast. He named the 35 feet
boat Spray and fitted it out as a yawl with a main and a mizzen mast. It
took him three years on his circumnavigation voyage, west about,
stopping at several ports enroute. It was an epochal voyage by an ageing
sea captain, a kind never attempted before. That was in 1898. He did
create great interest in the world sailing fraternity. No one emulated him
for a very long time, for upwards of fifty years. The reason was the two
World Wars had intervened and the tumultuous years of the period
between 1900 and 1950 were not amenable to any adventure activities
at sea, nor was there money in the kitties of most nations for such
ventures. After 1950, though, there has been a spate of solo
circumnavigations by European and American sailors with a few from
Australia, South Africa and Japan. There have been half a dozen women
sailors who have joined the ranks of these solo sailors. Aside from the
Japanese no one from Asia has ventured, which, I thought was a pity,
considering that sailing the high seas in ships had been an Asian activity for many millennia.
So why not an Indian! I thought to myself, in my dying days in the Service.
Why not, indeed! But who would support such a venture? I tried a few
corporate houses and drew blanks. After I retired from the Service the
thought became an obsession. From about 1990 I wrote to successive
Chiefs of Naval Staff for support, with no result. They must have thought of
it as the ravings of an ageing sailor who was seeking something to do in his
retirement. That I was, but not for myself, any longer! I was getting too infirm
to attempt such a demanding adventure. Then in April 2006 the then CNS,
Admiral Arun Prakash responded to me. He wrote, ‘Why not? An excellent
idea! Why not you? ` He was pulling my leg, of course. He would have
known fully well that at 80 I was not a candidate. In his next letter he asked
me, ‘How much will you need? And in the same breath, he informed, ‘I will
go to the Ministry provided you take this on`. I had no problem taking it on
and I said so to the CNS. The die was cast, I was to be the Mentor, and the
project was christened Sagarparikrama. I could co-opt anyone I wished into
my team. I asked the CNS for a sum of money, by a rough estimate. The
Admiral got me an approval to go ahead and a sum almost twice I had
asked for, in the following month. It was June 2006.
5
First Indian Solo CircumnavigationVice Admiral MP Awati (Retd)
Events now moved fast. My only stipulation had been that the boat be built
in India. That was readily agreed to. A design for the boat was obtained from
Van de Stadt, the reputed Dutch yacht designers through the efforts of
Captain Soli Contractor whom I had earlier co- opted as my Technical
Adviser. Soli was to prove an excellent choice. He is our first yachting
Olympian and has contacts with the yachting world. Design in hand we went
on a quest for a possible builder. As required, three builders responded to
our enquiries. The selected, Aquarius Fiberglass, is a small boat builder
operating from Divar Island on River Mandovi, on the opposite bank from
Goa Velha. As it was to turn out, he was a real find, the owner Ratnakar
Dandekar a true believer in the capabilities of Indian boat carpenters!
Ratnakar became the third member of my Team. The last to join my team
was the volunteer sailor himself, Commander Dilip Donde, a Clearance
Diver, who, had some open sea sailing experience. I met him and he came
and stayed with us for a couple of days in our village home. The bond forged
between us has strengthened over the months through many vicissitudes.
He is the real find of the project.
It turned out that the legendary yachtsman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, was just then preparing his boat for the oncoming
Velox 5 Oceans singlehanded sailing race which was to start from Cadiz on the Spanish Atlantic Coast in October that
year. Just then Robin was preparing and tuning his boat in Portsmouth. Would he accept our chap to assist him? He
readily agreed and off went Dilip to Portsmouth to help and take his first steps in big time sailing with Robin. He could
not have wished for a better guru. Later that month he sailed in the Saga Insurance with Robin to Cadiz for the start of
the race. Later still, he was sent to Fremantle in Western Australia to join Robin’s Support Team and glean more
experience of the business he had volunteered for. I took this as the the first
indication to me that the Gods were on my side. Further evidence of this
came when we were looking for Red Cedar for the wooden core of the three
skin hull for the design, stipulated by the designer. We found that the tree
grew in the highlands of Kerala, a stone’s throw from Goa. It would be
processed and be available with a timber merchant in Bombay. I was saved
having to look for the timber in some temperate country or in Kashmir!
Ratnakar devised an ingenious method of a tent and ordinary electric
heaters, an array of them, in his yard, to bring the timber to 12% humidity,
once again, stipulated by the designer, before using it in the boat. All was
now ready to begin building the boat.
The construction began on Christmas Day 2007, soon after the contract
was signed between the navy, the owner, and the builder. Launching was
promised within one year of this date and delivery three months after that.
The builder met both the dates despite some horrendous problems, not
least many of them created by the owner, the inevitable bureaucratic mess
in a succession of delayed approvals. The initial work of hull construction
6
was ‘topsy-turvy’, literally. After the three skins had been laid and cured
under carefully controlled humidity and temperature conditions the hull was
upended. Work progressed at a fast pace with Dilip spending much of his
time in Goa assisting Ratnakar. The most critical stage came when the 8 ton
lead weighted keel had to go on to the boat. Actually the boat was fitted on
to the keel by lifting it on to it! I watched it with my heart in my mouth. It
reminded me of the story of a very large fighter pilot who was asked by his
stunned fiancé how he could possibly fit into the cockpit. He replied that he
did not. He wore the aircraft around him!
The boat was launched on midnight’s spring high tide on Dattatreya Jayanti,
12 December, 2008, almost a fortnight in advance of a year since
construction began. Meanwhile I had been in search of a name for our boat.
Many came to mind. I rejected them all as being not sufficiently evocative. I
wanted a stunning name, something unusual, a name suitable for a
potential circumnavigator boat, for a maker of history. Then in June 2008 on
a visit to Goa in response to an invitation by my friend, Professor of History
at University of Goa, I was taken into the jungles of Sattari at the base of the
Ghats, to be shown the Kadamba heritage of Gomantak. There are hereabout numerous temples to the Nau-Devi,
patron deity of the local community who worship the infant Mandovi as she descends into the plains from her source in
the Ghat region of Karnataka. Here the Mhadei, the infant Mandovi is worshipped as the River Goddess on which the
Nau-Devi plies her boat. There are wonderfully carved images of the Goddess, in the locally found black basalt stone,
sitting cross legged in a boat, complete with mast and sails, rowers and the Sukkanni at the steering oar with the Disha
Kak in the crow’s nest waiting to be released to find land. I knew at once that my search for a name for our boat had
ended. She would be named Mhadei. What could be more evocative for a
boat built on the Mandovi, with a huge cultural heritage behind her. The
Gods were indeed with me.
The Mhadei moved downstream a few days later under her own power to
the naval jetty at Chicalim. There the mast was stepped on to a gold
sovereign, as tradition demanded. The sails were bent on and she took her
first steps in the wind on 23 January 2009, again well in advance of the
deadline. The next few days were spent off Goa to check the equipment,
especially the auto pilots, electronic and wind operated. It was ‘a cinch`, to
use a sailor’s slang. On 12 February she was accepted for the navy by the
Chief of the Naval Staff at the jetty of INS Mandovi on the Panaji River. My
search for a circumnavigator boat was over. It was now for our solo sailor to
assume command and do his bit. He began in right earnest, to pace himself.
Robin visited Goa in the third week of February to have a good look at the
boat. During the week that he was with us he did just that, sailing out in her
with Dilip and sometimes with me as a supernumerary, every day to check
7
out on her sailing qualities and the high tech systems we had given her. At
the end of the week he pronounced, in a typically British understatement,
‘She will do`. He was to have, later, sailed to Mauritius with Dilip to pace him.
Unfortunately, this did not happen. On 14 May Dilip and Lt Cdr Abhilash
Tomy sailed for Mauritius on a shake down cruise. Abhilash was the officer
selected to be Dilip’s stand-in. He has been an excellent support and has
fully familiarised himself with the boat. Indeed, it is my hope that he will be
our shot at a nonstop circumnavigation after this one is done. A world class
navy has to move on, up the ladder. A navy is only as good as the people
who man it! Dilip did the return voyage from Mauritius solo, notching up the
first Indian record. He returned to Goa on 23 June. In the next weeks prior
to 15 Aug, the date set for Dilip’s departure on his big voyage, the Mhadei
would be docked and fully checked out for her voyage. Dilip was flagged off
on 19 Aug, Parsi New Year’s Day, by the CNS. In three years we had been
late by only four days, to allow CNS his wish.
Bombay to Freemantle in 39 days! A longish halt before proceeding to round
the first of the three Great Capes, Cape Leeuwin, into the dreaded Southern
Ocean and the Roaring Forties. On the way to Port Lyttleton, the Port of
Christchurch the Mhadei ran into a typical southern weather system in the
Tasman Sea, with winds over 50 knots and following seas high as 30 feet.
Battling them Dilip lost his Raymarine and Jefa autopilots.
It was through sheer grit and determination that he made port ten days later.
It was a fine act of seamanship and sailing through such tumultuous
conditions. Repairs were effected in Lyttleton. To no avail, as within a day from Lyttleton both the auto pilots gave up
again. Dilip had to sail on the Wind Vane system fitted for just such an emergency. He rounded the dreaded Horn in
another southern storm. He had become wiser in handling such conditions. He made Port Stanley in good shape, once
again to effect repairs to the damaged systems. He foreswore using the electronic auto pilots, sticking with the wind vane
until he made Cape Town on 25 February 2010. After a longish stay there he sailed on the final and the longest leg of
his voyage on 03 April, passed the Cape of Good Hope, the last of the three Great Capes on his itinerary, a day later,
making Bombay at just short of midnight on 19 May. On 22 May 2010 he was formally welcomed home by the Vice
President. Thus concluded the first ever solo circumnavigation of the globe by an Indian in which the navigator crossed
the Equator twice, passed every single Meridian of longitude, the International Date Line, clocking nearly 24,000 nautical
miles. Truly a great achievement for the Indian Navy and for India, of which both can justifiably be proud! For me,
personally, I had achieved my purpose in life, a little late, perhaps, but just in time. It is my hope now that I should live
to see the first Indian attempt at solo non stop circumnavigation which is slated to start in August 2011. It must happen
as a natural sequel to Dilip Donde’s epochal achievement.
SHANNO VARUNAH!
8
Everyone knows it started as Wadia Shipyard. It built
ships that sailed all over the world. Wadia wooden ships
exist even now in the U.K. They require
repair/replacement to a lesser degree than U.K. built
ships. I understand that Bombay ships took part in the
American War of Independence.
The inscription at the head of Duncan Dry Dock reads
1734, which indicates the day it commenced. I have no
idea how the dry dock was de-watered. I did not quite
grasp the opening and closing mechanism. There was
hydraulic mechanism which I saw in parts but the entire
mechanism dismembered for repairs was never
witnessed by me.
I first visited the Dockyard in 1949 on a trip from
Dehradun. Sea water waves were splashing Challenor
steps making the boat carrying us to visit INS Delhi
rock and roll. I was scared as the ship was anchored
off Gateway of India. We slept on the wooden
quarterdeck and I was surprised to find myself
disoriented on waking up. Tidal changes were
responsible but I did not know about eight hourly
changes of tide.
Later on I joined Sir Alexander Gibbs and Partners. I
saw the completion of Drydock whose operating
mechanism did not need any repair when I went round
30 years later. I also saw the completion of Barracks
and Destroyer Wharves and the extended arm which
was involved in electrification by cables running
underneath.
John Rhodes was the Civil Engineer. He worked on a 24
hour routine. The two Gibbs brothers died in accidents,
Michael Gibbs’ car overturned killing him and the other
died playing polo. The entire office and cash account
was managed by Kasi Iyer who was most meticulous
and honest man that I ever met in my life. The outer arm
was designed by one Yugoslav Ivan Militinoic Pim by
sinking pre-fabricated blocks.
We should not forget the men under whose control it
was built. The Ministry of Defence were controlling it not
the Navy. Rear Admiral Nanda, later (CNS) and Rear
Admiral PK Mukerji were in-charge. I remember when
the Dock luffing crane was being assembled R Adm
Mukerji climbed right to the top, and a Gujarati
assembler ran up the boom from deck surface to the
top.
The contractor for electrification work was British
Insulated Calender Cable, later known as ICC under Mr
Lobb and Mr. Warrier who had the temper of prima-
donna, but I saw him complete 220 KV oil-filled cable by
freezing either side of the joint by liquid oxygen cable.
I took part in the 250 years celebration presided by R
Adm. Daya Shankar. The Admiralty was represented by
Adm. Lindsay Bryson - the First Controller who was a
full Admiral and an Electrical Engineer, a delightful man
who presided over Australian Dockyard Expansion later
on.
Bombay Dockyard, I would always remember as I saw it
whenever my ship entered the wet-basin, although I
served about twelve years in various capacities
including a tenure as the Admiral Superintendent. This
is a lot of history as I recollect. My best wishes for those
who continue the good work.
9
275 years of Bombay DockyardVice Admiral JN Sukul (Retd)
The task of writing the history of the Naval Dockyard,
Mumbai spanning a period of 275 years from its birth in
1735 was indeed daunting and challenging. This
Dockyard has grown over the last 275 years from a
traditional teakwood boat building yard to one of the most
modern building yard east of the Suez.
Introduction:
Like the gentle dew that falls unseen and unheard and yet
brings into blossom the finest of roses, the Naval
Dockyard likewise made our Indian Navy what it is today.
Since its inception, it handled Malabar teak, canvas and
muzzle loaders, the Dockyard has come long a way. It
now handles gas turbines, state of the art weaponry and
computerized data processing and may be nuclear
technology in the not too distant future. Further, with the
Navy going 3 dimensional, it has set up matching
infrastructural facilities to refit aircraft carriers and
submarines.
The policy of indigenisation has largely helped in attaining
SELF-RELIANCE in DEFENCE and thereby enabled to
provide the nation with maritime security by getting the
ships operational in time. The primary objective of the
Dockyard was to achieve technological SELF- RELIANCE
in all the sectors of refitting ships.
Technological growth (1735-2010):
A chronological listing of the significant achievements with
a brief note associated with each event shall amply justify
the above philosophy.
1735: Naval Dockyard set up and rendered operational.
1736: Built DRAKE, (fitted with 14 guns) a schooner and
a grab.
1750: Built Bombay Dry Dock Length - 209 ft, Width - 47
ft., Depth-15 ft.
1810: Built Duncan Dry Dock - 286 ft long, 63 ft. wide and
23 ft. depth at a cost Rs. 3,64,052/-.
HMS MINDEN fitted with 74 guns was the first ship built in
the Dock and commissioned into the Royal Navy. The
Bombay and Duncan Dry-docks stood there as the only
two dry-docks in Bombay to provide dry docking facilities
to the British warships for 135 years through the two World
Wars-indeed a remarkable foresight and planning
displayed by the British. This led to building of dry-docks
at Singapore, Trincomalee, Hong Kong along with Naval
bases to support the Royal Naval Fleet across the South
East Asian waters.
1817: The decision to build warships in India encountered
fierce opposition in the British Parliament which was
debated over for a number of months. However, the
glaring advantages of TEAK over OAK swung in favour of
setting up ship building yards in India which were as
follows:-
(a) Cheap labour and expertise availability from the Wadia
Family.
(b) Oak contains powerful lignin acid which corrodes iron
and consumes the very metal which is supposed to unite.
(c) Teak weighs ¼ less than oak.
(d) Teak is not amenable to splinter unlike oak which has
been testified by General RABERCROMBIE on reporting
of his men being wounding on his ship “eYLOW” built of
oak.
352 vessels comprising of warships, merchant vessels and
yard crafts were built through seven generations of Wadia
10
Naval Dockyard, Mumbai-Historical Perspective
Late Commodore MK Banger (Retd)
Master Builders example Foudroyant, ex- HMIS
Trincolmalee built in 1817 in Bombay Dockyard still lies
afloat off the shores of Hartlepool in the UK Indian built ships
were found to be far superior to British ones as observed by
the ADMIRALTY. The average life of Indian ships was 30
years as compared to British built being 12 years.
1838-1848: Expansion of the Bombay Dockyard launched
during which period the Duncan Dock was widened 48 ft.
and lengthened by 60 ft. to accommodate larger vessels.
7 DeC 1890: Duncan Dry Dock first brought into use after
deepening and docked HMS ABYSSINIA (a turret ship) in
1893.
1906: New breakwater re-constructed to suit the
configuration of the revised layout of refitting shop facilities.
1925: Yard Crafts ‘Elsie’ and ‘Nancy’ built with coal burning
boilers and reciprocating engines. The workhorses of the
Dockyard to ferry naval personnel during monsoons to
ships at anchorage.
1947: On gaining Independence additional dry-docks
were envisaged to cater for new acquisition ships from the
UK. With the commissioning of INS Delhi in July 1948, the
first Indian warship to make its appearance in Indian
Waters - a new era dawned for the Indian Navy.
1950-1962: The Navy appointed Sir Alexander Gibbs &
Partners to plan an additional dry-docks berthing facilities
and also oversee its construction. The Cruiser Graving
Dock was built in the late 50’s under their supervision and
proved to be a valuable and timely asset for Dry Docking
of INS VIKRANT in 1962 just by accident as a hand in
glove fit.
1964: Life Raft Repair Cell setup.
1965: Coastal Wing Workshop taken over from the Army.
26 sep. 1966: WECORS (Weapons Control Repair Shop)
commissioned by Vice Admiral AK Chatterjee. This
marked the change over from valve based first generation
system to VSLI technology.
1968: Battery Shop commissioned.
1972: New paint shop set up though originally started in
1952 with Dr. KP Buch as the pioneer in the manufacture
of dockyard paints.
1973: Systems and Diesels Department set up as a
premier Diesel and Gas Turbine Repair Center.
1979: Missile Boat Engine Repair Workshop set up. This
integrated complex facilities covers complete overall of
radial engines which are a derivative of aircraft engines.
This facility also demonstrates the versatility of our
Dockyard personnel to overhaul any type of engine.
Late 1980’s: Towed Array Sonar Repair facility set up.
Repairs to stainless steel tow cables of Variable Depth
Sonar also set up.
1989: Rubber Moulding Shop set up to manufacture seals
of various shapes and sizes. early 1990’s: Pipe Repair
Shop set up. early 1990’s: Sonar Dome Shop
(indigenous) manufacture of Sonar Domes for SNM class.
1994: SLAVE docking concept introduced for the first time.
A very innovative measure optimizing utilization and
availability of dry-dock.
1995: Predictive Hull Analysis Unit - a software developed
in house which enables a meaningful prediction towards
planning of repair facilities prior to a ship going in for refit.
1998: Though Quality Assurance Division were set up in
1976, a fullfledged Quality Assurance Division took shape
in 1998 to cater for refit of submarine too.
sOme OBseRVaTIONs ON THe NaVaL DOCKYaRD
Whilst one can chronicle its list of achievement/milestones
11
spanning a period of 275 years like a good maritime
historian, one cannot help in making some relevant
observations during its growth.
(i) Firstly, the extensive marine survey undertaken by the
British to locate the Dockyard so safely in a sheltered
location away from the fury of the monsoons.
(ii) The foresight and intricate planning in identifying the
essential requirements for a Dockyard e.g. drydocks,
berthing facilities and refitting shops. Compare this to our
Navy being able to add just one Dry Dock during the last
63 years of Independence inspite of the huge expansion
of the Naval fleet to over a 100 ships.
(iii) The state of the art of civil/structural engineering was
indeed very sound which is amply evident with the
Bombay and Duncan Dry Dock still in use.
(iv) The above indirectly makes one infer that the quality of
material, quality of workmanship (our own Indian workers)
and above all, supervision were highly commendable.
(v) Two strategic considerations formed the basis of the
policy of the Royal Navy; one that of creation of assets and
the other consolidation.
(vi) The setting up of the Dockyard Apprentice School in
1948 by the then Captain Bird is a tribute to the foresight
of the Royal Navy. Incidentally, Capt A Chakravarti was the
first Captain Superintendent Dockyard to be appointed in
Dec. 1951 who took over from Captain EF Pizey.
(vii) The organization of the Dockyard went through
one major structural change viz. one from the
“departmental structure” set up by the British to a
“functional one” based on a service paper titled “Re-
organization of the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai” written
by me and approved by the Government in 1976. An
article titled “Management of IN Dockyards” written by
me was published in the Journal of Naval Engineering
(UK) Dec 1997.
Conclusion:
The Naval Dockyard has now become a vital and strategic
center for our Navy. It has been a breeding ground for
many of the junior technical officers to rise both in their
profession and ranks. The dockyard has now become
overcrowded with a diverse origin of ships both big and
small. There is an urgent need to review the refits of ships
undertaken by this Yard. It is strongly felt that certain
classes of ships (smaller ones) may be diverted to the
newly formed Dockyard at Karwar which has a ship lift
facility in lieu of a graving Dock. The above suggestions if
implemented will enable Naval Dockyard, Mumbai to
concentrate on its highly stretched resources and capital
on front line ships only.
The other suggestion is to base all yard crafts (auxiliary
fleet) in Karanja, across the harbour.
There is also a need to consider setting up a separate
Director General Naval Dockyards who shall be
responsible for the entire gamut of refit of ships of the
Navy and thereby divest the Chief of Material of this
responsibility.
Finally, anyone who has effectively served in the Dockyard
has proved to be an invaluable asset after retirement to
the outside commercial world. I for one can proudly say if
not claim it.
12
In Oct 2010, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai completed 275th
year of its service to the nation. From a very humble
beginning as a marine repairs facility, the yard graduated
to become one of the most reputed yards in the world,
building both “men-of-war” and merchant ships during
the British era. Ships built by the Dockyard were found to
be more durable and sea worthy than those built in
Europe. Post-independence, the yard has transformed
into the largest captive warship repair facility of the
country, supporting the Naval fleet battle worthiness. On
the historic occasion of yard’s 275th anniversary, it is
appropriate to look at its glorious past and place on
record the contributions of this fine industrial giant to the
Indian shipbuilding and repair industry.
The Birth
The history of Naval Dockyard Mumbai is closely linked
to the city of Mumbai. In the 1600s, Mumbai, then called
Bombay, was largely an uninhabited group of seven
islands controlled by the Portuguese. Following the
marriage of English King, Charles II to Portuguese
Princess Catherina of Braganza, the islands were
passed on to the British as part of the Princess’ wedding
dowry. The East India Company, for development of their
trade, needed a facility to enable British ships, which
entered Indian waters after the prolonged passage from
England to undergo repairs. They were enamoured by
the prospect of setting up a yard in Bombay because of
its locational advantages. The Crown leased the islands
to the Company on an annual farm rent of 10 Pounds.
Thus was born the marine yard with few rudimentary
repair shops under thatched roof sheds near the present
“Angre Fort”
The Formative Years
As trade with the east flourished, repair requirements of
ships, actively engaged in trade, also increased.
Consequently, the yard progressively improved on its
infrastructure by building dry-docks of multiple
dimensions, all of which are used even todate. The
Bombay Dock, an aggregation of upper, lower and
middle docks, was thus built progressively between 1750
and 1765. Bombay Dock upper was the first dry dock to
be constructed in India in 1750. The Duncan Dock
named after Sir Jonathan Duncan, then Governor of
Mumbai, was added subsequently in 1807 to help build
warships. The first ship to be built in Duncan Dock was
Minden which is also the first major Royal Navy ship built
outside British Isles. The British empire, which was
looking to expand operations, went about using the
building, docks and repair facilities, over the next two
centuries. The facilities available with the Marine Yard at
Bombay were unparalleled in the East and provided the
British Empire with a full-fledged base to fuel their
ambition for global dominance.
The Master Builders of the Dockyard belonged to the
Parsi Wadia family from Surat. The first Master Builder,
Lowjee Nusserwanjee Wadia, was brought over from
Surat to steer the ship-building activity. He was followed
by eight other master builders, all from the same lineage,
who kept the ship building skills at the yard intact till
1884. The reputation of ship-building which the Wadias
established ensured that the order books of the Bombay
dock were always full.
13
Naval Dockyard, Mumbai - A PioneerVice Admiral Parvesh Jaitly (Retd)
During the British period, 170 war vessels were built for
East India Company, 34 warships for the Royal Navy and
87 merchant vessels for private companies. These
included ships for the East India Company, Bengal Pilot
Service and a host of private merchants. The largest ship
built was “Meanee” with a displacement of 2591 tons.
Steam propulsion based ships were built as early as
1829. Some of the famous men of war built at the
Bombay yard include Ganges, Cornwallis, Minden and
Asia. HMS Trincomalee, a frigate, built by the Bombay
dock in 1817 is the second oldest ship afloat in the world.
The growth
Post-independence, the Bombay Yard became the
captive facility of the Indian Navy to support the refit and
repair functions of Naval Warships. There was unanimity
of view that the yard has to expand and modernize in
order to cater to the growth of the Navy. An ambitious
plan for expansion and modernization was set in motion
wherein major reclamation work was carried out to
create space for additional workshops, jetties, and
wharves.
The Naval Dockyard Expansion Scheme was conceived
in 1952 to take into account the requirement of
supporting ships likely to be inducted till 1968. The next
stage of expansion came along in 1970s with induction
of indigenously built Leander Class Ships. Steam Test
House, Boiler Manufacturing Shop and WECORS phase
II are some of the important facilities added. With the
induction of Soviet origin ships like Missile Boats,
Corvettes, Mine Sweepers, facilities like Radial Engine
Repair Shop, WECORS Phase III, etc. were
commissioned. The fourth phase of expansion came
along with induction of SNF, Godavari - Delhi class.
Major expansions undertaken included creation of
graving dry dock, jetties, break waters etc.
Heritage Character
While focusing on the expansion and modernization
process, the need to maintain the heritage structures of
the yard was not forgotten. Barring the closure of the
clock tower gate, the dockyard frontage on the Shahid
Bhagat Singh road has largely remained unchanged,
and forms a slice of the city’s history. Some of the
prominent heritage structures in the yard include the
gigantic “Main Administrative Building” built in 1807, the
“Clock Tower” built in 1798, the dry dock and the “Castle
Wall”. The clock supplied by M/s. Lund and Blockey in
1904, continues to work to this day and is a gentle
reminder of the bygone era. To bring about greater
awareness of the rich heritage of the dockyard amongst
the people of Mumbai, a “heritage walk” was started in
2001 to enable citizens of Mumbai to visit and appreciate
the importance of heritage structures in the yard.
The Present:
The yard today boasts of most modern ship repair
infrastructure, manned by a skilled workforce of over
11000 personnel and is an important asset for the
maritime security of India on the Western Seaboard. It is
also a second home to most technical officers of the
Indian Navy, who have toiled hard towards its growth.
Pioneering efforts put in by illustrious personalities like
then Cdr NE Warner, Cdr AK Bhatia, Cdr Daya Shankar,
Lt Cdr BP Sinha and Shri S Parmanandan find special
mention in the historic growth of the yard. Successive
generations of leadership have built on this strong
foundation and guided the growth to greater heights.
Having served in the dockyards for over 12 years, I can
say that any tenure in the yard is the most satisfying
professional experience that a technical officer can
14
aspire for. Managing such a large industrial workforce as
also timely shore support to Navy’s diverse inventory of
ships throws up interesting challenges on a daily basis.
However at the end of the day one can actually see the
results of meticulous planning and sustained efforts that
go into the development of infrastructure and ships
repairs.
Spread over 138 acres of land, the yard has a vast range
of engineering facilities to meet every maintenance need
of ships and submarines. While multifarious facilities
have been added over the years, the support
infrastructure development has always lagged behind
induction time lines of new ships, as is generally the case
with any growing Navy. The ships, therefore, have to be
supported by the yard for the first few years after
induction, with these constraints calling for imaginative
and innovative approaches to meet the maintenance
requirements of the Navy. The Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
with its committed workforce, true to its Motto “Success
through Perseverance”, has always met these
challenges confidently. The biggest strength of the yard
has been its skilled workforce which has kept pace with
assimilating the changing technologies and exploiting
the infrastructure in most optimal manner. A number of
major conversions and modernization plans of ships and
submarines including complete reconstruction of
warships have been successfully executed which bears
testimony to the excellent workmanship, skill sets,
planning and execution abilities of the Naval Dockyard.
Well-documented quality and environmental
management systems have been put in place. The yard
was the first major defense industrial establishment to
get ISO-9001 certification.
Challenges ahead
The challenges that the dockyard faces ahead revolve
around maintenance of ageing infrastructure, re-training
workforce for higher productivity, managing a wide range
of technology and adapting modern soft skills and
management practices for more efficient functioning.
New initiatives at human resource development also
need special attention.
As mentioned earlier dry-docks like Bombay, Duncan,
Cruiser Graving as also Wet Basin have served the yard
for many decades and need major maintenance effort.
The Naval inventory today straddles a plethora of
technologies from a diverse origin. Management of
knowledge and expertise to repair and maintain this
inventory is a resource intensive affair and therefore the
Naval Dockyard cannot traverse this path all alone. To
their credit, the Indian industry has spotted this
opportunity and has been coming forward in helping the
dockyards deal with technology challenges. This
ongoing synergy with the industry and massive
infrastructure upgrade plans being aggressively pursued
by the Naval Dockyard will keep the Indian Naval fleet in
the best of material state in the coming future.
Conclusion
The Naval Dockyard has, over her long and checkered
history been a major contributor to the growth of the
marine industry in South Asia. The ship-building
strengths of the yard contributed immensely to the
might of the British empire as well as to the economy of
Bombay. Today, the Naval Dockyard is a major cog in
the wheel which drives the nation’s maritime defence
capability. The Naval Dockyard is a pioneer in complex
ship-repairs and helps to maintain a battle-worthy fleet
of ships. In the 275 years that have elapsed, the yard
has transformed itself from a modest ship building
facility to the largest Naval ship refitting and repair
organisation in South East Asia. On the occasion of its
275th anniversary, let us salute all the gallant personnel
who worked hard to bring about this phenomenal
growth with their committed and painstaking efforts. Jai
Hind.
Ps: The Author places on record his sincere thanks to
Cmde Sanjay Tiwari of Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, for
providing useful inputs to him in compiling this article.
15
This is about the first few crucial years (1970 to late
1980) of the computerisation of Naval Dockyard
Mumbai. I have had the privilege of working in the EDP
department right from its inception. Beginning as a
junior programmer and going on to become Manager
EDP, I have had an insider view of this difficult and
challenging period. As it is practically impossible to
give all details of the evolution due to limitation of the
size of this article, I will only dwell upon some
paradigm shifts and some humorous incidents during
this era. On our journey, just like all brave pioneers, we
have had to encounter indifference, ridicule, jealousy,
admiration and acceptance, not necessarily in that
order!
The evolution of Information System in the Naval
Dockyard may be broadly classified into 3 phases.
In the first phase, it was the mainframe based
centralised data processing, when the computer was
considered as “Your Obedient Servant”.
The second phase started with the advent of PC
(personal computers) and partially distributed data
processing. During this period, “PC” also stood for
“personal comfort/prestige count” the reason for which
you will read later.
The third phase started when the euphoria of earlier
“PC” was over and computer literacy had crossed the
threshold. The cost of PC had drastically reduced and
it had become quite robust. PC then stood for
“personal consultant”, a major paradigm shift from the
earlier “obedient servant” days.
Even though the decision to computerise various
functions of Naval Dockyard was taken in late 60s, the
actual formation of EDP department took place only in
1970. A small team of 6 young officers headed by Cdr
JL Gupta as Manager, formed the EDP department.
The computerisation of ND(B) would not have taken off
without the whole hearted support from the then GM,
and later ASD and COM, V Adm JTG Pereira and his
clear vision of the Information System Requirement.
The functional areas taken up for computerisation
initially were Naval Stores, Planning & Production
Control of naval ship repairs, Dockyard Zonal Stores,
and Cost Accounting. We, the junior level officers were
all selected after a very rigorous “Aptitude Test” and
appointed after training in various technical aspects of
software development and operation by ICL.
Those were tough days for all of us, as there was no
proper office space, infrastructure or staff. We were
doing everything ourselves clerical work, photostating,
binding reports and even personally distributing them.
We used to do programming, sitting in our cabins in the
command mess. As we did not have a computer to
process, we hired computer time for compilation of the
programmes from the Maharashtra State Road
Transport Corporation. We used to go all the way to
their office in Mumbai Central on our own scooters rain
or shine, in heavy traffic at noon time, without any
TA/DA!
But the spirit of being part of this IT revolution kept our
spirits high. We all knew that we are members of a
pioneer team which would be facilitating ND (B) and
the Indian Navy to take a quantum leap. We, Sub
Lieutenants and Lieutenants had the opportunity to
interact with very senior management. Admiral
Superintendent of Dockyard, Rear Adm JTG Pereira
used to come to our department and sit with us to
understand and perhaps, to “check” what we were
doing! He also gave us some serious inputs. This in
itself was a great motivation for young officers.
16
Evolution of Information System Captain Haridasan (Retd)
The technology used was 3rd generation Cobol based
system on ICL 1900 hardware. We had to write
software in 120 column COBOL sheets, get it punched
on cards, manually correct the cards for punching
errors, get them compiled and then fix bugs. There
were no tools or online help those days. Our ace
programmer, then Dy Manager EDP, Lt Cdr SR Das
wrote one of the largest programmes comprising 9,000
lines and got it bug-free in a fortnight! Even though he
used to forget his own name occasionally, never forgot
a single line of this mammoth programme. We all put
in our total dedicated effort, working day and night, so
as to inaugurate our computer system with a live
computer programme. It was one of a tender
generation of the Naval Stores system that was run
during the inaugural session. I do not think any other
system in any other organisation did their inauguration
this way in those days.
The hardware for processing was one of the “largest
machines” of that time. Its memory was 16 K! It had
one card reader, 4 tape decks which could handle
1200’ magnetic tapes, 2 hard disk drives of 360 K(!)
and one line printer of 120 lpm. The hard disk capacity
was 360 K! For running the Naval Store system, the
main ledger file used to occupy 32 disks, and we had
to load and unload these disks manually when the
main processing was on!
The comradeship among the team was excellent.
Every day we had lunch together in the office-
bachelors with packed lunch from Command Mess and
married officers bringing lunch from home. We
bachelors took full advantage of the married officers’
lunch boxes and sent requests to the wives as to what
we would like to have for next day’s lunch.
The data collection of lakhs of naval stores items for
computerisation was a herculean effort. To collect
data, we had to manually copy the data from the stores
ledgers, correct them, enter into the computer system
using punch cards, verify the data again and then use
it in the system. A team of about 20 sailors was
deployed for more than 2 years on this work. Then on
a particular date, the transactions were frozen class-
group wise, to take the stock balance of each item. The
people involved in the Information System
implementation may appreciate the effort and pain to
get the data of this mammoth volume finally purified.
In the first phase, the computer was a dumb servant,
who was ordered to supply the necessary menu
(Management information) and the customers had to
wait for the menu to be served. The quality, quantity
and selection of raw material and process (data and
logic of programming) was based on the
communication ability (specifying the requirement) of
the master. The taste and quality of the menu
depended on the efficiency of the cooks (programmers
& data processors). The presentation was dependent
on the smartness of the stewards (timely delivery in
the suitable format). A master-servant communication
gap used to result in big catastrophe as the master
was unaware of the outcome till it was served to him!
He did not have any intermediate view of the process,
unlike in later days.
An interesting episode of this time will give some
“insider view” to automation during the initial period. It
took place when Cmde K R Menon took over as GM,
ND(B). During his first visit to EDP, the enthusiastic
young “expert” officers of EDP gave a forceful
presentation giving the status of computerisation and
the various “very useful MIS reports” generated for
different production and planning departments. At the
end of the presentation, to our dismay, GM asked
MEDP to stop generating all the reports forthwith. GM
also told him to produce before him, the first person
asking for a report. We did not understand the
meaning of it, however, an order was an order! We
were sure that within two days, the departments would
be pestering us for reports, as we “knew” that most of
the decisions of the middle level management were
taken based on “our MIS reports”. Two days passed,
17
then four days, nobody turned up asking for reports.
Our ego did not allow us to go and ask the users how
they were managing without the EDP reports. Six days
passed, and so the weekend. On Monday, a labourer
turned up asking for the report. The whole department
was so excited! We wanted to take him to the GM
straight away. But then we thought that it was better to
find out from his manager his requirement as the
labourer was unable to specify the name of the report.
The Manager said that he will be happy to have “any”
report. We were surprised with this answer. On further
discussion with the Manager, it was revealed that they
needed the report for using the paper to wrap snacks
during tea breaks!!
Another very interesting fact was that during this
period, the EDP department, became the favourite
venue of many senior officers at noon time for
“discussions”- mainly, to enjoy the comfort of air-
conditioning, as this was the only office which was air-
conditioned at the time!
The second phase was when PCs came into existence
in 1983, and they could be networked with the main
computer. This brought in some improvement in user
interaction with the EDP department, and thereby,
utilisation of MIS more effectively. However the PCs of
those days were very highly priced and were not
robust enough. It required dust and humidity free
environment which in practical terms meant air
conditioning, clean environment and good furniture.
This in turn increased the costs further. As a result, it
was not possible to install a computer in many end
user locations like production centres, stores etc.
Around this time, middle level officers started taking a
“sudden” interest in computerisation and asked for
terminals so as to avail of the better working
environment. During this phase, PC also stood for
“personal comfort” “prestige count” because many
officers wanted the PC on their table (mostly covered).
But this also gave some momentum to automation and
to improving the computer literacy among users.
In the third phase “PC” had evolved to “personal
consultant”, sitting on your table, interacting with you,
and exploring answers for “what ifs”. This became
possible for many reasons. PCs became affordable
and robust. The local area networking of computers
became very easy and reliable. Computer literacy had
removed the fear of computerisation. The data
processing methodology had changed from
centralised to distributed processing, with very
interactive user - developer involvement. People had
started appreciating the advantage of automation. The
data base had also undergone a lot of purification and
thus become reliable. The response time from the
developers to end users’ requirements was reduced
considerably. As an example, during this period, Naval
Dockyard and ships could send material demands
online to the Materials Organisation at Ghatkopar.
Information Technology made computers very user
friendly and helpful in online decision making.
Twenty years have passed since I left the Navy. The
dry dock gates have been opened and closed many
times during this period. Information Technology has
changed organisations to “Digital Organisations”. The
computers have taken different avtaars - laptops,
mobiles, PDAs and iphones etc - converging voice,
data, image and telecommunication. I am sure that
Naval Dockyard (M) has been taking full advantage of
these changes and computers have now become
“companions” to dockyard officers and staff.
18
Common causes for laughter are sensations of joy and
humour; however, other situations may cause laughter
as well. In its saga of 275 years, Naval Dockyard,
Mumbai must certainly have had its share of laughter
provoking incidents. My experience dates back to a
relatively shorter period of about three decades, which
has witnessed several unforgettable moments
involving my course mates. Many of these situations
may not have been amusing to the persons at whose
expense others were laughing, but with the passage of
time they too were able to sit down and have a quiet
chuckle over it.
My tryst with naval dockyards took place when 6th
Term NDA cadets embarked INS Shakti as part of
Camp Trishul. Someone had forgotten to inform the
cadets that nailed boots were not the ideal footwear on
board ships. What the 346 cadets did to the decks of
the ship with their boots (692 horse shoes, 692 toe
pieces and 8,996 nails) did not leave either the EXO or
the Chief Bosun’s Mate amused. However, the
chipping hammers took the day off. The situation was
further exacerbated by the various army-style drill
movements that necessitated stamping one or both
feet on the deck as hard as one could. That no one
slipped and sustained major injuries was a miracle in
itself.
The naval cadets stayed back on INS Udaigiri for
getting their sea-legs. A young Sub Lieutenant on
board spared no effort to impress upon us the cutting
edge of technology that the ship was, and insisted that
we do a fire exercise in the hi-tech ship’s galley. After
our lackadaisical attempts the first two times, he
threatened to stop liberty if we did not take this all too
important aspect of ship’s safety with the seriousness
it deserves. In Round 3, power supplies were switched
off and the galley was plunged into darkness. There
was a loud hissing sound that continued for some time
before petering out. When the lights came on, there
stood a beaming Cadet Hari Kumar who had decided
to inject realism into the exercise and had emptied a
foam type extinguisher into the cooking range.
Understandably, the cooks were not too obliging with
19
Yarns From The YardCaptain Sunil David (Retd)
culinary delights during the rest of our stay on board.
A source of widespread amusement is the misery of
someone’s vehicle going into the drink. S Lt Vinay
Garg was doing watch keeping on INS Ghorpad and
had learnt to ride a motorcycle recently. One hot
summer’s day, he set off on a borrowed Yezdi Classic
250. He was uncomfortably close to the edge of Finger
Jetty when he saw a dhobie coming in the opposite
direction on a cycle piled high with clothes. He did
hard-a-starboard to avoid the dhobie, but was unable
to apply brakes in time and sailed off the jetty seated
stoically on his motorcycle. On hitting the water, the
vehicle sank to the bottom of the channel and Vinay
was left thrashing about wildly in the water as his
swimming ability closely matched his driving skills. The
dhobie, displaying presence of mind, tied bed sheets
together and threw one end into the water as a life line.
After being fished out, a soggy Vinay rushed into my
cabin on INS Nistar seeking assistance. The hastily
despatched team of divers located the motorcycle
immediately and salvaged it with the help of a passing
mobile crane. The crane driver was too amused to
insist on the formality of a requisition being approved
by MYAS. Fortunately, in this episode the only injury
was to Vinay’s ego!
Lt Cdr Kashyap Kumar had been appointed as Liaison
Officer to the United Nations in Somalia, and was to
take passage on an OPV headed there. On the eve of
his departure he packed a suitcase, tossed it into the
boot of his gleaming white Maruti 800, and went to
leave it on the OPV. Enroute he stopped over at
Cruiser Wharf to pick up some of his belongings from
INS Vikrant, where till recently he had been the
Navigating Officer. Kashyap parked his car near the
gangway at a safe distance from the edge of the wharf,
and went on board. Shortly thereafter, the driver of a
one-tonner decided to turn around his truck close to
where the Maruti was parked. In doing so he backed
into the car and continued reversing, oblivious of the
fact that he was pushing the Maruti towards the edge
of the wharf. Shouts from bystanders fell on deaf ears
and, by the time the driver stopped, the white Maruti
had careened over the jetty. The car landed with an ear
shattering bang on the huge pontoon used for berthing
Vikrant, and then rolled over into the tidal basin.
The fall shattered all the windows in the car and, as it
sank slowly into the water, the plastic fibre suitcase
floated out through the rear glass. The tide was ebbing
and the suitcase started leaving harbour, with a
hapless Kashyap watching. Fortunately for him, a
passing boat was hailed and the suitcase recovered
close to the South Breakwater knuckle.
A diving team was put together, and the first diver
surfaced after thirty minutes without finding the car.
Those of us who have dived in that area know of the
zero visibility conditions and the suspended layers of
mud at the bottom into which any object can disappear
without a trace. That hardly gave solace to Kashyap.
Thereafter, a systematic underwater search was
undertaken by laying marker buoys, and the car was
located. By means of ingenious seamanship and an
overhead crane, the Maruti car finally made it back to
terra firma, looking like a heap of mud. Kashyap’s
departure for Somalia had to be delayed by three
months, most of which was spent battling it out with the
insurance company - the car was a total write off.
Moral: “Never drive into the drink!”
The resplendent look of Lt Sudhir Pillai’s recently
jazzed up Yezdi motorcycle was the envy of many. He
was under transfer from Vizag to Port Blair, and
decided to load the motorcycle on an LST scheduled
for a logistics sortie. After waiting on the jetty for a
crane that never came, Lt Sujeet ‘Calamity Sam’
Samaddar, Flag Lt to FOCEF took it upon himself to
utilise his seamanship skills to complete the evolution.
There were some reservations expressed, but Sujeet
was impervious to his methods being questioned.
While the motorcycle was being lowered into the tank
deck, one of the manila lines snapped and the bike
20
took a free fall of about twenty feet. It came to
an abrupt halt against the deck below,
with body parts flying outwards
describing all points of the
compass.
The Yezdi reached Port Blair
in no condition to be driven. To
make matters worse, there
were no spare parts
available in the local
market. It took Sudhir
six months to get the
motorcycle operational
again, with much help
from the Air Force
courier bringing in
parts from Johrat. No sooner
had the motorcycle
been restored, Eastern
Fleet called at Port
Blair, and Calamity
Sam was once again in
close proximity. Someone
from the fleet borrowed
Sudhir’s motorcycle and crashed it before
setting sail!
The then state-of-the-art OSA-M system on INS
Sindhudurg had undergone the first ever Medium Refit
and, as expected, was having troubles settling down.
This meant long hours of work regularly. In the final
stages, alignment was being done with a truck placed
on the jetty. We broke off work late one night and
decided to resume early next morning. In the
meanwhile, the DSC sentry on the jetty was instructed
to not let anyone enter the truck without our
permission. Sentries changed at night and our
instructions got distorted as they were relayed to each
successive reliever. To our astonishment, the morning
sentry refused us entry into the alignment truck as only
those with burra sahib’s approval could do so. He
stood his ground
unimpressed that this
Lieutenant in games rig
qualified as the burra
sahib who had issued the
orders. Finally, we were
allowed in several hours later
after Dockyard Security
gave clearance to the
determined sentry.
In Command of INS
Vibhuti, I would cycle
down often from
NOFRA to the ship as
a fitness measure. One
day the DSC sentry at
South Breakwater
stopped me stating that
only vehicles of
Commanding Officers
were allowed to pass
through. Despite my
best efforts, the sentry
remained unconvinced that
a cycle qualified as ‘Commanding Officer’s
Vehicle’, leaving me with no option but to park and
walk down to the ship. Later, a word with the Dockyard
Security Officer ensured that I faced no such
problems again. The sentries even made it a point to
give me an extra crisp salute whenever I rode past on
the cycle.
Researchers have established a positive link between
laughter and healthy functioning of blood vessels. I am
sure that, in the years ahead, the dockyards will
continue to throw up humorous moments to keep the
naval fraternity in good health and cheer. As the
philosopher said, “Don’t take life too seriously, you
cannot get out of it alive!”
21
I had the privilege of serving with this outstanding
officer five times in different capacities. His majesty
the Shah of Iran specifically eulogized personal
qualities of this naval engineer for his outstanding
work on planning and execution of vital projects in
Iran before a visiting delegation.
Vice Admiral Dayashankar who was Chief of Material
of Indian Navy during 1954-57 and had been
decorated with distinguished service cross and
PVSM. His boarding the Italian ship ‘Caboto’ in
August,1941 at Bunder Abbas Iran facing loaded
guns, capturing the crew and saving the ship from
utter fire disaster was an act of personal valour of
high order for which he was truly awarded the DSC.
Next he earned praise for his exceptional skill and
diplomatic handling of crew on board INS Sutlej near
Singapore while the ship was proceeding to Kure,
Japan to be part of British Commonwealth
occupation force. As the ship’s Chief Engineer he
along with the commanding officer mustered the
crew and spoke to them about the truth behind RIN
mutiny in Bombay during February 1946 which
ensured mutual regard and trust amongst British
officers and Indian sailors. Authorities looking after
maintenance of Japanese submarines anchored off
Kure had permitted any member of Indian and other
allied forces or crew to take away any item like
binoculars, cameras or photograph of emperor
Hirohito removed from any submarine earmarked for
sinking. Highly self-respecting Dayashankar refused
to pick up any such trophy. Such was the moral
influence of his conduct on everyone onboard that
the commanding officer consulted him on every
important issue whether it concerned engine room
department or not. In June 1947 he was picked up as
a member of sub committee of partition secretariat!
There his assent to transfer to Pakistan, Indian navy
ship ‘Narmada’ with an extra cabin as a flagship
raised eyebrows in highest quarters. Sardar Patel
was furious to learn that India was losing a flagship
until Dayashankar having been Chief Engineer of the
same ship, revealed that deteriorated material state
of Narmada was such that it would require at least
two years major machinery repairs before she could
be sea worthy. This pacified Sardar Patel. Soon he
was in the committee for West Coast Port
development. It was he who predicted and evaluated
the key role to be played by port of Karwar in any
future development of the Indian Navy. During my
service as Chief Engineer in merchant navy, I
happened to visit a friend residing at Tabriz in Iran.
There senior managers of Machine Sazi Tabriz
factory were full of praise for Admiral Shankar for his
tremendous and unforgettable contribution in various
consultancy assignments and manufacturing
projects benefiting both India and Iran. Indian Navy
is proud that one of his naval officers has contributed
admirably in manufacturing Shaktiman 3 ton truck,
setting up of tractor project and successful launch of
Ichhapore rifle in India.
The above narration cannot be complete without
reference to the great late lady Madam Anu Shankar
who assisted Admiral Dayashankar at every stage in
his life by playing laudable roles many times by
inconveniencing herself and their kids. During one
of the farewell parties held in INS Shivaji when he
was handing over command, one officer’s wife stood
up and said in chaste Hindi “Ahilya Bai ka shasan
kaal Malwa ka Satyug tha”. Meaning was quite
obvious. Mrs. Dayashankar was visibly moved by
this comparison to the great and benign Rani of
Indore.
2445, Phase-10, Mohali, Tel: 0172 2233445
22
Remembering Vice Admiral DayashankarCommander TS Trewn (Retd)
23
Who’s Who - 2Commodore HML Saxena (Retd)
Venue - India House, London
Date - 11 January 1949
Clue: The date of Commission of cadets in uniform is 01 January 1951
Those who are not too familiar with SNOBs (Senior
Naval Officers’ Blocks) and Naval Flats of Colaba could
not have noticed this majestic bunglow hidden behind
dense green foliage and trees like a pearl sitting
between emerald stones. We moved to Bombay in
1961, into a newly built ‘E’ Block, just commissioned.
Later came back in 1964-1967 and moved into a newly
built ‘N’ Block flat where we had senior friends like
Jackson Puri and Bawi, Tony and Tutu and Jaswanti and
Ram Tahiliani. But I never saw this bunglow No. 1
Maude Lane which was hardly 50 metres away.
Then suddenly in 1986 we had to move from Dockyard
House, Vizag to Dockyard House, Bombay which I
believe was built in 1932 for then British C-in-C. It has
around ten servants rooms and three big
garages/stables housing bigger families than our own.
The backyard had all sorts of fruit-trees including
chickoo, banana, guava, and a huge fig tree behind the
outhouse where we used to host ‘HOLI HUNGAMA’ for
all known officers and their families.
My husband diagnosed me as a patient of a disease called
‘St. Vistus’ dance’ meaning hyperactivity, I believe. I
decided to make full use of this magnificent edifice by
holding all sorts of social functions for ladies, children and
officers. There were magic shows, all kinds of
demonstrations for members of DOWA (Dockyard Officers’
Wives’ Association), and a fancy dress competition for
officers. DOWA did a lot of social work with Dockyard
Civilian employees’ wives living in Powai Colony.
Most interesting of the gatherings was a fancy dress
competition led by then Cmde Rishwadkar dressed in
Indian blue as an Olympic runner, holding up a burning
torch, Capt Dev Thukral as gun totting terrorist, then
Captain Leslie Lowe who came dressed in a long baby
frock (looked like a gown) wearing a baby bonnet and
holding a milk bottle to his mouth. He sat in a baby pram
(I don’t know how it supported his weight) and was pushed
by his nanny then Capt Mutatkar. Another interesting and
hilarious disguise was by then Capt Ajay Sharma and his
assistant mechanic (I forget his name). They timed their
entry well when the party was in full swing. Suddenly a
supervisor in white overalls with curly top wearing a round
Gandhi glasses appeared with his khaki clad assistant and
told the Sentry that he has to repair ASD’s fridge. He was
straightaway refused entry saying, “kuchh kharab nahin
hai”, “abhi party chal raha hai, baad mein aana”. But they
won’t budge. Our attention was drawn to these intruders
so we requested the then security Head of Dockyard to
sort out the matter. He was also fooled by the perfect
disguise of then Capt Ajay Sharma and his assistant.
Finally, during the argument his voice gave him away and
they could join the party.
Most of the DSC sentries were rotated so one can
blame them if they did not recognise all the family
members who apparently had no gate pass. The most
recognised inhabitants were our three labradors due to
their black, golden and brown colours. They were
always romping around in the garden.
These sentries had special apathy for all those highly
decorated officers sitting inside the car, wearing their
peak cap which hides most of their faces. Only thing
they recognised well was their star and flag car which
they saluted with gusto.
The ASD was generally not seen without his uniform.
When he went for a walk in the golf course, he used the
narrow rear gate, meant for servants. One evening while
he had left for his walk, the MES dug up in front of the
rear gate, so he was forced to come from the front gate.
He neither had his uniform, identity card, nor the gate
pass. So the Sentry challenged him. His repeated pleas
24
1, Maude Lane Mrs Usha Sukul
that he is the
boss and
lived in this
house fell on
s e c u r i t y -
c o n s c i o u s
guard’s deaf
ears. Finally,
s o m e b o d y
inside the
house came
to his rescue
a n d
confirmed his
bonafide. I
was the only one floating around supervising the garden
everyday, so I could enter and leave the Dockyard
House without any hassle.
Having moved in and settled somewhat, our old friends
and acquaintances started calling us. They would ask
for directions to our new residence which they called
‘flat’ and asked for the details on ‘block and the floor
level’. I got tired of giving instructions which were like
this - “come to the end of the Cuffe Parade and Navy
Nagar crossing, then turn ‘right’ then ‘left’ then ‘right’
again and ‘left’ again, follow the curve and you will find
1, Maude Lane”. They suspected that I was pulling a
fast one or leading them up the garden path (in this case
read lane). So I solved their problem by putting
indicators on this route, left-right, left-right.
A local relative visited us and passed this information
about the grandeur of our habitat and people came from
all over, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow and even Sydney. It
was difficult for them to accept that we could be staying
in such a big house and that too in Bombay!
One more incident that stands out clearly in my mind is
that a few days prior to leaving station there were a
spate of farewells. We used to come back late at night.
One night as I had just come and turned in, I heard a
sound chopping of wood closeby. All was well inside
thanks to the sentries but they had no jurisdiction
beyond the boundary wall.
There was a small Army bunglow with a triangular
garden jutting out in front of Dockyard House. The trees
on this patch were being felled. With the first rays of the
sun I bounded out of the house to locate this source of
‘thak-thak’. One of these trees was in the process of
felling, as a ‘V’ cut (horizontal) was already made, other
chopped ones were already lying prostrate in front of
me. I enquired what was happening and was told that
the Army was building a JCO’s block bang opposite the
Dockyard House. I did ‘chipko’ to that tree and
threatened them if one single axe fell my sentries will
fire at them. The contractor got scared. Being a Sunday
I knew C-in-C, Tony Jain, would be on the Golf Course,
I went huffing and puffing. He looked surprised and said,
‘will look into the matter’. Not happy, I decided to see
Maj. Gen. Surendra Nath who had just retired and
shifted out of Gun House and into Army Mess. He too
seemed unaware. I pleaded that they should build it
opposite Gun House and not 1, Maude Lane. Later I
learnt that they wanted to acquire this edifice and turn it
into a ‘Mess’. The outcome of all this was that the
foundation stone was shifted few metres away. The tree
still stood bare and denuded with ‘V’ cut when I went
back a few years later.
25
Spot Leslie Lowe & MutatkarSpot Leslie Lowe & Mutatkar
Who’s Ajay Sharma
“If today the Navy is on a sound-footing, it is because
the veterans have performed extremely well” Admiral
Sureesh Mehta the then Chief of Naval Staff declared
in one of the veteran’s annual gatherings. Several
members of our fraternity have earned a niche for
themselves in entirely different fields. Admiral L
Ramdas acclaimed international fame in the sphere
of peace and received coveted Magsaysay award in
2004.
It was only a chance drive when a number of high
tech farming system of
herbal, Veg, in the open
and the cash crops grown
in green houses, planted
with high value colored
capsicum and cut flowers
(carnation) were seen on
the side of the road in a
small village named
‘Baleth’ located on the
bank of river Beas in
District Hamirpur of
Himachal Pradesh. We
stopped for a while and found out that herbal and
medicinal plantations of safed mush, stevia,
ashwagandha, milk-thisle, aloevera etc were also
engrafted. Herbal parks were set up to provide
holistic treatment under one roof. An elderly man
materialized. His name was Kailash Katoch. He
revealed that he was an ex MCPO1 PRI (Hon S/Lt).
He settled in his native place after 36 years of long
service. He got his confidence and inspiration from
his naval background and took a plunge in farming.
He briefed that, that kind of hi-tech organic farming
and bringing up of cash crops under protected
cultivation was started only by him in Himachal
Pradesh.
He ensured the help of local administration in fulfilling
his mission. Water problem was solved by
constructing a water harvesting structure at a nearby
rivulet. Many acres of land were hired from other
farmers. The profit earned was more than three folds,
more and more farmers joined the wonder movement
initiated by Kailash. They have formed a club named
as ‘Sai farmer club.’ Many youngsters, including lady
farmers have joined his movement. They are actively
involved in getting help and awareness. They are
doing inter state trade and even exporting their
products. All these
activities have generated
employment opportunities
and made a mark on the
general living standard of
the farmers. It has
changed the overall
outlook of the local people.
Many State Government
o f f i c i a l s / m i n i s t e r s
including several farmer-
groups from other
districts/states and members from Agriculture
University have visited his farms and got appreciation
from one and all. Kailash has been a regular recipient
of trophies and awards organized at state/district
level. He was honoured very recently by NRIs and
Punjab Institute of Medical Science. He is a member
of a large number of farm-forums and regularly relays
programs on “kisan-bani” FM Radio Himachal
Pradesh.
He gives entire credit for all his achievements in
farming to Navy.
27
Herbal Park in HimachalCdr JK Sharma (Retd)
When God closes all doors he opens a window
somewhere - an oft repeated saying which sounds so
nice when you have to give solace to someone and you
repeat it with terrific conviction! Not knowing that soon
you would be in a position to actually say it to yourself
and begin to believe it! That’s exactly what happened
one fine day when my life changed completely.
Second innings is relevant only to cricket! I have heard
of the “orderly” and the retired who take to fulfilling their
hobbies, travelling or even learning new skills which
they are unable to indulge in, in their years of child
rearing and career advancement. We all think along
similar lines and actually “drift” through life without
making any concrete retirement plans other than
building a house!
Life demands one to completely accept a situation. And
believe me in order to move on, surrendering and
accepting are vital. Clichéd they may sound, but this
brings a sense of inner calm and gives you the strength
to move on and seek joy and happiness in whatever you
do.
There are varied views on this - some people stop
“working” as they feel they have done enough or are
simply too tired to work anymore, fair enough. But, it’s
important to do something with this time as it is too easy
to slip into a sense of lethargy which could easily slip
into apathy!
It is best to engage yourself in what you enjoy doing the
most. Bringing back all those hobbies which you always
wanted to indulge in but really had no time for!
Having been a teacher all my life, I decided to continue
in a field which is familiar and comforting. School with all
its varied extensions has become an integral part of my
life. Perhaps, it is time for me to give back to the
community that has given me so much.
Being with children between 3 to 18 years of age is
indeed a very enriching experience - the demands,
aspirations, capabilities, possibilities all vary
tremendously. As demanding as it is, the students with
their different issues are an important part of my life.
Contrary to what I hear, I personally feel this generation
is certainly more aware and more focused. They do not
hesitate to question and seek answers, respect
transparency in their dealings, and are far ahead of what
we were. Leave alone our generation; they are far
ahead of those even 10 years their senior. I applaud
them; for if guided properly, they will be assets.
Life for me has become synonymous with these
children. Watching them grow from their kindergarten
years into young adolescents is what keeps me going.
Alvin Toffler’s famous words - the illiterates of these
times are not those who know not how to read and write
but those who cannot un-learn, learn and relearn. It is
this which forms the basis of my life in this phase - aptly
termed as `second innings’. I am grateful to God for
having given me this opportunity and made life more
meaningful and worth living. I have often heard the
saying “celebrate each day of your life” and that is
exactly what I am doing
28
Second InningsMrs. Ruma Purkayastha
Hope, like the gleaming taper’s light,
Adorn and cheers our way;
And still, as darker grows the night,
Emits a lighter ray.
Oliver Goldsmith
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sK Das (sKD): Thank you for giving us so much of your
time. Sir, you have retired from Naval Service a good 33
years ago, having been commissioned when I was just born
in 1941. You are perhaps the only surviving Flag Officer who
was on active service during the last World War.
Your 36 illustrious years in naval uniform are difficult to
forget, but if I may refresh your memory sir, you spent the
first five years in various training courses at the UK,
including your specialisation in Naval Gunnery. Before
becoming the father figure at Gunnery School, you spent
a few years at sea onboard HMIS Achilles. On promotion
to brass hat, on board the Training Ship Tir, you moved on
to Naval Plans at NHQ in 1953 which you did from 1961
to 63. You were also privileged to commission our then
latest acquisition from the UK-INS Trishul in 1959, which
you drove till 1961. Your other commands at sea included
Tir, Delhi, the Vikrant and finally the Western Fleet.
In Plans, from 1953-54 and again from 1961-63, you must
have fought and processed much of how our Navy has
evolved to this day. Besides the purely classical Executive
assignments, you were lucky to have also experienced the
functioning of Naval Armament Inspection organisation,
Directorate of Equipments and finally the Chief of Material.
You were also Chief Instructor at the DSSC from 1957-59.
Of course, you finished your innings as the founding father
of Indian Coast Guard. The Navy has benefited a full nine
years of your service in Flag rank, four of which were as
Vice Chief from 1973-77, spearheading all Naval
acquisitions, policies and futuristic plans.
Sir, I would like to seek your views on how you have seen
the Service transition from the World War II days till today,
a good 33 years since you have retired after a long and
distinguished Naval service.
sKD: Could you tell us what inspired you to join the Navy
at a time when there was the distinct possibility of war
breaking out in Europe?
Va Kamath (VaK): I was one of the three Executive
cadets selected for the RIN from the Dufferin. The
Dufferin was established as a training ship for the
merchant navy but the Government decided to take a few
cadets from this ship for the Navy. Incidentally, of the
three cadets chosen that year for the Navy in Dec 1938,
two later joined the Pak Navy and both became their
Naval Chiefs and further, one became the Governor of
East Pakistan and the other the Defence Minister under
Gen Ayub Khan.
The talk of war was not really so important to us
youngsters at that age but I certainly became interested
in the Navy since some foreign warships used to visit
Bombay and we as cadets of Dufferin got the opportunity
of going onboard those ships. I was highly impressed by
the warships with their huge guns, smart uniforms and
spotlessly clean ships. So I thought of joining the Navy
rather than the Merchant Navy.
31
Interview of V Adm VA Kamath R Adm SK Das (Retd)
sKD: Would you recount briefly your World War II
experiences during your training as a Cadet and
Midshipman with the RN?
VaK: Our training as cadets in those days was carried out
in training cruisers. After three months of harbour training
in HMS Frobisher, we were moved to a sea training ship,
HMS Vindictive and did a cruise to Iceland, some French
channel ports and the Channel Islands. Our training as
cadets was cut down by three months because of the war
and we three Indian cadets were appointed to the
battleship HMS Royal Sovereign as Midshipmen. It was
quite a change for us from India to see these huge
battleships with 15”-16” guns, all collected at a place
called Scapa Flow, in Orkney Islands, north of Scotland. I
joined the Royal Sovereign just three days before the war
on 01 Sep 1939 and after the war broke out we were
dispatched to Halifax in Canada for ocean convoy duty
across the Atlantic. We spent the winter months of 1939-
40 based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, escorting large ocean
convoys across the Atlantic up to about 150-200 miles
short of the British coast; the Convoys were handed over
to destroyers from the British Home Fleet and we returned
to Halifax. It was interesting work but little by way of naval
action took place during those days for my ship. The
convoys themselves were commanded by retired
Admirals who were designated as ‘Commodore of the
Convoy’, while we looked after their defence against
enemy warships. I still remember that one of the duties of
the midshipman on watch on cold winter nights on the
bridge was to make and supply hot cocoa to officers
present on the bridge. I will remember the only
commendation I got once, that “I made the best cocoa!”
sKD: Did you not see any action at all?
VaK: In the spring of 1940, there was a talk of Italy joining
the war and we were dispatched to Alexandria, Egypt to
be part of the Mediterranean Fleet. A number of French
warships had also gathered there. Once Italy came into
the war, the fleet used to make forays into central
Mediterranean and each time we were out at sea, Italian
bombers used to carry out bombing attacks against our
ships. Fortunately, those days there was no dive bombing
which Germans introduced later during the war. High
level bombing was not that accurate inspite of our long-
range Ack-ack guns, which were putting up a barrage. As
a result we survived, though a cluster of bombs fell close
to the ship many times. My duty during air attacks then
was on the crow’s nest and as the Director of close range
weapons, to allocate targets to these weapons. However,
since there was no dive bombing, there was very little for
me to do but to see the bombs falling all round during
those raids, and that is where I started my smoking habit
which lasted until my seventies.
On another occasion, while operating off South Italy, we
ran into a Italian battle ship and some exchange of fire
between us took place. We were both out of gun range,
and therefore no damage was done and the Italian Navy
soon broke off the engagement and headed back to
harbour. I believe that this brief engagement was recorded
as the “Battle off Calabria”. From Durban we
circumnavigated Africa on our way back to Halifax to
prepare for the next winter’s ocean convoys. I felt very
proud to have circumnavigated the continent of Africa after
calling at Cape Town, Freetown in Sierra Leone and
Gibraltar. The second winter’s convoy duties in many ways
were similar to the previous experience. After the second
spell based at Halifax our time as midshipmen had come
to an end. After seamanship examination we were sent
back to the UK as Sub Lieutenants to attend initial courses.
The only interesting thing about this passage to the UK
was that since there were no passenger ships to take us to
the UK, all of us midshipmen on board, about 20, were put
on a merchant ship carrying aeroplanes from Canada. The
result was that we spent our entire midshipman time in one
class of ship, i.e. “Battleship” whereas the normal practice
was to shift midshipmen to different classes of warships,
which we missed out due to exigencies of war.
sKD: As a commissioned officer, which ships and
establishments did you serve in before our
independence?
32
VaK: My first ship in the RIN was HMIS Clive, an old
sloop fitted with a small surface gun and the then new
sonar called ASDIC. I was to be the Anti-Submarine
officer on board. Since our courses in the UK had not
included Anti-Submarine studies in the syllabus, before
joining the Clive I attended an AS course in the school set
up on the top of Castle Barracks, and was headed by
then Lt Cdr Chatterjee who had just returned from the UK
having done a long AS course.
After Clive, I was sent to a shore establishment named
HMIS Bahadur, the newly built Boys’ Training
Establishment in Karachi on Manora Island. Among those
who were serving with me in Bahadur in 1943 were then
Lts. Katari, Kaul, Puri, and Baswan. I also served for a short
period after Bahadur in the Junior Boys Training
establishment named HMIS Dilawar, also located at
Karachi. My next posting was to Whale Island in the UK for
my Long ‘G’ course. On completion I was back to Karachi
to join the then new RIN Gunnery School HMIS Himalaya,
located on Manora island. It was during my time there that
the Indian Naval mutiny took place but the sailors in
Karachi took no part in it, although feelings ran high. At the
Gunnery School, I was in charge of the Coast Battery
located along the coast of Manora, a few miles from the
main Gunnery School. After Himalaya, I was appointed as
Officer-in-Charge of the gunnery ratings selected for
manning our first cruiser Delhi and sent to HMS Excellent.
I was sent to the UK to look after their training which
included learning about the cruiser’s gunnery system.
You may be interested to note that recruiting of sailors
then called ratings followed a certain pattern during the
British days. The gunnery sailors were mostly from
Punjab, because they were sturdy, but most happened to
be Muslims. The Signal sailors were mostly recruited
from the South because of their better knowledge of
English and the remaining Seaman sailors were Konkani
Muslims from the Ratnagiri area. Halfway through this
training came Independence and partition and I had to
return nearly half the gunnery ratings who opted for
Pakistan including my deputy, a fine officer called
Mohammad Sharif Khan. These had to be replaced by
new drafts from India before training could recommence,
and despite this we managed to keep to the
commissioning schedule of our first cruiser. It was
interesting that later when I was posted at NHQ as a
Captain, Mohammad Sharif Khan was, as a Commander,
the Naval Attaché of Pakistan in New Delhi.
sKD: What was it like for you and the sailors living in
England in the early post war Britain, while standing by for
the Cruiser Delhi?
VaK: The men were accommodated in independent
barracks with our own kitchens etc. Living conditions for
the local civilian population were quite bad, food, petrol,
oil were all strictly rationed. We in the Indian naval
contingent did not face any difficulty, in fact we got special
treatment and consideration.
sKD: Please tell us something of the tasks you were
faced with as the Director of Naval Plans.
VaK: During my first spell as Director Naval Plans 1953-
55, the office of DNP consisted of one Director - I and two
Staff officers one Lt Cdr (Plans) and one Lt Cdr (S) who
dealt with logistics. My first spell as DNP was taken up,
not surprisingly with equipment acquisition. I was put in
charge of the group of specialists responsible for setting
up training schools at Cochin. After detailed discussions
with training schools in the UK, we had to assess what
training equipment we would need for our new training
schools coming up in Cochin. That took most of my time.
The major expansion plan for the Navy had already been
prepared by an earlier DNP, Cdr. Chatterjee, later CNS,
and had been approved in principle by the Government
We were at the implementation stage.
sKD: What made us turn to the Soviets for our further
requirements of ships and submarines?
VaK: We had become used to looking only at Britain for
our naval requirements, hence we approached them for
33
start of a submarine branch, but they were quite hesitant
and not very forthcoming. There was a feeling in the Navy
that Britain was trying to control our expansion plan in
such a way as to maintain a balance of power between
India and Pakistan. We felt that time had come for us to
look elsewhere and found the Soviets ready and willing.
sKD: Which were the appointments you considered most
memorable during your illustrious career?
VaK: Most memorable was perhaps commissioning a
new ship. I stood by Trishul for the final 3-4 months of her
building. It meant bringing to life a brand new ship that I
saw taking final shape at the Yard in Belfast. It was a
challenging task moulding a new crew into working as a
team and producing a highly trained and effective fighting
unit for our Navy. Later, of course, command of then the
only carrier was a memorable milestone as it would have
been for any Executive Officer in any Navy. After my
retirement I had the honour and good fortune to set up a
Coast Guard service which, from all accounts, is shaping
into an effective maritime service.
sKD: You were one of the earliest commanding officers
of our Carrier Vikrant, so had the unique opportunity to
experience naval air power at sea. Any comments sir!
VaK: I am glad it came, when it did and not much later. We
were very fortunate in having some fine young fliers to start
the naval air arm. Their enthusiasm and professionalism
helped establish a credible Naval Aviation for the Indian
Navy. As Captain of the carrier what impressed me most
was the flying fraternity that I was meeting for the first time
at sea under operational conditions. It gave me as the
Captain a lot of confidence in providing the fleet with the air
element that the ship was there to provide. In my later
posting as Fleet Commander it gave me an opportunity to
try out various tactical situations where carrier air support
would be most effective.
sKD: Kindly share with us sir, your perceptions of over 60
years of transition of our Navy, and how it measures up to
the initial visions of our founding fathers including, yourself.
VaK: When I joined the Navy as a Cadet in 1939, the
Indian Navy consisted of a handful of so called “sloops”
and some yard craft of the RIN all operating from the old
Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The war saw some
expansions by way of a few new frigates like Narbada,
Cauvery & Kistna and an assortment of craft acquired
from the trade for the duration of the war. What was left
to the Navy after the war was further divided between
India and Pakistan. Apart from the Electrical School in
Jamnagar and the Signals School in Bombay, the rest of
the training schools by way of Bahadur Boys Training
establishment, the Gunnery School and the new radar
school called Chamak, went to Pakistan. As I said
earlier, many experienced sailors switched to the
Pakistan Navy and many others were released to
civilian life. As for officers, the British RIN officers left
practically en masse. To some extent this was made up
by giving permanent commission to Indian Reserve
Officers and by loan from RN, mainly in the senior
ranks. It was an enormous task for us to build up an
effective, balanced Navy from such a state. Here, I must
thank the senior Royal Navy officers from the Chiefs
down to Commodores and Captains who made an
unstinting contribution to our growth in the 1940s &
1950s. I would say, that the Indian Navy’s growth has
really surpassed some of our aims.
sKD: Finally sir, what may be your message to the
readers of the Quarterdeck?
VaK: My message to the retired community from the
Navy is that you can all take pride in the contribution that
you made during your service, however small you think it
might have been. Rest assured, the sum total has
contributed significantly to the growth of our Navy. Do join
me in wishing our successors all good fortune and
success in taking the Indian Navy to higher and higher
standards of service to our country.
34
‘Inquilaab - Zindabad! Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai!
Jawaharlal Nehru ki Jai! Subhas Bose ki Jai! Bharat
Mata ki Jai! Hindustan Hamaara! Inquilaab -
Zindabad!’....Rifle fire!...’Gora Palton!’....’How Many
Dead?’
These were the slogans and cries, ringing to high
heavens, that I heard when a student at the University
of Allahabad in the 1940’s. There was a new temper of
the times. It was the heady wine of Independence in the
air that was going to the very souls of the young! My
younger sister Pushpi, a student in Benares, was
talking of joining the processions. A nation whose
women rise up in revolt, can never be defeated - the
men have nowhere to go, and cower with fanciful tales
of rivers of blood and of flame, fire and fury!
The spirit that moved the India of the 40’s, (in light of
later events), has been called a ‘magnificent
aberration’!
I could not help being moved too. For two pins, I would
have rushed out and joined the Independence
processions myself, but parental injunctions prevailed.
Pratap was to complete his studies, and then appear
for the I. C. S. In sensible fashion, therefore, Pratap
completed his Master’s, and with all normal peace time
careers closed by then by the canny British, went and
joined the Navy.
I reported to the Navy Office, Mint Road, Bombay, April
25, 1943. I was not even sworn in. Under a long
standing custom of Great Britain, the loyalty of her
Navy, on whose accomplishments and exploits, the
entire British Empire had been built, was unquestioned.
Unlike the officers of the Army and the Air Force
therefore, Naval Officers of the Navies of the British
Empire, were also never subjected to the superfluity of
an oath of allegiance!
Outfitted by the House of F.X. Fernandes, bespoke
tailors of the Royal Indian Navy, I reported to Castle
Barracks, Bombay, for my rapid fire initial training of
duration six months. B. K. Dang and I sat next to each
other in 4-week classes in Seamanship, Navigation,
and Asdics (anti-submarine). I never could beat him. He
was always first and I only second. Followed by
courses in the Signals School, Colaba, for signals, and
HMIS ‘Himalaya’ in Manora, Karachi for Gunnery.
There was also an Introductory Course, sandwiched
somewhere.
This was not the end of my training, because I found
myself sent back to Karachi to do a modified Long
Gunnery Course. It was of duration 6 months in HMIS
‘Himalaya’. In this last course, U. A. Saeed, a very
decent chap, later of the Pakistan Navy, was my class-
fellow.
On completion, I was sent to sea in November 1944, in
the new sloop HMIS ‘Godavari’, Commander Goord,
RIN commanding. For me, the real business of war at
sea had, at last, begun!
It might be useful at this point, to take a quick look at
the overall War situation in 1944. In the West, Rome
was liberated in June; the Normandy Landings took
place that month. At the Battle of the Bulge in the
Ardennes, the bloodiest of the War for the Americans,
the casualties were over 108,000 with over 19,000
dead. Rommel was giving Montgomery a hard time in
north Africa, In the East, Singapore had fallen early in
February 1942, Japan had advanced in Guam, New
Guinea and Burma, and had control of many cities in
mainland China. All in all, even after 5 years of war, the
issue was very much in doubt.
35
Transition - RIN to INCaptain PN Mathur (Retd)
HMIS ‘Godavari’, the new sloop, with new Sub-
Lieutenant Mathur on board, rendezvoused with the
British Commonwealth Force 66, a Hunter-Killer Group,
out in the middle of the Indian Ocean someplace, late
one night. It was December 1944. Searching for
German and Japanese submarines from East Africa in
the west, to Malay, Sumatra and the East Indies in the
east, was our mission. The object was to safeguard the
vital supply lines from India to the Middle East.
The Main Body of Force 66, comprising HMS ‘Begum’
and ‘Shah’, had the senior Captain in tactical command
of the whole Force. ‘Begum’ and ‘Shah’ were
merchantmen, converted into ‘ersatz’ - make do -
aircraft carriers. They had a complement of about 16
Anti-Submarine patrol aircraft each. Their task was to
fly out, and search the ocean ahead, both visually and
thru sonar buoys they would drop and listen to. While
they scoured the ocean, we the 6 to 10 A/S vessels of
British, Canadian, Australian and Indian Navies, formed
a screen ahead of the Main Body, to protect it from
enemy torpedo attack. The screen operated its sonar
continuously, and observed complete wireless silence.
This was not all. The entire Force, Main Body included,
followed specific zigzag diagrams from a Tactical
Manual, and altered course automatically every 15 or
20 minutes, day and night, to avoid possible torpedoes
fired at us. Watches were synchronized daily at noon.
The whole thing was well thought out, and operated like
clockwork. It was fascinating to do one’s own part, and
watch the entire operation unfold smoothly!
Force 66 was a Force that never put in to port. As each
ship ran low on fuel, it was detached to the nearest
British-Indian harbour to replenish, and with NO
LIBERTY ASHORE, rejoined the Force at sea. Force
66 was unique!
Did we find any submarines? No, not in my tour of duty
of 6 months - from November 1944 to May 1945, I
regret to say. Immediately before my joining ship,
however, Force 66 had sunk a German submarine off
the coast of Kenya. The quantity of junk that came
floating up, they said, was really immense. It could not
possibly have been just a ruse. Besides, sonar had
picked up and recorded under water explosions. I was
in a hot Force!
Did we encounter any Japanese aircraft? Yes, once. On
a clear afternoon, a lone Zero approached from
starboard, flying at perhaps 10,000 ft., and remaining
well out of range of our guns, crossed over to port, and
disappeared over the horizon. It was possibly on a
recce mission. Japanese armed merchant cruisers
(AMC’s) had been reported in those waters. We waited
in anticipation for possibly a surface engagement, but
drat! - none came to pass.
Then there was this most memorable event while I was
on board! We had entered and secured alongside in
Trincomalee harbour in May. The French battleship
‘Richelieu” was secured right across the harbour from
us on the other side, looking magnificent! After a late
lunch, I was catching up with some much needed sleep
in my cabin below, when suddenly I shot up, half awake
and wondering, to the most raucous and monumental
din I ever heard in all my life! Arriving on deck, hot foot
and panting, I saw commotion and chaos everywhere!
Everyone seemed to have gone mad! The whole Fleet
had raised steam, and was letting it off like crazy! And
well they might: it was May 7, 1945, and Germany had
surrendered!
The War situation in August, 1945 was, that the U.S.
had dropped atom bombs over Hiroshima on Aug. 6,
and on Nagasaki on Aug. 9. The Soviets had invaded
Japanese Manchuria Aug. 9., and Japan had formally
made its historic unconditional surrender to General
MacArthur on behalf of the Allies, on board the USS
‘Missouri’, in Tokyo Bay on Sep. 2, 1945. World War II
was over. The Allies had won!
But, as they say, life goes on!
36
War over, there now arose new, major, and
unprecedented problems in the Indo-British world. The
very first was the fate of India, of course. This was
decided, at the stubborn insistence of the Muslim
League and Mr. Jinnah, very reluctantly on the part of
India, and Great Britain, the solution being the political
Partition of India.
Resulting from this, arose the problems of the equitable
‘partition’ of the men and materiel of the military
services of the two new countries of India and Pakistan.
In the Navy, I saw my old Captain HMS Chaudhuri - (he
was my Captain briefly in the ‘Godavari’) - go to
Pakistan. It was also a tug at the heart, to see the
gentle UA Saeed of Aligarh, leave us for Karachi. Of
course many Hindu officers like Vidya Bhushan Dewan,
alumnus of my University, who came from Multan, had
to leave home and choose the new India.
As to ships, ‘Narbada’, the new frigate, went to
Pakistan, as also did other ships and craft of course, in
the proportion agreed upon. I heard of no complaints or
dissatisfaction of either side in how the split was done.
Obviously, reason and accommodation were used by
the teams of both sides in the division of materiel and
assets in 1946-’47. A very smart and capable a person
like Agha Shahi, ICS, also a fellow student and hostel
mate of my Alma Mater days, was in charge of the
Pakistani Partition Team. Knowing him, I knew the
Pakistanis were not likely to be short-changed in any
way, he being not only competent and capable, but also
a very likeable and persuasive a personality.
With the new carved out Indian Navy decided on, arose
the major problem of which of the wartime officers of
the RINR, and RINVR, cadres, would stay permanently
in the Navy, and which would leave. The Navy therefore
set up an organization in Dehra Dun, where Group
Testing Officers (GTOs), would conduct a series of
tests - practical, written and oral - to judge abilities and
aptitudes considered valuable to the Service. Many
applied, and complained that the tests were too
demanding and not fair. I doubt if the standards of
severity of the tests were changed as a result at all.
What we do know is that the Navy did obtain all the
number and type of officer it preferred, from among the
number that applied. Admiral Katari and I were among
the very first 14 or so, chosen for permanent regular
commissions, as promulgated by the relevant IG
message in 1946.
The next major problem that arose directly as a result
of the induction of Reserve Officers into the regular
cadre of the Navy was the question of seniority
accorded to each in his new rank in the post-war I. N.
Some basic considerations were that Reserve Officers
having had only the minimal of initial training, and that
in wartime India with poor facilities, could never be
equal to cadet entry officers in professional
competence, who had received much longer and far
superior training with the Royal Navy in England. The
opposite was, that Reserve officers who passed the
demanding tests in Dehra Dun, and had come thru the
crucial test of actual War Service during Word War II
the same as Cadet Entry Officers, had proved
themselves qualified for a fighting Service, and equal to
their opposite numbers who were cadet entry.
Even this much would have stuck in the craw of some
die-hard cadet entry purists, when along came another
consideration, which increased the problem quite
considerably. That was the question of adding to the
Reserve Officers’ seniority in their particular rank, to
allow for disparity of age.
In peace time RIN, cadets were chosen at a young age.
By the time they completed their initial training in
England, they were about 17 to 19 years of age, and
Sub Lieutenants in rank. Thus, through normal
promotion rules, with no accelerated promotions, they
would attain the rank of Lieutenant at 20 to 22 years of
age and Lieutenant Commander 8 years after that,
namely at about 28 to 30 years of age.”
37
Such disparity would not be fair in the long term, as it
would retire many deserving ex-Reserve Officers at
compulsory retirement ages, before they even had the
chance to qualify for Flag Rank! Therefore some
seniority should be added on transfer to the RIN cadre,
to compensate and achieve parity, was the argument.
We know, from the autobiography of Admiral Nanda,
who actually went on to be promoted to full Admiral and
CNS, that starting as an RINVR officer, he was
awarded additional seniority on transfer to the RIN
cadre, such that it made him a full Lieutenant from a
date even before he actually joined the Navy! This is a
result which would seem, on the face of it, to be quite
preposterous!
One cannot blame the Admiral for this result, because
he did not make this decision. The proposal must have
been made by the Navy, and must have had the
approval of the Government of India of the time, which
is where one leaves the matter, no matter how much
heartache it might have caused some senior cadet
entry officers who he superseded.
I mention all this, because myself and many other
Reserve Officers, who chose the Navy, suffered in their
relations with cadet entry officers, because of this.
Personally, I received NO additional seniority. I
superseded no cadet entry officer, and yet there
simmered resentment for many years, in many a cadet
entry heart on these issues.
At the same time, I am happy and grateful to say, that
almost half a century after retiring from the Service, my
very best friend in the Navy today, from whom I have
received long letters in longhand all these many years,
and now in the age of the computer, receive several
messages a month, is a cadet entry officer of about my
seniority, who, after distinguished service, finally retired
as a Vice Admiral.
Simultaneously with the above, was the problem of who
shall command the post-War Indian Navy, plan its
future expansion and direct its training, for it to become
a proper and viable force for the defence of India.
Even the senior-most cadet entry Indian R. I. N. Officer
on completion of World War II, was only a relatively
junior Captain in rank. It says much to the credit of
these senior Indian officers, to willingly agree, that it
might be in the best interests of the Naval Service and
of India in the long run, if we invited officers of higher
rank and appropriate tactical and professional
experience, from the Royal Navy, to serve in the post-
War Indian Navy ashore and afloat, until such time as
Indian Officers could take over for themselves. This
would assist in the proper planning of the acquisition of
the right ships, submarines and aircraft considered
needed, as well as of the associated training of officers
and men necessary, and thus provide the best possible
Navy for India, within the shortest possible time.
As a result, the Chiefs of Staff of the post-War Indian
Navy from 1947 to 1958, were officers of the British
Royal Navy, namely Admirals William Parry, Sir Charles
Pizey, and Sir Stephen Carllil.
Ships new, and not-so-new, were ordered from Great
Britain, and arrived according to availability, as follows:-
(a) Rajput, Rana, Ranjit, 11th Destroyer Squadron -
1948 - 50
(b) Khukri, Kirpan, Kuthar - 14TH Frigate Squadron -
1958-’60;
(c) Mysore, Cruiser - 1958;
(d) Brahmaputra, Betwa, Beas, AA Frigates - 1958-’61
The only new post-war shore establishments in my time
in the Service, (I retired in 1966), were INS ‘Gomantak’,
the Naval Base in Goa, and INS ‘Hansa’ the Air Station-
1964-‘65
38
The value of a military Service, is judged not only by the
number and quality of its ships, aircraft and
submarines, but also very much by the tactical
capability and preparation for war of its officers and
men. In the interests of brevity, I shall therefore mention
only three more items in succeeding paragraphs:-
(a) The Tactical School, Cochin, was already a fully
established institution, that I had the honour to be the
Director of from 1959 to ‘61. Its main features were a
Tactical Teacher, with fully equipped cubicles with
plotting tables and communication facilities, a large
central vertical master plot, and the Control Station for
the Director which monitored all positions. Teams from
the ships of the only Fleet we had in my time, would
take up a cubicle each, be given a tactical setting with
opposing sides, and the Game would be played. On
completion, the Director would conduct a debrief,
Discussions with ships’ teams would ensue, and the
Director would summarize the lessons learnt.
The Tactical Teacher was the one useful device we had
at the time, where ships’ tactical teams could ‘fight’ a
simulated ‘action’ and derive benefit as to the best use
of weapons and tactics in different tactical situations,
while still ashore, and having the ships and ships’
companies, repaired and resting, as appropriate.
(b) The Portuguese warship ‘Albuquerque’ was at Goa
during the 3-Day war with the Portuguese in December
1961. Portuguese warships had fired earlier, and killed
some Indian fishermen in the vicinity. This was not
necessarily the casus belli, but on receipt of orders
from higher authority, senior ship ‘Betwa’, then
Commander RKS Ghandhi commanding, delivered the
ultimatum. ‘Betwa’ & ‘Beas’ opened fire, making short
work of the ‘Albuquerque’, in a matter of minutes,
setting it on fire, and causing it to beach and surrender.
It has been said that the action was unequal. Well, does
one wait till the enemy has gained equality, and
possibly even superiority, before engaging him? The
Indian Captains, in a gesture of gallantry, visited the
injured Captain of the enemy warship as he lay
recuperating in hospital. The Captain of the
‘Albuquerque’ showed the Indian Captains a piece of
shrapnel removed from his chest. The senior Indian
Captain, in gestures of gallantry and natural sympathy
for a fallen foe, arranged through RN channels, to
inform the wife of the Captain of the ‘Albuquerque’ that
he was in hospital and doing well, and presented him
with a bottle of brandy and some chocolate for
Christmas.
There is no animus between men of the military of
opposing nations. We are patriots, and, when called
upon, fight for our country.
(c) The horse, it has been said, knows the rider. As a
mere First Lieutenant in one case, and Captain of two
different ships in the other two cases, it was my
pleasure and great good fortune, to have
watched/worked with, three Admirals, who in my
humble opinion, were brilliant at sea. They were
Admirals Barnard, Katari and Chatterji. (There is praise
in the Service for a fourth who I did not happen to know.
His name: Admiral Sir St. John Tyrwhitt, RN).
All three Admirals engaged the Indian Fleet in
extensive exercises at sea, by day and by night,
something that had never been done before Admiral
Barnard. The manual followed was U.S. ATP 4, a
beautiful work, scientifically designed and clearly
written. Each Admiral took personal charge of the
manoeuvres and exercises himself.
With Admiral Barnard, I was only the First Lieutenant of
‘Ranjit’ in 1951. The Admiral spent a lot of time at sea
aboard our ship, exercising tactical command of the
Fleet.
I admired and learnt from his grasp of the tactical
situation by day, and - with all ships darkened - by night,
and admired his know how and his instant and most
39
effective decisions and orders.
With Admiral Katari in 1957, I was Captain of the
‘Ganga’. I received no ‘Bravo Zulu’s’ from him at all.
Instead, when I was transferred, he gave me a ‘flimsy’,
which read that this officer is ‘gifted’. Later, after his
own retirement, when he heard I had opted to leave, he
wrote me a letter in longhand, urging me to reconsider.
With Admiral Chatterji, flying his flag in the ‘Mysore’ in
1962-’63, I was Captain of the ‘Talwar’. All the rest of
the Fleet was busy alongside in harbour, ships having
their defects, major and minor, attended to. The Admiral
took me - just one ship - from Bombay to Cochin and
back on 3 consecutive voyages. In each 3-day leg of
the voyage, he put me thru my paces, starting slow.
The exercises got more and more difficult with each
successive leg, and during the 6th and last trip out and
back, he ‘threw the book’ at me!
I never got a single ‘Bravo Zulu’s’ from him at sea
either. Instead, on each return to Bombay, he sent my
Squadron Commander, Captain Kulkarni of ‘Trishul’ -
(who had been ashore all the time, having his ship
attended to by the Dockyard of course). Each time it
was the same. Captain Kulkarni came to see me, gave
me the Admiral’s compliments, and his message, that in
the last trip out and back, I had done well!
In 1966, I put in my papers, and requested premature
retirement on grounds of supersession. Having no
further family responsibilities of my own in India, I
collected my small personal family, and migrated bag
and baggage to the United States, without realizing that
somewhere along the way, the heart got left behind.
Note: In writing this article, an old and dear friend in
India did some valuable research for me. I asked, but
he wishes to remain anonymous. Let me add
nevertheless, that he stayed on, and after many years
of distinguished service, retired as a Vice Admiral. I
owe him my most sincere thanks, and offer him hearty
congratulations.
Ps: Readers of QD, desirous of perusing the
unabridged version may contact the Author
40
HMS Deyonshire - Cadets’ Training Ship in the Royal Navy
On 15th August 1947 India became independent and
acquired dominion status, with the Queen of England
being acknowledged as the head of State. It was only on
26th January 1950 that India declared itself as a
Republic and the President of India became the head of
State. The Royal Indian Navy became the Indian Navy
that day.
In November 1947, I had taken the Competitive
Examination, and qualified in the interview board held
subsequently in February 1948. Together with 14 other
young people like me, I was sent to the United Kingdom
for naval training. I may mention here, that such training
facilities as existed
in undivided India
were located in
Karachi. In any
case Officer
Cadets who were
selected for
p e r m a n e n t
commission in the
Royal Indian Navy
were all sent to
U.K., starting with
the Royal Naval
College in
Dartmouth.
In the British
scheme of things
the maritime
defence of India
was the
responsibility of
the British Royal
Navy. Hence, all
that the erstwhile
Royal Indian Navy had were a few old frigates and
sloops, which were good enough for coastal defence.
With the onset of independence, Royal Indian Navy had
to be augmented considerably in order that India could
undertake its own maritime defence. India’s first Prime
Minister Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru has used a phrase “To
be secular on land one must be supreme at Sea” or
words to that effect. Jawahar Lal Nehru and the other
leaders like Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Maulana Azad,
Acharya Kriplani, had not forgotten the fact that India
had been enslaved by conquest from the Sea.
New warships take a long time to build. Therefore for a
41
Historic Perspective of TransitionAdmiral RH Tahiliani (Retd)
Band of Brothers - Batch of 1951Band of Brothers - Batch of 1951Band of Brothers - Batch of 1951
Standing: Sub Lts: S Mookerjee, RP Bhalla, RH Tahiliani (bearded) and JP Syal.
Seated: Sub Lts: GK Nadkar and PJ Barron
start India acquired a secondhand world war cruiser and
named it as INS Delhi. This was commissioned in 1949.
India also acquired another cruiser from Britain and
which was named INS Mysore in 1958. Simultaneously
India placed orders on British Shipyards to build eight
new frigates (two: Trishul-Talwar; three: Brahmaputra-
Beas-Betwa and three: Khukri-Kirpan-Kuthar). All these
were commissioned sometime in the early 60’s.
India’s maritime defence got a big boost with the
acquisition of its first aircraft carrier named INS Vikrant.
This ship had started building in the later part of the
Second World War, but was not completed when the
war ended. The Indian Navy acquired this unfinished
carrier, had it completed at its own expense in a
shipyard in Belfast, UK. INS Vikrant was commissioned
on 16th Feb 1961 and served the Indian Navy as its
Flagship for 40 odd years.
The big change however came with the acquisition of
INS Viraat which was commissioned in UK under the
Indian Navy’s ensign on 12th of May 1987. The
acquisition of this second carrier was totally fortuitous.
Between the time that the Royal Navy made its offer to
the Indian Navy and asked whether the Indian Navy
would be interested in buying HMS Hermes, a mere
twenty six months were to lapse when a fully refitted
aircraft carrier was commissioned as INS Viraat. INS
Viraat arrived in Indian waters on 21st Aug 1987.
From a small coastal Navy with a few old war time
frigates and sloops, the Indian Navy had been turned
into a blue water Navy with two aircraft carriers.
Simultaneously Mazagon Docks in Mumbai had started
building frigates. The first of this Leander class frigate
was Nilgiri, followed by Himgiri and Udaygiri. These new
frigates were capable of carrying match role helicopters
for Anti Submarine Warfare.
Sometime in the late sixties the Indian Navy had
acquired OSA class missile boats from USSR. These
missile boats were used most effectively during the
December 1971 war with Pakistan when they sailed up
just outside Karachi in hours of darkness and sank the
Pakistan Navy ship Khyber and damaged another one.
Few missiles were launched also against the oil
installations in Karachi. During that same war, Vikrant
which had been marginally reduced in effectiveness
because of boiler problems operated in the Bay of
Bengal. Its Sea Hawks and Alizes gave a good account
of themselves in bombing shore installations in the then
erstwhile East Pakistan in places like Chittagong and
Khullna.
The Navy, a small coastal Navy in 1947, had been
transformed and India had a Blue Water into Navy by
the sixties and seventies. There has been a quantum
increase which would have been difficult for the
planners to imagine in the 50’s. Today the Indian Navy
can boast of a nuclear powered submarine indigenously
built in India. Apart from Mazagon Docks Ltd. in
Mumbai, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in
Kolkata and Goa Shipyard Ltd. in Goa are also building
ships for the Indian Navy. An aircraft carrier of our own
design is also being built at Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
Manpower growth of the Navy
Officers
1947 444 Indian Officers 60 British
1953 1096 Indian Officers 2 British
2010 7789 Indian Officers Nil
Sailors
1953 9594
2010 56940
Civilians
1980 36468
2010 45212
Our country can be legitimately proud of the progress
made by its Navy. May it continue to sail the oceans as
harbingers of peace in the Indian Ocean.
42
As a cadet in the Royal Indian Navy in 1948-49, I had
the opportunity of watching the transition from the RIN
to the IN at close quarters. It was a momentous change
and infact a culture shock. As part of my sea training
with the RN in aircraft carriers, cruisers, and frigates I
could observe first hand what made the RN and the IN
tick. My sea time included participating in the Korean
War, while serving in HMS Belfast for almost a year.
So both in war and in peace the two navies learned from
each other. The ships we acquired from the RN included
the Vikrant, Brahmaputra class and K class frigates i.e.
Khukri, Kirpan, Kuthar and T class i.e. Talwar and
Trishul, apart from the tankers Shakti and Deepak and
seaward defence boats. All these were designed and
built in the UK.
The traditions, customs and practices were all handed
down to us by the Royal Navy. While this had the
advantage of both uniformity and continuity, the Indian
Navy remained the poor in relation dependent, largely
on the largesse of the RN.
The honeymoon lasted until we asked for
submarines. The RN flatly refused. In fact we, the
Indian officers had to leave our classes in the Royal
Engineering College whenever topics related to
submarines were discussed. Obviously this could not
go on. The RN literally pushed us into the arms of our
Russian comrades who offered not
only submarines but also surface
ships as complete packages.
Drawings designs, spare parts,
stores and specialists formed the
package. The Soviets also
undertook to train our officers,
sailors and dockyard staff. From
being dependents and poor
relations of the RN we played a big
role in relation to the Soviets.
The Soviet acquisition ships were
under warranty for one year during
which all defects arising would be
made good by the Soviet specialists
attached to our ships, submarines
and dockyard at their cost. The Soviet
specialists found every excuse to stop our ships from
sailing so that no defects come to light during the
warranty period. Ships and submarines had to be sent
all the way to Russia for refits.
The Indian Navy therefore began to explore other
sources of submarine acquisition. A technical delegation
of which I was a member visited Italy, Germany, Sweden
and France to evaluate submarines and their equipment
with a view to selecting one which not only met our staff
requirements but also one which could be manufactured
in India under licence.
43
Changing Profile of Indian Navy
Rear Admiral YN Inamdar (Retd)
Royal Navy College, Dartmouth
Our delegation had unanimously selected a Swedish
submarine which was technically the most advanced out
of all those on offer. However due to political
considerations including “ kick-back”, the German
submarine was chosen and preparations were started
for its manufacture in Mazagon Docks in Bombay. At this
time the Nilgiri class frigates were being manufactured
in Bombay.
As a member of a delegation comprising CNS, DCNS
and myself as Assistant Chief of Material, I once had
occasion to interact directly with Admiral Gorshkov, the
father figure of the Soviet Navy. I suggested to him that
instead of the prevailing practice of designs, drawings,
technical literature, stores and spares arriving in India
independently and in an uncoordinated fashion, the date
of arrival of a ship or submarine should be considered
as “D” Day. Drawing designs tech literature, stores and
spares should arrive in India D-minus six months and so
on.
There was one difficulty which had to be resolved for
this new system to work. The Soviets undertook
manufacture of stores and spares according to a rigid
schedule whereby all demands needed to be raised
sufficiently in advance of the beginning of the Soviet
manufacturing cycle. This implied a fairly accurate
prediction of what and how many spares and stores
would be needed, eighteen months in advance. This
was indeed a tall order.
We were used to ordering spares and stores from the
UK on an “as required” basis. Therefore the Indian Navy
had to reorient its thinking and planning, being no longer
tied to the apron strings of the RN.
The Indian Navy needed a balanced blue-water fleet.
Plans were accordingly launched both for acquisition
and indigenous manufacture. The process is still on and
its success depends on good coordination between
defence R&D, shipyards and self sufficiency in training
establishments.
Over sixty years of an independent India is a long
enough period to review the success of the Indian Navy.
On balance the Indian Navy has not done too badly.
At the time of partition in 1947, the Royal Indian Navy
was left with a few old frigates such as Kistna and
Cauvery, some old minesweepers like Bombay, Konkan
and Madras and some Yardcraft for the dockyard like
Elsie and Nancy etc. A target towing tug was also
included. Clearly, addition of more modern ships was
imperative.
For a long time after 1947 British officers on loan from
the Royal Navy were needed to man crucial
appointments such as the Chief of Naval Staff, Fleet
Commander, Commodores-in-Charge, Bombay and
Cochin and even the captain and commander of INS
Shivaji and Valsura training establishments.
One of the side effects of India becoming a republic on
26th January 1950 was that the Navy no longer enjoyed
the status of “senior service” and was relegated to
second place after the Indian Army.
In the 1962 war with China, the Indian Navy mainly
watched from the sidelines. Though we lost INS
Khukri to a torpedo, the Indian Navy was not called
to account in the 1965 war with Pakistan. However it
more than made up for it all in the 1971 war with
Pakistan. The OSSA class missile boats acquired
from the Soviet Union were towed to Karachi and
played hell into Karachi harbour with their missiles.
This was a brilliantly planned and efficiently
executed operation with no casualties on the Indian
side. Our lone aircraft carrier also played a big role
in the East.
It may be said with legitimate pride that the Indian Navy
has proved its worth in both peace and war.
44
abstract
The Indian Navy had a Royal beginning - firstly as it
developed primarily from the strong foundation laid by
the Royal Navy and secondly, it had the good fortune of
being trained by Royal Naval officers who were then
considered as the rulers of the seven seas.
The Indian Navy grew up from an Indian Naval Flotilla
with a couple of ships from 1947 to a full-fledged three
dimensional Navy (over 100 ships) today.
early Beginnings
The Indian Navy gratefully owes its existence to the
Royal Navy which trained and nurtured its officers and
men to a full-fledged Navy in 1958. In fact, the Indian
Navy started with an entire fleet of British origin ships
along with its shore training establishments set up at
Lonawala, Jamnagar and Cochin to cover up the marine
engineering, electrical and seamanship aspects of the
Navy. It is relevant to quote the R.N. training policy
philosophy based on Lord Haldane’s training
philosophy. “It is only by the possession of trained and
developed mind that the fullest capacity can, as a rule,
be obtained. There are, of course, exceptional
individuals with rare natural gifts which make up for
deficiencies. But such gifts are indeed rare. We are
coming more and more to recognize that the best
specialist can be produced only after a long training in
general learning. The grasp of principle which makes
detail easy can only come when innate capacity has
been evoked and moulded by high training”. (As a
former Commanding Officer, INS Shivaji I fully vouch for
this).
Right from Rear-Admiral JTS Hall, (15th August, 1947 to
14th August 1948), Admiral Sir Edward Parry (15th
August 1948 to 13th December 1951), Admiral Sir Mark
Pizey (14th Octoboer 1951 to 21st July 1955), Vice
Admiral Sir Stephen Carlill (22nd July 1955 to 21st April
1958) and finally Vice Admiral RD Katari (22nd April
1958 to 21st June 1962) - it has been a glorious chain
of the topmost cream of both the Royal and the Indian
Navies to have been selected to guide the destiny and
growth of the Indian Navy.
The Indian Navy’s fleet composition up till 1960
consisted mainly of western origin ships (ex-Royal
Navy) comprising two light cruisers, three each ‘R’ and
‘G’ (Hunt) class destroyers, minesweepers and survey
vessels. From a coal-fired reciprocating engine
propelled flotilla to a gas turbine driven fleet marked a
big technological leap. To add to that, the creation of the
Fleet Air Arm in 1959 and the Submarine Arm in 1967
made the Navy three dimensional in the true sense.
Further, the acquisition of a Russian nuclear submarine
in 1985 on temporary lease truly tested the skills of the
Indian naval personnel, much to the astonishment of the
world. This clearly proved beyond doubt that Indian
Navy crews can adapt themselves to any modern
technology.
There have been four distinct phases in the
technological growth of the Indian Navy as below:
* Firstly, steam propelled ships both with
reciprocating engines and steam turbines as
previously operated by the Royal Indian Navy.
* Secondly, the introduction of new diesel propelled
ships with ASRI diesel propulsion engines as fitted in
the Leopard class frigates in 1960.
* Thirdly, the introduction of advanced boiler and
steam turbine technology as fitted in indigenously
constructed Leander class frigates in 1971.
45
Royal Indian Navy to Indian Navy Late Commodore MK Banger (Retd)
* Finally, the introduction of gas turbine powered
ships (the Kashin class destroyers from Russia) in
1980.
The recent launch of the hull of the nuclear powered
submarine by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India shall
open a new era in the technological growth of the Indian
Navy.
some Observations on the rapid growth
The following observations are offered on the
technological growth of the Indian Navy :-
(a) The content of Western origin ships has
decreased to a large extent over the years, giving
way to Soviet origin ships.
(b) The policy of indigenization right from the very
start has now paid rich dividends. The indigenous
ship construction programme produced landing craft,
survey vessels, Leanders, submarines and the
destroyers. The construction of an aircraft carrier is
on the card now.
(c) The acquisition of Soviet origin ships warranted
setting up of a specialized naval dockyard in 1980 at
an estimated cost of over Rs. 5000 crores at
Visakhapatnam.
(d) Also, the training establishments had to
specially draw up new syllabi, training aids and
stimulators to cater for such Soviet origin ships. The
training pattern too had to be modified to meet the
vertical specialist type of demand of the new breed of
ships.
(e) The manning of ships has marginally reduced
though the supporting staff ashore has increased due
to sophistication brought in by modern ships and the
ever increasing high demand for ‘quality’.
(f) The growth of the ancillary marine industry has
not been well planned with structured growth. The
growth has been ad hoc and with the stoppage of the
Leander construction programme the ancillary
industry received a major setback.
(g) The current indigenous development of a
marine gas turbine will be a big achievement. It will
prove that sufficient metallurgical in- house expertise
is available to produce high temperature creep-
resisting blade material which is so essential for the
success of gas turbine technology.
Conclusion
The technological growth of the Indian Navy has far
outpaced the numerical growth of ships in the short
period of 50 years. The credit for this rapid modernization
goes to the naval planners, defence research
laboratories, the shipbuilding yards, the ancillary marine
industry. The Navy has graduated from slow speed
reciprocating engines to high speed gas turbines - the
basic guiding principle being that only new technologies
can win a war as proved in the last Gulf War.
editor’s Tribute:
Cmde MK Banger passed away on 10th September,
2010. He was commissioned in January 1961 in the
Engineering Branch. He served in INS Shivaji in various
capacities and finally as CO. He was a regular
contributor to technical journals and was one of the few
Indian Naval officers who wrote for the British Journal of
Naval Engineering and the Economic Times. After his
retirement, he joined Merchant Navy with Great Eastern
Shipping and later as the Consultant to the Government
of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Maritime Board and the
Asian Development Bank. His last assignment was as a
Consultant to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Development Authority to introduce marine mass
transportation in Mumbai.
Quarterdeck salutes the departed Naval Veteran.
46
The Indian Navy today is one of the largest sea forces
in the world. It is a well balanced and mighty force
capable of projecting power far beyond the shores of
India. It was, of course, not always so. Looking at the
Navy today it is difficult to imagine that it is only over
sixty years ago that it all began.
In 1947 when India became independent and the history
of the Indian Navy really began, it was a small force of
a few World War II frigates and minesweepers. The
Navy had been more or less managed by the Royal
Navy with a preponderance of British officers in
important positions. The senior most Indian officer was
the rank of a Commander. Most of them had been
recruited after war started with only a few months
training behind them. Yet over the next few years, these
few capable men, catapulted overnight to positions of
power, despite their lack of experience guided the
Indian Navy unerringly putting it on the right path
towards consolidation, expansion and eventual
greatness. The modern generation owes these pioneers
an enormous debt of admiration and gratitude for their
achievements in difficult times.
admiral RD Katari.
Admiral Ram Dass Katari,
Indian Navy’s first Indian
Chief of the Naval Staff
had a brilliant career
before joining the Indian
Navy at the outbreak of
war. He was the first
cadet on the new
merchant navy training
ship “Dufferin” and the
first recipient of the Viceroy’s Gold Medal. He had less
than 8 years experience in the Navy at independence.
Yet he was promoted to Captain in 1948 and took over
as the Chief of Personnel. Today no officer can expect
to become the Chief until he is 58 or 59. Yet Admiral
Katari became the Chief when he was just 48 and
retired after a four year’s tenure by the time he was 52!
During his four years as the Chief, he laid the plans and
foundation for the future Navy. He was a great visionary
and some of the plans that the Navy made for its future
during his tenure endured over many years. His tenure
will also be remembered for taking the Navy into the
field of aviation. The acquisition of “Vikrant” in 1961 laid
the foundation of Naval Aviation.
admiral Bs soman.
Admiral Bhaskar Soman
brought to the Navy a
sense of patriotism and
self reliance. He had
shown flashes of these
qualities during his early
years in the Indian Navy.
Son of a freedom fighter,
Bhaskar Soman had
always bristled at the
predominance and attitude of British officers in the
Navy. When he became Chief he began the process of
veering the Indian Navy away from its reliance on the
Royal Navy. Up to that time the Indian Navy had totally
relied on the Royal Navy not only for the supply of ships
but also certain key personnel including its Chiefs.
Against popular opinion, Soman took the first steps of
looking towards the Soviet Union as its chief provider of
equipment. That initial step for the purchase of Soviet
ships and equipment resulted in an enduring
relationship of over fifty years.
A great patriot, Soman did not like the idea of forever
relying on imported ships and equipment. With the full
47
The PioneersAdmiral Jayant Nadkarni (Retd)
support of an equally patriotic Defence Minister, Krishna
Menon, Soman pioneered the acquisition of two
shipbuilding yards, the British owned Mazagon Docks
and Garden Reach Shipyards. Over fifty years these
two (assisted by Goa Shipyard later) have been the
backbone of the Indian Navy supplying it with state-of-
the-art ships and weapons.
After a four year’s tenure Bhaskar Soman handed over
the reins of the Indian Navy at the age of 52 to Admiral
A.K.Chatterjee.
admiral aK Chatterjee.
Adhar Kumar Chatterjee
was one of the most
brilliant officers to serve
the Indian Navy. Earlier in
his career he had made a
name for himself as the
Captain of Delhi. He was
an outstanding
shiphandler and some of
his exploits in that field
drew fulsome praise from officers of foreign navies.
Adhar Chatterjee took the Navy into the missile age. His
name will always be linked with the acquisition of the
famous “AK” (for Adhar Kumar) boats which made a
name for themselves in the naval war of 1971. The
missile boats were off loaded at Calcutta and towed to
Bombay. They had arrived just in time and took part in
the attack on Karachi causing havoc ashore.
Admiral Chatterjee also oversaw the start of the frigate
programme in Mazagon Dock. The keel of the first
Leander class frigate, INS “Nilgiri” was laid in 1966 and
the ship delivered in 1972. Nilgiri was the forerunner of
many subsequent ships delivered by the shipyard over
50 years. Chatterjee, one of the authors of a detailed
naval plan many years earlier, was fortunate enough to
be able to implement a large part of his plan.
Chatterjee also saw the expansion of the Navy in the
underwater arena. It was during his tenure that the Navy
acquired its first submarine from the Soviet Union.
admiral sm Nanda.
Nanda was largely
responsible for bringing
an offensive spirit to the
Indian Navy. Nanda had
the task of preparing the
Indian Navy for the
inevitable war against
Pakistan and he was
determined to ensure
that the Navy would not
lose the opportunity of making a name for itself. He
devised the brilliant idea of towing the missile boats and
using them in an offensive role off Karachi. The rest is of
course history. With the success of his brilliant strategy
Nanda became “the man who bombed Karachi”. With
this action, overnight the Indian Navy became the
darling of the nation.
admiral sN Kohli.
Admiral Surendra Nath
Kohli, a meticulous
organizer expanded the
Indian Navy
considerably. After the
Navy’s performance in
1971 the Government at
last sat up and began to
take the Navy seriously.
Kohli took full advantage
of this and put into action a large acquisition plan. The
SNF (SN standing for Surendra Nath) ships and the
larger EKM submarines along with many other ships
such as missile vessels and minesweepers began to
swell the Indian Navy. At the same time Mazagon Docks
began the construction of the first missile frigate, totally
designed by the Naval Design Bureau.
48
admiral Jal Cursetji. Jal
Cursetji who took over
from Kohli brought to the
Navy administrative skills
and excellence in man
management. The
Navy’s expansion
continued unabated
during Cursetji’s time
also.
Jal Cursetji’s great achievement was to bring to the
Navy its Maritime Reconnaissance capability. Up to
that time the Indian Air Force had insisted on
retaining the Maritime Recce role for itself. Cursetji’s
perseverance and meticulous reasoning finally
convinced the Government about the Navy’s claim
and the Maritime Recce role was finally transferred to
the Indian Navy. This also led to the acquisition of MR
aircraft from abroad greatly increasing the naval
capability in this field.
admiral RL Pereira.
Finally there was Ronnie,
probably the most
beloved and popular of
all CsNS. Ronnie brought
to the Navy enough
humane qualities and
man management skills
to last a lifetime. His
spontaneity pervaded the
Navy. His total candour
as well as his empathy for the common man endeared
him to officer and sailor alike.
The Indian Navy has been fortunate to have such able
people at its helm in its initial years. The growth of the Navy
and its power and ability today is in no small measure to
these pioneers. I hope looking down from above at their
creation they are pleased with what they have achieved.
49
Navy’s 60 years of TransitionCmde MB Kunte (Retd.)
Triggered by Editor’s call for a contribution, I am
putting something down but I would suggest to the
readers to have a look at the compilation ‘Nautical
Nostalgia - fathoms deep’ an old issues of QD to get
a picture of how we went through the transition and
dropped the “Royal” from the Navy in 1950 to become
Indian. Accounts by other writers, especially by
Admiral Jerry Nair, Lila Samson a.k.a I.M.Gaynor,
‘Bubbles’ Ghandhi are invaluable too.
My narration begins in September 1947 when my
brother went to Delhi to appear for the Navy exam
conducted by the F (Federal) PSC. He told us about
the tragic post-partition riot scenes (e.g. dead bodies
on Delhi streets), some of which continued till January
1948 when he was called for interview by the SSB in
Meerut. His second, post-independence, RIN batch,
which included Ram Tahiliani, was flown post-haste to
England to join Dartmouth. (Just a little before
emplaning he was told of his change of branch to ‘S’
because of weak eyesight.) His letters from the UK,
West Indies, Mediterranean, etc. were inspiring
enough for me, and tempting too because of the
glamour, to join the IN. In 1950, the UPSC held a
special exam to select five cadets (we were
sandwiched between the 1st & 2nd JSW courses) and
in July 1951 we sailed from Bombay in the former WW
II troop-ship SS Ranchi, to join the RN College. My
distinct memory on reaching London is of being
invited to tea with the High Commissioner, Krishna
Menon in India House - vividly recalled because of our
struggle of getting into a blue uniform with stiff white
collars.
At our POP in December 1951, Admiral Mountbatten,
then Fourth Sea Lord in the Admiralty, inspected us. I
had made a request (through proper channels!) for
him to sign my copy of a biography, LAST VICEROY
by Ray Murphy. He didn’t oblige but a letter written in
his own hand was delivered to me!
Later when I was serving in the Mediterranean Fleet
he was the C-in-C. One morning, he came to inspect
divisions on the flight deck of HMS Indomitable, at
anchor in the grand harbour of Malta. On conclusion,
and as per his custom, before addressing the ship’s
company he invited us to break ranks and form a
hollow square. He then began by announcing that as
of that morning he had acquired another ‘hat’ - that of
C-in-C, AFMED (Allied Forces Med). Then with a
grand sweep of his arms he turned towards his new
Hqs located in an impressive building in Valetta. That
gesture was timed (and rehearsed) to perfection
because several windows were thrown open, lights
switched on and curtains drawn. That was the style of
a famed showman that he was known to be! As Philip
Zeigler has noted, ‘his vanity, although childlike, was
monstrous.’
In late 1953 I was doing my Sub’s time in HMS
Peacock of the 2nd Frigate Squadron (another ship of
the 2nd FS was HMS Magpie, earlier commanded by
Prince Philip). The C-in-C was famous for his
outward-bound schemes (on week ends he himself
played polo and did scuba diving on the many Maltese
beaches) and once he ordered all ships and
establishments to run a round-the-island race. I was
detailed by my ship and, half way down the circuit, I
was surprised to be signaled to pull to the side - Lady
Edwina Mountbatten was watching and seeing an
Indian in the pack she wanted to have a word with
‘huffing and puffing’ me!
A small consolation was that I received a New Year
greeting card from the C-in-C, signed by Lord Louis.
Now for the transition to the IN, and my first ship, the
destroyer Ranjit on which I was a just promoted two-
striper, TAS officer. 21 inch Mk 9 torpedoes were
carried by the ship and when one forenoon I had
pulled the trigger from the bridge for a practice firing I
instinctively ran to the port side of the bridge to get my
first ever sight of a torpedo leaving the tube and being
on its way. I had hardly any role because the Gunner
(TAS) Mr Chakraverti and the UW sailors had
prepared for the firing to perfection.
Another episode in 1956 was how the fleet (three Rs,
three Gs led by the Delhi) was anchored in line to
greet the Shah-n-Shah and Queen Soraya of Iran.
Our Commissioned Gunner was Mr. Muthu who had
got us to rehearse the sequence of manning and
cheering ship. The snag was that the Navy had just
converted to Hindi words of command. The FOCIF
was Rear Admiral Sir St John Tyrwhit; the Flag
Captain ‘Chippy’ Samson; our C.O. Hayden Arthur
Agate; and X.O Alexander Francis Collaco. Why all
these names? Because all besides Mr. Muthu, were
not fluent in Hindi. But MD Muthu carried the day,
inviting the ship’s company to ‘teen jai ke liye tayyar’
and the full throated thrice repeated order “Iran ke
Shah ‘N’ Shah aur Maharani ki Jai”. Quite a mouthful
for our Tamilian stalwart, not conversant with the new
tongue, so toasts to his chaste Hindi were later drunk
in the Wardroom.
Now, a few years later, to the time when Admiral Sir
Stephen Carlyl handed over to our first Indian Chief,
Ramdas Katari. When RDK retired in 1962 he was just
50! I was his last Flags and was all admiration for the
way he dealt with Delhi’s bureaucracy, much older in
age and senior in service. The Navy had only three
Flag Officers then -DCNS, FOCIF and FOB besides
Rear Admiral Daya Shanker in Defence Production.
Admirals too wore shorts except on rare occasions
when Bush jacket was the norm - Admiral Karmarkar
50
Before our navy entered era of Indian Navy of
independent India it was an interesting period if not a
glorious one. While as a part of Royal Indian Navy we
enjoyed certain experiences which still subtly linger on
in our memories. While in the UK all RIN personnel
enjoyed concessional travel and duty free canteen
facilities Messrs Geeves the famous naval outfitters of
Royal Navy used to supply us quality uniform
requirements on credit just by mere asking and mere
production of identity card. Indian officers picked up
ceremonial swords and bills could be paid even after
arriving in India. I with my two naval colleagues was
invited to a Royal Cactus Society, London annual
function. As important guests humorously we presented
them a prominent hoarding which read “WATER IS
ENEMY OF CACTI”.
During the same pre-independence Royal Indian Naval
service period I had the privilege of sailing to Persian
Gulf onboard HMIS Cauvery from Karachi under the
command of Commander Fickney flying flag of senior
officer Persian Gulf. We visited Bunder Abbas, Abadan
and Basra and at every port British, Canadian and
Australian contingent welcomed us warmly. Same
situation existed when we were stationed in Japan as
part of British expeditionary force.
At Mumbai the British Governor frequently invited
Royal Indian Navy personnel to Governor’s house
parties and proudly introduced them to other
personalities. Equally interesting was the fact that
during those days quality of imported products like
electric toasters, wrist watches, hair dryers, portable
radios, cameras, binoculars perfumes and many other
were scarce. The old Army and Navy store near Kala
Ghora issued special membership cards to Royal
Indian Naval Officers to purchase such items as their
privileged customers. This was besides the NAAFI duty
free canteen facility.
As comic part of this narration we had invited a British
engineer officer before the change over to Indian Navy
serving in HMIS Shivaji, Lonavala to enjoy an old
English film in local cinema hall in Lonavala town. It
was the month of August and raining. As we entered the
cinema hall we were surprised to see every one sitting
with their raincoats on as the entire cinema hall roof
was leaking. Later on arrival in Britain the naval officer
wrote us back that it was his unique life time experience
indeed!
2445, Phase-10, Mohali. Tel: 0172 2233445
51
Those Days of Royal Indian NavyCdr TS Trewn (Retd)
even wore it with shorts.
So I hope this will give some idea of how the service
transited from one level to another and finally to its
present strength.
P.S.1. At the Varuna Bar I was very recently told that
Lieutenants are also entitled to fly; sailors are eligible
for motor car advances. If that is not progress/change,
what is!
P.S.2. The Admiral, recognizing the newly joined
Midshipman as the son of an old colleague, said ‘The
fool of the family has been sent to the sea, I see.’ “No
Sir” was the astounding reply, “times have changed
since your days”! Changed era of gen-next?
“Consider yourself bottled”, was the lconic rebuke from
the young Lieutenant to a sailor. “Is it a matter of life and
death?”, was likewise directed at another who had tried
to interrupt an earnest conversation. And, if confronted
with a technical query, there was always the artless
deflection: “What did you read in the newspaper
yesterday?” Of course I knew that the sailor had not
opened its pages. Yes, I was the Lieutenant in question
in his first appointment in 1957 after 7 years in England.
Since then I have many a time wondered what my
sailors in INS Garuda thought of this eccentric officer
and his puzzling ways who spoke in a markedly different
manner. But one thing is for sure: they soon must have
realized that I was abysmally ignorant of the electrics in
Firefly and Sealand aircraft.
My oddball ways at work - did I say work? - percolated
through to the wardroom as well. Imagine actually
volunteering to be the Mess Secretary. What is still more
incredible was my order that no dinner be served or
even kept in covered plates after 2100 hours knowing
fully well that the PMC, an Instructor Commander, and
his sidekick used to sit drinking every evening till well
past the dinner time deadline. The latter came post-
haste to ask if I knew what I was doing. The answer was
a stony yes.
How about my order to have the Stewards and even the
Cooks - greatly to their disgust - line up for inspection on
the patch of rough grass by the waterside in the heat of
the afternoon! Poor P.O. Steward Swamy had to implore
me to postpone it twice; great was the flak he must have
faced from his hard working crew, because of this
crackpot Mess Secretary.
It was much later that I dimly realised that it was my stint
as the Mess Secretary - combined with the introduction
of some Chinese dishes on gala occasions - that saved
my hide. Commander YN Singh vetoed an adverse
report by my superior in INS Garuda who had quite
rightly seen through me and realized that I hardly knew
the difference between A.C. and D.C. (*He went on to
become a Vice Admiral, deservedly so. Editor-He was
‘Bapu’ Mudholkar, if you wish to say so.)
My peculiar ways extended to my personal life: off to the
squash court to lash a black ball around all by myself at
half-past four after the merest siesta. Back to my cabin-
the walls of which were plastered with prints of
impressionist painters-to shower and play some
Bethoven! Bearer Joseph brought me a cup of tea while
his colleagues went round the cabins to rouse the
slumbering forms who were much wiser than I in the
ways of naval life as lived on Willindon Island’s naval
base in the 1950s.
623, KP Tower 2, Fatima Nagar, Pune-411013
52
RIN-Cambridge Univ-HMS Collingwood-the IN
Cdr Noel Lobo (Retd)
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasksas though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shovesof its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
Helen Keller
I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves-one above the other and the taller we grow, themore easily we could reach them. I now find that God’s gifts are on the shelves one beneaththe other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower.
FB Meyer
300 Squadron completed its Golden Jubilee on 07 July
2010 and in true ‘Tiger Spirit’, invited all those
associated with the Squadron to a wonderful get-
together at Dabolim. Inspite of long embarkations, the
Squadron paid attention to each detail and made every-
one’s stay comfortable and most enjoyable. The efforts
of the serving Tigers, as well as FONA and CO Hansa
made this a truly memorable occasion. Since some
would be covering this event, I plan to give
reminiscences of my days with the Seahawks. They flew
for two decades and played an important role in the
Bangladesh War. On 16 Dec ‘83, Cdr Bapat flew the last
Seahawk sortie, to welcome three Sea Harriers coming
from England.
The remarks of Capt BD Law, the first CO 300, fully
reflect the Seahawk’s capabilities “The greatest tribute
to its flying qualities lies in the fact that, despite there
being no trainer variant, a generation of Indian
Naviators graduated with ease to embarked operations
based only on verbal briefings”. Perfect in many ways, it
was a dream to fly an aircraft, one most forgiving of pilot
error. It flew from aircraft carriers of the British, Dutch
and the Indian Navies and operated extensively from
ashore in the German Navy. After the Germans changed
over to Starfighters, India was able to acquire 28
German Seahawks at a very crucial time. It was mainly
because of these that we had adequate aircraft in 1971.
Also, since these German Seahawks were
comparatively new, we had higher serviceability.
300 Sqn was commissioned at Brawdy on 07 July 1960.
Within the year, it embarked with Lt Cdr Tahiliani and Lt
Ghosh becoming the first two Naviators to land on
Vikrant on 18 May 1961. After its first ORI 300 Sqn
embarked Vikrant, which then sailed for France to
embark 310 Sqn. This was followed by the full work-up
at Malta, where for the next ten weeks HMS Hal Far
provided vital support. On 02 Oct ‘61, when the ORI was
completed, eight pilots had done their night deck-
landings and night armament carried on the range. The
overall performance as a Squadron was assessed as
above average. In less than two years, 300 had
transformed into a full-fledged fighting unit.
Vikrant arrived in India on 03 Nov 1961 and was
welcomed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The squadron
also made its presence felt that day, with an ‘Anchor
formation’ fly-past over Marine Drive and soon dis-
embarked to Sulur. Three weeks later, when the Tigers
were actually looking forward to some time with families,
they were back onboard for ‘Operation Vijay’ at Goa. In
1963, after the Indo-China war, the Seahawks went to
Kalaikunda and Gorakhpur and spent a month there for
joint exercises with the Army and Air Force. Flying in the
foothills of the Himalayas and doing range work are
experiences that are still cherished by the Tigers. With
regular Joint Exercises Trincomalee (JET), visits to A&N
Islands and Singapore, the Squadron continued
operational interaction with Commonwealth Navies.
These exercises and work-ups ensured that the
operational status of the squadron continued to remain
high.
Unfortunately, Vikrant was in dry-docks during 1965 and
thus the squadron, which was on exercise at Jamnagar,
moved to Santa Cruz and provided AD cover to Mumbai.
Then again, before the 71 War, Vikrant was under refit.
Her operational state was debated and a decision taken
for Vikrant to embark both squadrons and move to the
East. In the initial stages, the poor availability of the
Seahawks remained a concern. Fortunately, our German
Seahawks played an important role here. The squadron
finally had 15 pilots and 19 Seahawks for the war. Our
maintenance teams ensured that all Seahawks were
kept fully serviceable and we achieved all war tasks. One
53
The Seahawks of the White Tiger Squadron
Vice Admiral V Pasricha (Retd)
never saw our technical personnel ever resting. Also,
during those eleven days, there were many when the
winds were not sufficient for Seahawk flying. In effect,
300 Sqn fought a ‘seven-day war’, where on many
occasions the Seahawks were flown to their limits,
including with some emergencies and battle-damage,
which made recovery on board extremely challenging.
The association of our Prime Ministers with 300 has
been another phenomenon. In fact, the Nehru family
has spent many days with Vikrant and the Squadron.
Pandit Nehru welcomed Vikrant and later Indira Gandhi
and Rajiv Gandhi spent time at sea on both carriers.
With no cell phones in those days, their entire time on
board was devoted to maritime activity. Because of her
crucial decision-making processes during the 1971 War,
Mrs Gandhi’s association with 300 Sqn was perhaps the
strongest.
There are a few incidents on Seahawks that merit
special mention. These include a young sailor, who had
never flown a Seahawk deciding that he was good
enough to fly it from Madras. He could not land the
aircraft and then ditched it off the coast and survived to
tell this tale. Then, we had a mid-air collision of two
Seahawks, where Ashok Sinha ejected safely and Billy
Dhillon was able to land his damaged Seahawk. Finally,
we have the unique case of Peter Debrass’ Seahawk
falling into the sea on a deck launch that went awry. His
presence of mind and the excellent actions by him and
CO Vikrant, then Capt Tahiliani, ensured that not only
was he back on board in less than two minutes, but
ready for flying.
In later years despite reduced Seahawk availability, the
flying achieved/remained high and in fact improved with
some pilots flying more than in earlier tenures. Also,
night deck landing continued with many pilots qualifying.
No other exercise can build as much confidence in any
pilot as a dark night sortie from the carrier. Then, during
exercises conducted with HMAS Melbourne in Sep ‘77,
all seven Seahawks of the squadron flew, achieving
twice as much as the modern Skyhawks with the
Australian Navy. We also had 100% serviceability
during this entire exercise. From this, it was evident that
there was still ample flying available on Seahawks.
However, the termination of embarked flying soon after
these exercises came as a total surprise. We should
actually have utilised the large quantum of flying available
with the Seahawks, so that the carrier retained fighter
cover at sea. Then, our pilots started flying ashore on
HJT-16s (Kirans). Fortunately this interim period, limiting
fighter training and embarkations, was very short. Soon
enough the transition to Sea Harriers happened and
carriers were back in business-Vikrant for a few years
and then Viraat. I would like to mention here that V Adm
Shekhar Sinha was a young Seahawk pilot then. 300 Sqn
tried to have him deck-land in a Seahawk, but the
opportunity just faded because of some NHQ decisions.
He got ready to deck-land, had completed MADDLs and
was planned to hook-on. Just the night before he was to
do so, the Sqn was informed that there would be no new
Seahawk DLQs. As our senior most Naviator today, his
experience would have been invaluable when we again
start deck-landings on Vikramaditya.
In conclusion, the last fifty years have seen 300 Sqn
grow tremendously, with a lot achieved. One now hopes
that like all IAF Sqns and Army Regiments, the Tigers
too will shortly be presented with ‘President’s Colours’.
54
300 Sqn Officers on Vikrant during the war
A conventional carrier is required to turn into wind for
all launches and aircraft recoveries, to make sure that
the aircraft can be flown safely and to their optimum
utilization. This limitation can restrict the fleet onto one
particular course for a considerable time and could
prove to be harmful in the presence of enemy
submarines. There is no doubt that the carrier force
provides valuable air element to the fleet however, the
force does have this limitation during the air
operations. The naval aircraft also operates with the
help of catapult and arrester gear as the deck run is
always limited onboard an aircraft carrier.
I must narrate one incident here just to prove how
important it is to use all available expertise to recover
aircraft at sea especially the relative recovery.
I was flying Seahawks from INS Vikrant off Madras in
1978. The time was towards the evening and I was to
recover on board as the last aircraft. The flying course
was towards Marina beach as we were also entering
Madras port shortly thereafter. My reporting overhead
was partly over the beach. I was aware of the fact that
we did not have enough time to waste as such, a good
approach and recovery was obviously the foremost
thought in my mind.
I called down wind with four greens and I thought that
my approach was pretty good to surely catch a wire.
Once I hit the deck, with the expectation to get
arrested, I did not get any feelings of sharp
deceleration; I had bolted and initiated go round. Lt
Cdr Flying screamed bolter at the same time. I
analyzed my circuit and approach but my mind was too
busy to effect next arrest.
Not only had I bolted once but I did that three more
times. I was over concentrating to recover with the
result that I was sailing over all the wires, not to
mention that I was practically flying over the beach
now.
On my fourth circuit, with almost no fuel to spare, I
caught the last wire and was literally hanging over the
deck and staring at the beach. The carrier turned as
sharply as the rudder could react, to remain in the
deeper waters. I thought that my aircraft will topple
overboard. The Captain must have had nerves of steel
to go through such a hair-raising recovery for which I
was responsible.
I was obviously shaken a bit. I was also worried to face
a very angry looking Lieut. Commander Flying and the
Commander Air. I must say that no one got after me
but I knew what they all had gone through during my
bolters and in very close quarters of the beach.
The importance of relative recoveries and, to eliminate
restriction imposed on the command, to turn into the
wind for recoveries and launches of aircraft, remained
foremost in my mind ever thereafter, much more so
when I joined the Harrier force.
During my Harrier command we were already
swamped by introducing all sorts of operational
exercises starting from dissimilar air combat at
TACDE, night flying from the deck and many other
exercises from the deck and also from ashore. The
relative recovery introduction was last thing on my
mind however, I knew that it had to be done sooner
than later. The only problem facing me was the lack of
knowledge and lack of any written material on relative
recoveries. One thing we knew; RN was conducting
relative recoveries already.
We had a chance visit by a Royal Navy Harrier carrier
55
Relative Recoveries Onboard Carrier
Cdr BS Hothi (Retd)
when we had the opportunity to fly few sorties
with their Harriers but, more importantly, we
had a chance to share our operational
concerns with each other at the squadron
level. RN squadron invited all the Tigers on
board for lunch and squadron level chit chat.
The squadron commander of RNAS 800
requested me to spend some time with him as
he was concerned about high temperature
operations while the rest of our boys got
together in the Wardroom.
I agreed to share our gained knowledge with
him provided he reciprocated to give me solutions to
our problems. He agreed to let me know whatever he
knew and share his expertise with me. We settled
down in his cabin for pre-lunch drinks and started our
discussions. He obviously wanted to know how he
could reduce the engine counts in each sorties in
Indian climatic conditions. He told me that his
airplanes were falling due for engine change at five
times the rate comparing with colder climates of
Europe.
I gave him the procedure which we followed. He was
obviously pleased that we had mastered flying Harriers
in hot weather. It was my turn to ask him if he could
brief me on relative recovery procedure. He was very
kind to do that and made it look so simple that I was
eager to introduce it to our ship during our next sailing.
The RN and IN, could have got the know how from
BAE for both our problems but BAE offered the
solutions for hard cash which RN and IN were reluctant
to pay. Between two squadron commanders, we
introduced very important procedures for our Navies
by having a casual pre-lunch drink and saved hard
cash for our services.
Although I was confident to get cracking with the trials
for relative recoveries, I had a long discussion with my
Senior Pilot and thereafter, with the whole squadron.
Once we ironed out our procedures to be followed, I
briefed the Captain of our carrier and requested him to
plan out the trials on our next sailing.
Needless to say, the Captain was surprised at my
readiness especially when I was so reluctant to do
so only during my last sailing. When he heard me
out completely, he was happy to let us try out the
concept and put up our recommendations about it.
Incidentally, the Seakings also did not carry out
any relative recoveries since Alizes and Kings
were recovered by turning into the wind; Alize
being the tail hook aircraft. Seaking and Harrier
mix however could have been doing relative
recoveries but no one had demanded that except
for our Captain. I must thank him for doing so
otherwise, we could have delayed these trials
even further or, we may not have undertaken
relative recoveries at all.
We sailed out within a day and went off Goa. Although,
I was ready and wanted to do the first relative
recovery, I still had some lingering questions. The
major concern of mine was that I was not sure how I
will react to the carrier movement when I made
approach from the beam or from the quarters.
Although, I was told by my RN counterpart that I
should ignore the carrier movement all together, it
appeared more difficult than his description; at least, I
thought so.
56
My second major concern was regarding the hover at
45 degree and facing over the deck and onto the blue
water. I was apprehensive that I might get distracted
with the apparent motion of the water and do
something inappropriate during hover.
With all the doubts in my mind but, with absolute
assurance from my counterpart in the Royal Navy, I
was still determined to go ahead with the trials. The
Captain gave his blessings and wished us happy
relative recoveries.
The weather was little wet as it was mid-July 1986 off
the West Coast. Captain, possibly with the
consultations of the Chief, decided to launch me and
recover me on the reciprocal course first. His idea was
to stop the ship and give me practically zero wind so
that I should not have any problem to face cross wind.
What he did not realise was that the stationery ship,
during monsoons, would be rolling and pitching much
more than if she was underway. I got launched for the
first trial with minimum fuel so that I did not have to
wait around too much as the primary aim was to see if
we could do relative recoveries.
Landing on reciprocal course was nothing much other
than the fact that the ship looked different and I saw
the forecastle and the island on the port side rather
than on the starboard side. But still, it made me carry
out a longer approach. I landed on the catapult track
and cleared the area without any undue exhilaration or
doubts about what we had done. This was not a
relative recovery but a step closer to it after all, every
one especially the command, had to be confident
about the continuing trials and we had to do it safely.
Within one week, we sailed again for work up. This
time we had earmarked relative recovery trials as our
foremost exercise. We worked out the approach
angles with Commander Air and with the Direction
Team. We also decided that either I or the Senior Pilot
would remain in the FLYCO for last minute advice.
The first recovery was planned to be from Port Quarter.
Accordingly, the ship created the wind from Starboard
Bow and steadied up on a flying course. I reported
overhead at about 45 degrees to the ship’s course and
turned onto the downwind leg of the circuit. As I saw
different perspective of the ship, my tendency was
again to make a longer circuit. That is precisely what
happened and I had a much longer approach than we
normally did. This was in my view the first point to bear
in mind while carrying out relative recoveries to avoid
stretching the circuit and not to land up on a longer
approach.
Although, I delayed selecting the nozzles to hover stop
still, my approach turned out to be slightly dragging
and was not crisp as we normally did. The whole of the
Port side of the ship was visible which made me feel
that the ship was closer than it actually was. The
second thing which was distracting me was the
movement of personnel below the flight deck as
everyone was keen to witness the new way of Harrier
recoveries. Lastly, it was the ship’s movement itself
which was a serious distraction and I had strong urge
to go round and ask for into the wind recovery.
I was down to 150’ by now and my aircraft had not
drifted as I thought it would do. The CDI marker was
steady on the same spot on the deck where I had first
put it. The motion of the ship therefore, was not the
problem however the strong feeling to correct the drift
would take a few days to get used to. I arrived over the
flight deck at an angle and consciously avoided to look
ahead as it was very distracting to look over onto the
water. Instead, looking at the island to hover was much
easier and practical. After a brief hover, I landed on
spot six or seven. I don’t remember which one I was
given.
After touch down, I did not want to let go of the brakes
as the aircraft was pointing onto an unusual angle. I
could see only water ahead of me and practically no
deck due to the nose of the Harrier. The director
57
assured me that it was OK to follow his directions and
go onto my parking spot. Our first cross deck recovery
had been successfully completed.
Within the next few days, we recovered the aircraft
from all angles however, few approach angles were
considered unnecessary/unsuitable due to following
reasons;
• FLYCO was not happy if we approached from
starboard quarter or starboard bow since the FLYCO
staff could not see us clearly as the aircraft
approached for landing;
• The deck was cluttered up with safety services,
tractors and other stuff on the starboard side and;
• The ski jump also hampered approach on the
starboard side if we wanted to land ahead of the
island.
Keeping all the above points in view, it was decided
that the ship still could recover us, with very minor
adjustments in the intended course, from right ahead
to right astern i.e. within a 180 degree arc as
approached from the Port side.
The whole squadron had a go at it and within two days
the relative recovery method was as familiar as the
astern approach. We also made the Seakings to follow
suit and they promptly obliged to follow us in carrying
out relative recoveries. Much needed freedom to the
command was finally at their discretion.
My Senior Pilot, electronic savvy as he has been, also
found out that we could actually land off the CCA
approaches even while recovering from any angle. All
we had to do was to adjust the Radar cursor onto the
new flying course and we could guide in the aircraft off
the CCA. Our Direction Officer and all the CCA
controllers mastered their skills too to recover us from
all angles.
The only approach aid which was missing on finals
was the Meat-ball and HAPI. Due to this limitation, we
continued to carry out night flying by turning into the
wind.
During our subsequent embarkations, the relative
recovery proved to be extremely helpful as we
recovered Harriers and Seakings in rapidly
deteriorating weather conditions. The aircraft
recovery would have been very challenging if this
method of recovering aircraft was not mastered by
the squadron.
We also introduced another exercise which became a
great help to our handlers-we started to taxi backwards
and could spot Harriers within few inches of each
aircraft thus cutting down the turn around time for
subsequent sorties. Back taxi is only possible on deck
due to FOD concerns ashore.
We also made it a standard procedure to
recover/launch aircraft from anchorage and from
along side. Imagine the happiness of the ship’s
command when an aircraft could be launched without
sailing out, without getting cumbersome machinery
fired up and without even affecting the ship’s
maintenance routine.
58
If I remember correctly, the date was 28th April 1981 (the
last flying of a Seahawk in the Indian Navy, except in
December ‘83 another sortie to welcome the Sea
Harriers). It was a Wednesday. I happened to be the
forenoon DATCO of Dabolim Air Station. As usual after
the morning briefing at 0730 at ADR, I was back at the
ATC building to climb the tower which is 106 feet above
the ground (where normally the non-duty staff won’t
prefer to climb). I personally informed SATCO, the then Lt
Cdr Jagmohan Singh (later he retired as a Commander
and settled in Canada) to provide a reliever, as I was
slightly uncomfortable with an allergy of sneezing (which
later on developed into a chronic asthma and is still
persisting). He replied, ‘’ Go on top the reliever will come
to you in due course of time”. I obeyed that with strict
regimentals and assumed duty on the top floor.
At about 0805 hrs, two Kiran aircraft in formation taxied
out, and got airborne for a dummy dive at Bogmolo beach
which is on the left side of the runway. Therefore the
normal left hand circuit was not allowed and right hand
circuit was in force during dummy dive, which had been
briefed about during the mass briefing. After a gap of ten
minutes I received an RT call - Dabolim 22, i.e. Cdr BS
Hothi, request taxi in a Seahawk for air-test which was
allowed by me. The aircraft entered the R/W- 26 for
takeoff and permission given.
At 0905 the aircraft was airborne, I answered “22 airborne
turn right. Climb 5000 feet O/H for test flight”. Reply from
22 was, “Rojo turning right- my fire warning light on”.
Immediately I got up from my chair and looked up at the
aircraft which was at 1000 feet high over the Headland
(near Vasco town). I cleared the aircraft for a right hand
circuit for immediate landing. I made sure that the runway
was clear for an immediate landing. At the same time the
then Lt KK Kutty (retired as a Commander and settled at
Palakkad) arrived at my back to relieve me which was not
possible then because of the emergency situation. My
right hand thumb on the emergency siren alerting all
safety services, looking at the aircraft found huge fumes
of black smoke emitting out of the aircraft. On seeing the
aircraft I was about to pipe which I did not do realising that
he may eject on receiving the message. I prayed to
Almighty God, holding the mike in my hand, nothing
should happen (my mind visualised that the ejection will
not take place properly due to low height and the aircraft
will crash in the thickly populated Vasco town). I allowed
the aircraft to call ‘finals’ after which I observed the pilot
performing a tight circuit for landing with the continuous
emission of smoke. I took a deep breath and piped the
aircraft to land. Aircraft touched down on the ground
within a few seconds. I was relieved of my tension and
piped “22- touched down safely- smoke observed- crash
tender behind you”. On hearing my conversation I could
see that Lt Cdr Hothi running away from the aircraft
towards 333 Squadron.
I am still surprised how he managed to stop the aircraft
within a distance of 2500 feet and switched off the engine.
Safety services came into action throwing foam under the
command of the then Commander (Air) Cdr YM Bhide. At
the same time I as a DATCO terminated the dummy dives
of Kirans and asked to climb 6500 feet and anchor at 30
NM, north-east Dabolim and establish communication
with Belgaum airport, if any diversion was required and to
conserve fuel and their endurance confined to 35
minutes. The salvage team cleared the aircraft out of the
runway within a span of 20 minutes and made the runway
available for the Kirans to land safely by 0935 hrs.
On investigations by the Board of Inquiry revealed that 64
in number bolts of the main engine had sheared off from
the engine causing fumes emission through the exhaust
pipe. If I had piped about smoke emission from the
aircraft, the pilot immediately would have ejected and his
59
Reminiscence of Air Traffic ControllerLt Cdr Mathew Joseph (Retd)
safety, loss of aircraft, many lives and damage to public
property would have resulted. All of these were averted
by thorough professionalism, presence of mind,
experience and courage displayed by Lt Cdr Hothi.
One more incident comes to my mind which involved Lt
Cdr Hothi and Cdr Arun Prakash (later he became CNS
and retired, settled down at Goa). It happened in end July
or early August of 1981 in an afternoon where again I was
DATCO. The duty commenced 1330 hrs and whereas I
closed up 15 minutes early. I was told that two Kiran aircraft
were airborne from Cochin to Dabolim after being
detached at Cochin. The leader of the formation was Cdr.
Arun Prakash and second aircraft was flown by Lt Cdr
Hothi. The ETA was 1350 hrs. Aircraft were maintaining
flight level of 17500 feet. At 1330 hrs weather report
revealed a moderate shower expected to pass over the
station within 10 minutes, reducing visibility to 1000 meters
with wind gusting at 20- 25 kts. The same was conveyed to
Commander (Air) Cdr YM Bhide as well as the aircraft.
The formation was flying in VMC and requested for
descend clearance at 1340 hrs. At the same time the
shower was over the station and the ATC was only
equipped with a tiny Russian CRT Homer. Monitoring the
conversation Commander (Air) informed DATCO on
intercom- not to allow aircraft to descend and maintain
height, which in turn was passed on to the aircraft. The
formation reported O/H at 17500 feet and their endurance
was reduced to 25 minutes. In the meantime the leader
Cdr. Arun Prakash on RT contacted Commander (Air) -
“Sir, is the weather that bad O/H?” Commander (Air) did
not reply. Perhaps the anxiety of the pilots must have
increased, so were hesitating for a descend clearance. I
was well aware as sitting on the top of the tower at 106
feet above the ground level, the shower will pass over the
station within few minutes and the visibility at the western
side over the sea had already increased. Commander
(Air) still did not allow the aircraft to descend and DATCO
was in a dilemma on controlling the aircraft.
After a gap of few minutes the leader requested DATCO
to give him Homing and Control descend through cloud
(QGH) which I readily accepted, ignoring Commander
(Air)’s intercom instructions. During the QGH I asked the
number two to detach from the leader and leader to steer
2750 which was the out bound track of the safety lane
and asked him to descend to 12000 feet which was his
turning altitude to the inbound heading 0800. I was pretty
sure when the aircraft reaches height of 8000- 7000 feet
the pilot would sight the runway as the shower was
clearing the runway at that moment. After a gap of 15
seconds number two was also asked to follow the same
track and both aircraft sighted the runway and landed
safely at 1402 hrs.
The above situation was dealt with by DATCO with the
help of a tiny Russian CRT Homer and non- availability of
navigational aids at that time. At the fag end of my life and
with great professional pride, I recount these incidents
and those brave officers. May the God Almighty give them
good health and long life.
60
The dictionary defines “Camaraderie” as “Goodwill and
lighthearted rapport between or among friends;
comradeship.” Personally, I feel this definition does not
do justice to the camaraderie that exists in the Navy, at
least as far as my experience goes! I think one could
easily coin a slogan and say, “If you want to experience
camaraderie, Come join the friendly Indian Navy!”
I was born in INS Shivaji as my father then Lt VS
Arunachalam was serving there. My mother, Kamala,
was from a rural background and was quite petrified
when my father introduced her to the Navy. She could
only converse in Tamil and was in awe of the new
surroundings and was apprehensive about
adjustments… but she did not have to wait very long.
People around her accepted her and she grew from
being a reticent and diffident young lady to a confident
and bold person. She soon mastered Hindi and English
with the help of my father and friends in the navy and
pleasantly surprised people at home when she visited
them. Her talent as a violinist and singer was brought to
the fore thanks to NOWA (as NWWA was then known
as) and she was in great demand! This is what
camaraderie did for her!
I grew up in this environment of bonhomie and hence
have thrived in this very congenial atmosphere. Inspite
of the numerous transfers I still managed to do well in
school, because the naval atmosphere always helped
me to settle down quickly. It also taught me to adapt to
changes and make new friends. So it was obvious that
when it came to marriage, I was bent upon marrying a
Naval Officer much to the chagrin of my parents! Life, I
felt, was not just about lucre but the meaning of life
sublimates with good friends and camaraderie which is
abundant in the navy. My parents were on the lookout
for good matches but before they could intervene, I met
my future husband, Lt Rajan in INS Valsura and in true
Hindi film style told my parents that if at all I marry, it
would have to be this young naval officer. My father was
appalled with my histrionics as he chose to label it! Soon
he saw reason and succumbed and I was on cloud nine!
I got married in 1971 and we had a lovely marriage which
lasted for 18 years when fate dealt a cruel blow and
Commodore KMS Rajan passed away. Even at that time
it was the people around me, my friends, who boosted
my morale and kept my spirits up. I had reached a cul-
de-sac, as far as my life was concerned but new
avenues opened as help came from all quarters and the
channels of communication went a long way in shaping
my attitude. My association with the Navy never ceased
and even today I consider that my only home! Even
though it is more than two decades since I was actively
involved in the Navy, my camaraderie with people like
Rear Admiral Ramsay, Rear Admiral V Shanker, Vice
Admiral Cheema and their spouses and a host of others
continues and has helped me to cope with all the ups
and downs in life. It is difficult to describe in words how
all these wonderful people have impacted my life. I
remarried in 1995 and was apprehensive as to how my
present husband, Rajiv Gupta would be accepted. I was
pleasantly surprised to see how warmly he was
welcomed and how happy my Naval friends were for me!
This definitely takes friendship to a higher level.
I remember, a few years ago, Vice Admiral J D’Silva was
heading the Eastern Naval Command; my school
children were going on an excursion and I wanted them
to visit a Naval Ship and a Submarine and so I wrote to
him. Even though we were not very well acquainted, he
did fondly remember my late husband, and promptly
wrote back to me and said that all arrangements for the
kids’ visit would be made. This was also an instance
when my faith in the camaraderie in the Navy was
reaffirmed and I had tears of gratitude in my eyes.
63
Of Friendship it is good to Sing...Mrs Manju Gupta (nee Manju Rajan)
Camaraderie is associated more with ‘comrades in arms’,
relating to fellow soldiers. True, camaraderie is not
restricted to the Armed Forces alone it exists amongst
any group of associates functioning under a set of rules,
more importantly, under difficulties.
Camaraderie springs from having common ‘enemies’, not
necessarily military enemies. School and college kids
have the dreaded enemies like Principal, teacher, exams,
extra classes and so on; criminals have the police and
law enforcing agencies; the Opposition has the perceived
‘ineffective, corrupt, take it all type’ of the Government in
power; cadets on training ships have the bellowing
course officer and the training Chief GI, and so on.
Essentially, for comrades to be thick as thieves, an
element of common hardship is a must ingredient.
Naturally therefore, camaraderie in the Armed Forces is
more noticeable because besides having a common
enemy during war, there is at all times, even or more so
in peace, the permanent enemy - the enemy of the
focussed, well meaning but ruthless authority above that
is charged with the sacred responsibility of keeping the
fighting machine mentally and physically honed and
sharpened. The powder has to be kept dry at any cost.
It is with a bit of humour, bit of light heartedness, that a
gang tries to ease the pain of hardships. Though practical
jokes are aimed at colleagues that will evoke the best
reactions, there is little to prove that such targets become
‘distant’. In fact, the laughter and mirth over a drink
thereafter, seals the camaraderie further.
One’s service or job career may cover a few decades,
however it is the light hearted incidents one remembers
and cherishes more.
As young Midshipmen, the ‘FIFI’ was the symbol of
ultimate achievement, sublime feeling. This curvaceous
clay model, skimpily attired, was the coveted and
safeguarded possession of whichever Gun Room she
adorned. Swimming across channels, climbing up the
cable, through the hawse pipe, squeezing access through
port holes or by masquerading as casual labour, you
name it, all avenues were tried in an attempt to ‘kidnap’
Fifi to your own ship. You got caught the irate defenders
got the ship’s barber to shave an airstrip across your
head!
I am not aware if Fifi still rules or she has been laid to rest
- in the hearts of so many of us from yester years.
The Coursemates bonding has always been strong,
perhaps stronger on retirement. The regular reunions of
retired courses at the NDA or IMA bear testimony to this.
It may also be because we retired foggies have little else
to do.
A particular Divisional Officer (name unimportant), when
we were doing the B & D course at Venduruthy, way back
in 1960-61, seemed the appropriate candidate for a
practical joke. Agarbatti stick of appropriate length was
I now live in Secunderabad and am heading a school
which fortunately is situated in the Cantonment area and
so it is a real pleasure to keep in touch with the
Services, especially the Navy, as many naval wives are
a part of my teaching staff and they bring so much of
good cheer with them. All in all, my experience has
been great and if I was given a choice, I would like to be
reborn as a naval brat!
64
CamaraderieRear Admiral SK Das (Retd)
tied to the wick of a chain of cracker bombs, and placed
under his bed at ‘lights out’. After the calculated minutes
passed, the cracker got lit and there was a staccato of
machine gun fire from below his bed, smoke all around.
“What the b… hell,” he bellowed and looked around at the
bed rooms of the Sub Lts on course, but could only hear
snores of deep slumber, eyes just split open, mouths
gagged to not burst out laughing.
For our Liberty ashore, it was alternate days for Port and
Starboard watches. Our Pocket allowances were a
meagre Rs 30/- per month. Didn’t matter too much, often
the liberty was excused for some misbehaviour. Once,
three of us went ashore for a movie at EROS. After the
movie, we noticed a new sweetmeat shop, ‘Mishtaan’
next to the movie hall. Tempting! Went ahead and had
just two pieces each, not realising that the outrageous
pricing was way-way beyond our means. We scraped
through all our worldly possessions to pay for it and
walked back to Lion Gate. Back in the Gun Room, we just
couldn’t accept that only we had to suffer this. So, within
earshot of a colleague (preferred to be a loner at liberty)
we discussed with great fervour of what a discovery it
was, that we couldn’t believe that we could have had 6 to
8 pieces each, and still paid less than Rs 5/- per head.
“Mishtaan below EROS is now our favourite liberty haunt,
waiting to rush there on our next Liberty” we echoed with
cheer. The next day was this guy’s liberty ashore. The
rest you can imagine, though I do recall he returned on
board with his trousers intact.
We were at Agrani for some field and weapons training.
With us was a tall, strapping Sardar, straight from the land
of the five rivers. In Agrani there was a squash court, with
open wire mesh roof. “Wow! What a pleasure playing
squash, beneath the blue sky” we told this giant. “Come
see,” we said and three of us including him went in. He
looked up at the sky with outstretched hands, “Fantastic”
when he heard the door shut on him and bolted from
outside. Rage, anger, pleading all of no avail! He growled
and growled, but who had the guts to open the door on
this outraged tiger? Almost an hour later, I quietly
unbolted the door and bolted away to just nowhere.
Giants are normally very kind hearted they cool off faster
than getting enraged. Thank God for small mercies!
There was also a very small but meticulous Sardar course
mate. He prided in having the shiniest boots, perfectly tied
turban, but above all, his moustache, long and black,
cheesed in a neat loop on each side with ample ‘fixo’ was
admirable. One night as he lay asleep on the quarterdeck,
with only a few stars through clouds as witness, a small
pair of scissors knocked the loop from only one side. Next
morning it so happened that just about nobody happened
to be going the same way or crossing as he. Cruel, but not
so intended! He still knows that each of us would stand by
him in the face of the enemy.
As Sub Lts, or even younger, one was perpetually hungry.
Food packets from home or from visiting relatives were
things of joy. Yes, it was shared, but not necessarily with
everyone, really not enough to go all around. A colleague,
whilst we were at Valsura for Electrical training, received
a nice looking parcel, the aroma a tell tale. He went
quietly and locked it in his M.E.S. cupboard, and denied
having received anything, “just some books and clothing!”
While all of us were out from the dormitory, at games, few
of us crept back and physically shifted his cupboard down
the line placing another cupboard in its place (they all look
alike). On return from games, it was fun watching him
trying to unlock the wrong cupboard. Some of us tried to
help him with the lock, quietly slipping his key to someone
else’s to open his real locker down the line, taking out the
packet and offering sweets to everyone, including him. He
was unsure whether to own up that they were his sweets
or somebody else’s.
These and many more! In later years, while bending the
elbow at some bar, it is these and not some highly
professional incidents that evoke the feeling of nostalgia,
the feeling of camaraderie. “We have been through thick
and thin, TOGETHER”. We are the best!
65
missing the Train
It was way back in 1958 when I was posted as
Commanding Officer of SPC 3112, as a Sub Lt, based
at Vizag. I was selected to represent the Eastern Naval
Command in Hockey at the Naval Championship being
held in Mumbai. On completion of the championship we
were to leave for Vizag and enter the train at Mumbai VT
at 1900 hrs. A friend and I decided to go to Chembur
(suburb of Mumbai) to meet an old friend as we had time
on our hands. We were put up at the Vasant Sagar
Mess on ‘A’ road. On return from Chembur, which we did
by scooter, we had problems. First we ran out of petrol
and had to push the scooter a good 1 Km. Then near
Dadar we got a flat tyre. I knew I would never make it in
time to the train, so I rang up Lt Ravi Tickoo who was
our Officer-in-Charge (on retirement he became a
shipping magnate and owner of Globtek). He was very
calm and told me “Johnny don’t worry I’ll take your
baggage and hold back the train for up to 15 minutes”. I
jumped into a cab and rushed to the VT station. To my
surprise on arrival at the platform I was met by the
Station Superintendent and his staff and escorted to my
compartment. Of course Lt Ravi Tickoo was relieved to
see me and the train departed. Later Ravi Tickoo told
me that he had told the Station Superintendent that I
was carrying some secret documents of national
importance which had to be delivered at Deolali (an
Army cantonment en route) most urgently and so the
Station Supdt had agreed to delay the train by 15
minutes!!
Gharial at sea
I was in command of INS Gharial in 1969 by
coincidence again based in Vizag. We did frequent
sailings to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and on this
trip in question we were carrying supplies from the main
land. Also on board were some chickens escorted by a
few Army Jawans. Nearing the islands we were hit by a
cyclone of great ferocity. The ship was tossed around
like a cork and my Coxswain and I were among the few
on board not sea sick. He was very skeptical and looked
worried. The ship was now rolling and pitching and with
every “buffeting” the ship would shudder. On one such
shudder he couldn’t help uttering “Saab aaj jahaz doob
jayage”. Anyway we somehow managed to weather the
storm and when the sea grew calm he tells me “Saab
aaj chicken khayega”. I accepted the offer and in a short
time he turned up with a well roasted chicken. I asked
him where he had got the chicken and he said it was
one of the chickens belonging to the Army escort and he
was able to pinch two birds. Later I heard that these
were prize birds being taken to the Islands for breeding.
I reported this to late Capt Dhareshwar, NOIC and he
was very understating and said that he would handle the
Army.
Defence services adviser
Yet another incident was when I was Defence Services
Adviser in Sri Lanka in 1978 and had come to India on
an assignment. I was returning to Colombo via
Trivandrum. The Sub Area Commander at Trivandrum-
Col. Hoon who was with me in the academy as a cadet
gave me an Army jonga to go from the Railway station
(I had just arrived from Bangalore by train) to the airport.
Halfway to the airport I found a crowd of people who
were stopping all vehicles and man handling occupants.
As I was dressed in suit and tie and the driver of the
jonga was in uniform they left us and attacked the
vehicle behind. Traffic had come to a standstill. The mob
was getting violent and unpredictable and beating up
people at random. Time was running out and so I
decided to take my luggage and find my way to the
airport by some other means. I got out from the side of
the vehicle with my baggage quietly and entered the first
compound and knocked at the door of the house and
told them of my predicament. They let me use their
66
Close EncountersCmde JP Carneiro (Retd)
phone. I rang the Sub Area Commander and asked him
to inform the airport. I left the house of these good
Samaritans by the back door, walked some distance on
the back road and soon found an auto which took me to
the airport. Passengers were already emplaning. The
staff however rushed me through and I got on the flight.
Later I learnt that there was enmity between two political
parties and one party had “chopped off” the head of the
opposing party member causing this mob violence.
In Retrospect
Today we live with our memories and God in His wisdom
gave us minds to capture and recall so much that
gladden our hearts and remind us of them good old
days. We are never alone for we have memories to
keep us company in our rocking chair days.
67
In the war of 1965 the Navy was caught with its pants
down. As was our usual custom the Fleet left Bombay
prior to monsoons to operate in the calmer waters of the
East Coast, so when things hotted up we had to rush
back to Bombay, and MYSORE just managed to leave
Calcutta before being caught by the BORE tides.
The Fleet ships operational at the time were MYSORE,
16 FS and 14 FS. At that time the 14 FS were pure Anti
Submarine ships and the 16 FS were our gun ships. So
our war orders were that in the event of a gun action,
operation MURGA would be ordered, when F14 was to
get his Squadron (three ships) out of the way and station
these on the disengaged quarter of MYSORE.
On one sortie when we were operating South of Gujarat
Coast with the usual ships on the screen giving anti
submarine cover to MYSORE very early in the morning
much before dawn, there was a cry from BEAS (on the
screen) that “ENEMY bearing XYZ degrees ABC miles”.
At once battle stations and MURGA were ordered,
whereupon F14 positioned his Squadron on the
disengaged Port Quarter of MYSORE.
Having done this, I (F14) then went out of the bridge to
the wings and sat on the replenishment stool in the open
to watch the FUN. Dawn was now just breaking and I
ordered tea, hardly had I done this, when we heard gun
shots “PHUT PHUT”. The first couple of bullets fell short
of MYSORE then another “PHUT PHUT” got even
closer to MYSORE. I remember turning around to my
No. 1 who was near me and saying “BABUR (the
Pakistan Cruiser) is shooting well today”
A few seconds later came the order from MYSORE
“CEASE FIRE” “CEASE FIRE”. It turned out that BEAS
on the screen got his Ops Room PPI in a twist-it had
slipped by over 180 degrees, and was reporting
MYSORE as the enemy and firing at her. The Captain of
BEAS at the time was a Long “G” officer and he never
lived that one down.
The principal players in this sortie were:-
Flag - Rear Admiral BA Samson.
MYSORE - Captain DR Mehta.
BRAHMAPUTRA (F16) Captain Kirpal Singh.
BEAS - Commander G Dasgupta.
KHUKRI - (F14) Captain RKS Ghandhi.
KUTHAR - Commander BD Law.
KIRPAN - Commander DS Paintal.
1965 War-A Very Close EncounterVice Admiral RKS Ghandhi (Retd)
Naval three dimensional warfare and encounters, as we
all know, take place at a respectable distance! Earlier,
guns, torpedoes, Depth Charges, hedge hogs and now
additionally missiles, rockets etc. achieve their targets by
just the pressing of a button after due scanning and
appreciation of different electronic sensors in the comfort
of an air conditioned Operations Room. However, for
naval personnel the excitement of close encounters is a
possibility during operations of amphibian, anti-piracy,
anti smuggling/poaching and anti terrorism nature.
During my service in the Navy and Merchant Navy I too
had my share of risky encounters, ashore, afloat and of
different sorts. Motivational force was either as required
for saving a fellow human being, just discharging a
difficult task or acting in self defence.
In 1963, besides being a Divisional Officer at ‘Angre’, I
was also appointed as the Secretary of ‘Vasant Sagar’
Mess located on the Marine Drive and Manager of newly
constructed Sailor’s Home. Life was busy, interesting
and eventful.
Usually after supper in the Mess, we came out for a stroll
on the sea front. It was unusually nippy for a Mumbai
December night. Sea breeze was strong and surprisingly
there were only a few people on the Marine Drive
opposite Natraj Hotel. Time was around 9.00 p.m. and it
was a moonless night. A naval colleague and I crossed
the Marine Drive on foot and decided to board a double
Decker ‘C’ route bus for a pleasant sea front ride to
Chowpaty and later to indulge in our favourite ‘Kulfi
Phaluda’ and ‘Banarsi Pan’.
My mate and I stood in the bus queue with a few
passengers for barely a minute. Suddenly an old man
came running towards us, shouting for help on being
chased by some ruffians. Simultaneously the bus arrived
and within a flash, sensing trouble, all the passengers
and my mate boarded the bus. The conductor with
unusual alacrity rang the go ahead bell and the bus sped
away towards Chowpaty.
My focus shifted instantly and entirely on the old man in
distress whom I immediately sheltered behind my back.
The thought of bus ride on Marine Drive to be followed
by ‘Kulfi’ and ‘Pan’, evaporated very fast. The bus was at
a distance of about 200 meters. My vicinity was totally
deserted on the right and left. The Marine Drive had
about 3 feet high hedge in the middle and overhead
neon lights. The old man mumbled that he was a horse
cart driver (four wheeled ‘Victoria’ with two horses) and
these thugs were trying to rob him of his day’s earnings.
The cart was stationary on the opposite side. The
gangster’s big knife was being flashed menacingly in the
middle of the road.
I girded my loins and was ready for the encounter. How
I wished that I had carried my seaman knife or even the
Swiss one. Notwithstanding, I felt strong with my bare
hands and of course the celestial power backing up the
right cause.
The gangster rushed towards me flashing his fairly long
knife. I was in a defensive position, totally prepared for
an offensive thrust. The Victoria (Tonga walla) driver
bolted from behind my back and rushed to his cart
parked on the opposite side. In a jiffy he and his ‘rath’
flew past with two white galloping horses signaling the
start of ‘Mahabharta’.
Now I was the only target for the robber. He narrowed
down his focus on my left wrist, carrying a Rolex watch
and my protruding left leg side pocket carrying a purse.
His main aim being the robbery, the knife was hoisted
above in his right hand. With his left hand and full body
68
Close Encounters - hand to handCdr RM Verma (Retd)
force, he pounced on my bulging pocket. He did not
realise that I was a left hander who was thoroughly
seasoned with boat pulling, single games of tennis and
left arm bowling. In a flash he thrust his free hand in my
pocket. Like a wrench my left hand grasped his stealing
hand. My free right hand grabbed his wrist carrying the
dagger. It was time for one-two-six and big push! In the
ensuing grapple the rascal fell flat on the ground with his
dagger flying towards the hedge. This was too much of
an insult for the other members of the gang who were, so
far, lying low on the other side of the hedge. Barking foul
war cries they all regrouped and formed a horse shoe
screen and started advancing towards me with daggers
drawn and a clear cut goal to kill me in revenge. I felt like
a lone ‘Kabaddi’ player but fully charged! A quick
reappraisal was done. My aim of protecting the asylum
seeker had been achieved. In addition I was unarmed
having still acted bravely in self defence.
A glance to the left caught the same deserting bus
heading towards Chowpaty but appreciably slowed
down. I sensed, this was my only chance. The gang was
closing in rapidly and I mustered all my dodging skills
with nautical zig-zag superimposed! With one final
deceptive move, I steered clear of the fast mounting
danger and sprinted towards the bus. The scamps soon
realized that, they were unmatched to my fighting skills
and gave up as a bad job.
Next day on the breakfast table, I curiously glanced
through the Times of India. The story on the front page
read ‘Man Stabbed on the Marine Drive, robbed of his
watch and purse’. The names and ages of six nabbed
criminals appeared in the news item. The victim was safe
in the hospital. All the criminals belonged to a particular
community of Central Mumbai.
At Charleston USA: In 1980, a similar episode happened
outside the port of Charleston on the east coast of USA
I was captain of a merchant navy bulk carrier. While
returning to my ship after an evening walk, I was
confronted by a black American who demanded my
purse. Once bitten is twice shy. After the Marine Drive
incident, I always made it a point to carry a button
actuated knife in my pocket and wear no watch on my
wrist. I put my hand in my trouser pocket and feigned
bringing out the purse. But in a flash I actuated my button
pressed knife. The guy was shaken by my surprise move
and fled away!
Nearly 50 years have rolled on. The civil society is still
passive on matters which do not directly concern them.
There are some stray incidents of lynching and mob
retaliation. People should not take law in their own hands
irrespective of our inefficient police and judiciary. Age of
chivalry must dawn again and a fellow human being or
for that matter an animal in distress must be helped at
any cost.
69
Unknown soldierCmde RS Malia (Retd)
Trumpets, blast of bugles sound, wreaths of flowers
Very often to honour you.
One looks at you recognizes you -
A Soldier, who laid his life
For the nation.
We don’t know your origin
But pride and determined brave approach
Reflected in your eyes when you were alive.
You gave your life thus keeping our tomorrow safe
Your brave deeds inspire your old comrades and
Nation bows to you
Wish I could talk to you in person
But stones don’t talk
Still, your face answers every question
Live on you stone magnet
Thus give us courage
And recharge our loyalty to Nation
You represent a great sentinel
Live on our son!
37, Sunita Cuff Parade, Colaba, Mumbai-400025
Over the years in the Navy - I must have come across
a huge number of patients. I still remember some of
them vividly because of some unusual presentation. I
venture to depict some of them.
Instant idea that saved the situation:
This, a Cdr., an officer from INS Garuda was in the ICU
for management of withdrawal symptom. After a few
days - heavy sedatives were withdrawn and I planned
to transfer him to de-addiction centre at Air Force
Hospital, Bangalore. On the morning of
his transfer by a Naval Aircraft - there
was extreme chaos in the ICU. I
rushed to the ICU - to gather that
patient refuses to go to
Bangalore and sitting on the
bed in his hospital rig. All of
my requests went in vain.
Pilots were getting
restless and I had to do
something. Within a few
minutes with the help of
my Medical Assistant - I
managed an empty bottle of
XXX Rum and filled up with
Coca Cola and wrapped the bottle with a newspaper. I
was alone with the patient and promised him the bottle
if he listened to me. He grabbed the wrapped bottle, as
soon as he saw the label. I had not seen such a
satisfied man in an ICU in my life. He promised to use
it only at Bangalore. The aircraft left an hour late and
in the evening I got a call from the psychiatrist at
Bangalore about his uneventful admission in the ward.
an extremely upset admiral reluctant to get
admitted:
INHS Kalyani - was inside the base. Hospital had just
acquired a modern ICU and equipped with some
cardiac instruments donated by NOWA. It was a hot
and humid afternoon. Admiral of the Fleet enters my
tiny consultation room with his Flag. The Fleet had just
come back from an exercise and the Fleet Commander
was not feeling bright. After a brief but very quick
assessment, I asked for an ECG. With little persuasion
he agreed to undress for the ECG. Going through the
tracings - I had no choice but to put him in ICU. While
the Admiral was dressing up on the bed to get down -
I went to him - knowing fully well - the task was not
easy to disclose to Fleet Commander to stay in the
hospital. I took all courage and timidly
apologized to my inability to
let him go home. Initially he
was furious and literally
wanted to get out of the bed
and go home. After a second
thought he called the Flag
and expressed his intention
to listen to my advice. He
wanted to climb down and
walk to the ICU. I told him this
time firmly, ‘Sir, once the
diagnosis is confirmed you
will be taken to ICU on
stretcher only!’ After a stormy week his clinical status
settled down and in due course he was sent on sick
leave.
Years later - we met at Bombay when I was Senior
Adviser at INHS Asvini. He still remembered that hot
and humid day in Vizag and had a big laugh.
Transcendental meditation and Practice in ward:
Transcendental meditation and practice of pranayam
were popular at Naval Park, Vizag at that time. One
Flag Officer - was kept in the Officers’ Ward for
irregular heart beats - which was detected during
70
Humour in HospitalSurg Cmde Ranjit Das (Retd)
Annual Medical. He was a very quiet and calm person
devoting time to meditation even in the ward. I used to
visit the Officers’ Ward first before going to other
wards. Very often I found him doing his yogasan on the
bed when I had to wait with the sister - till he called me
to examine him. It was a worthy scene in the
Officers’ Ward, the patient practicing
meditation and the poor doctor is
waiting till he called you by the left hand
and right hand thumb still closing his
right nostril. He would ask me to
feel the pulse - while still doing
breathing exercise. Sometimes -
I used to encourage him by
telling - ‘Sir, pulse is regular
(though it was often not).
There used to be a satisfying
smile over his face. That
probably relieved his tension.
However, with little
medication available in those
days - he became stabilized
and he went home. This incidence happened much
before the present Ramdev Cult - which is established
now as a complementary management of many heart
problems.
a sincere patient:
This young Cdr from dockyard in his late thirties was
on sick leave after his discharge from hospital. He
decided to stay in his Naval Park House during the
Sick Leave. As usual I advised him on medicines, diets
and regular long walk. This officer was extremely
regular in his daily walk as I could see him very often
from my 60, Naval Park house balcony.
One evening it was raining heavily with very high
winds - and I found - Cdr on his fast walk completely
drenched with his umbrella flaps blowing upwards. I
tried to draw his attention asking him to go home but
he missed. He continued his ritual and I knew the
consequences. He landed next day at my
consultation room with running nose and
uncontrolled sneezing.
But, a good patient as he was and followed
the doctor’s order - line by line -
he recovered well and later
started his 2nd innings in the
Merchant Navy - which involved
climbing six to seven decks several
times a day.
Frustration of the medical
Division:
A senior sailor’s wife was brought to INHS Asvini at
midnight with history of consuming liquid Tik-20. This is
used to kill bed bugs - and hence
easily available in grocery
shops. Earlier, the fatalities
were high. After a very hectic
week she recovered well and
the Medical Div. was relieved. I
decided to discharge her and told the sister to prepare
the discharge paper. As is the custom I told her in
Hindi, “Bahenji - you will go home today. But do not try
to repeat this in future. You have already noticed the
plight of the doctors during these days. You survived
probably you consumed half a bottle”. I did not realize
that I made a mistake. She gave a funny concealed
smile and replied in Hindi, ‘Doctor Saab - I will not
disturb the doctors in future - like this - putting
everybody in plight. I know the full dose now”.
The whole Medical Div. behind me was stunned to
hear this. I looked at her face and broke the silence by
turning to the sister and told sister, “Cancel her
discharge. Refer her to the psychiatric ward today”.
The Medical Division proceeded to the next patient!
Ashirbad, BD297, Bidan Nagar-1 Salt Lake city,
Kolkata - 700064
71
Sea Dog is a commonly used mariner’s term to describe
an old and very experienced sailor. In the last 37 years
in the Navy I have come across many sailors who really
fitted this term like a glove. They were well and truly at
home whilst the ship was at sea and were like a fish out
of water once she returned to anchorage or tied up
alongside. There were very few things which surprised
them. One such sailor was the ship’s Master Chief
Bosun’s mate with 33 odd years of service on board my
old ship Magar in 1974 which did ‘Buffalo Runs’
between Vizag and the A&N Islands. He did not bat an
eyelid when told to get the tank space ready to carry 250
odd buffalos. With dogged determination, he got it ready
in no time. He made it look as if ‘animal husbandry’ was
as simple as ‘ship’s husbandry’. Further, he was from
the then Quarter Master branch and was truly thrilled to
see an entry about birth and death in the ship’s log (of
buffalo’s calf of course) for the first time in his naval life.
Dog as a Stowaway, is a rarity anywhere and more so in
Indian Navy! However, I have had a first hand
experience at Vizag of such a stowaway. As a young
TAS Officer of a Kamorta Class ship we sailed for ASW
rocket firing trials. Three hours after leaving harbour, the
trials commenced and the aft launchers were fired first.
The laid down safety measures were taken and the port
aft launcher fired two rockets. The firing was quite noisy
and was heard all over the ship. On completion, the
concerned launcher crew came on the deck to check
and there was a sudden commotion on the quarter
deck. The crew appeared to be chasing something
which wasn’t apparent from the bridge. I went down to
investigate and to my amusement realized that it was a
terrified black coloured mongrel that they were after.
They managed to collar it before it jumped over the side.
On return to harbour couple of hours later it was sent
ashore. How it came on board, and how it managed to
remain without being seen by anyone till the rockets
were fired remained a mystery. I could only surmise that
the runt must have crossed the brow during the middle
watch and unnoticed by the duty QM went to sleep
under the torpedo tube mount on the upper deck and
was violently woken up by the rocket firing noise. It must
have been his lucky day since he missed becoming a
‘hot dog’ by cat’s whiskers and in the bargain had a day
at sea. May be he was nicknamed ‘sea dog’ by his
canine friends in ND (V).
Dog as a passenger is also quite uncommon in our
Navy. Well, as a Captain of a Cochin based Inshore
Mine Sweeper I had to play host to the then C-in-C,
South’s labrador retriever during the ship’s passage
from Goa to Cochin. Since I was not a dog owner, I was
very apprehensive on the labrador’s sea keeping
qualities, its temperament etc. I need not have worried
since the labrador came with the Admiral’s Flag
Lieutenant. For a ship with only two officers including
me, the Flag Lt’s presence was a boon. He stood a
couple of watches and it did include a Dog Watch. I
remember telling the Flag Lt in jest that I didn’t mind him
and the labrador sharing the Dog Watch. The labrador
however remained absolutely quiet as a mouse during
the 36 hours passage and did not stir out from his place
on the open bridge. Except for drinking water he didn’t
eat even a morsel. By the time we commenced entering
Cochin Harbour, he was well and truly back to his
normal labrador self. On tying up along side he was the
first one to leap ashore on terra firma with an
enthusiastic farewell woof.
Dog in an Office, is not an every day affair, but it’s not
uncommon either. One such incident occurred when I
was posted as FASWO in Eastern Fleet on completion
of my Staff College at Wellington. It was ‘Close
encounter’ with a pomeranian, alleged to be a very
friendly breed. A day after I joined the Fleet Office I was
72
Encounters With A Sea Dog And Dogs In The Navy
Captain NV Sarathy (Retd)
to call on the FOCEF in Dress No.2’s. Along with me
were three others, all fresh from DSSC. The first to go
was the FNO and after spending about 10 minutes with
the boss he came out and warned us to watch out for
the pomeranian inside. FGO and FCO finished their call
and said nothing about the dog. It was my turn next. The
FOCEF was sitting on his ornate table and asked me to
sit down and we got talking. I suddenly felt a gentle nip
on my ankle and when I looked down I saw a bundle of
fur staring at me with a bemused look. The eye contact
seemed enough for it to put its paws on my leg and start
sniffing me. This made me squirm in my chair. The Fleet
Commander noticed my uneasiness and told me not to
worry and said that the pomeranian was his, very
friendly and meant no harm. I wasn’t very sure whether
the pomeranian was listening to him because it only got
bolder and looked ready to jump on to my No.2’s clad
lap. Looking at the alarmed look on my face, the FOCEF
bent down and told the pomeranian to get lost and it did!
I had a feeling that it sniggered at me before scooting off
from below the table and thereafter remained out of my
sight. I met the FNO outside; he took one look at my
face and gave me the ‘I told you so look’. I didn’t
encounter the FOCEF’s Dog thereafter during my
FASWO tenure in the Fleet Office.
I am not a dog owner even though they are known as
the man’s best friend. It may be because they don’t talk
behind your back, a sign of a good friend and they
remain with you through thick and thin. Inspite of above
close encounters, I have not been tempted to own one.
As a mariner I have been quite happy to have an
aquarium instead. The fish are also our good friends,
the most undemanding variety.
73
BRaVaDO
During Cadets training at Joint Services Wing Dehra
Dun, one of our batch mates had a knack of getting
punished for mischief frequently, Hence his number
for doing extra drills invariably appeared in the list
displayed on the notice board. After a few weeks, he
started taking punishments for granted by reporting
for extra drills without looking at the notice board.
With the passage of time, as luck would have it, his
name did not appear in the list of offenders since he
had completed his punishments. Never the less he
reported for punishment in time as usual,
consequently, the JCO in-charge, not finding his
name in the list, ordered him to fall out and march off.
There upon the cadet requested the JCO to let him do
the extra drill and adjust that against future
punishment.
NOT gUILTY
While on board INS Tir, one of the Cadets used to break
the Dinghy’s mast every now and then, while bringing it
alongside after sailing. One afternoon he was lined up
before the Training Officer who said, “I have been
repeatedly advising you about the correct approach
while bringing the boat alongside but you don’t seem to
understand. I think there is either something wrong with
you or with me.” The Cadet smartly but respectfully
replied,” There is nothing wrong with me sir.”
Portable fittings
During Naval Stores class at INS Hamla, the Instructor
asked one of the trainees to give an example of portable
fittings. The trainee promptly replied “Dentures used by
naval personnel, Sir!”
Humour In UniformCdr VK Mohan (Retd)
The capability of officers to have one too many drinks is
well known (a diminishing breed these days). But seldom
ever a drinker with the worst reputation would have been
served his drinks so well. So this officer before he retired
for the night ordered for ‘Garam Paani’ with Hands Call to
the duty Steward. As they say in the Armed forces orders
of superior officers should not be questioned. But
sometimes the enthusiasm and zeal to execute the
orders overrides sane reasoning. The duty Steward
readily nodded his head, though in Wardroom circles this
Steward was famous for mixing up orders and his ‘LIFO
syndrome’ (Last In First Out). So imagine to horror and
surprise of the officer when the Steward woke the officer
up with Hands Call with a glass of ‘rum paani!!’
Another day another time another officer and another
Steward and history repeats itself. The officer decided to
give a break to the duty Cook and what better way to
break the monotony of the ship’s food with Maggie
(probably the greatest invention after the food processor
or was it before). The two minutes preparation that goes
into making a Maggie truly defines the chef’s skill and
gives Maggie a personal touch. The officer gave
directions to Steward on garnishing required and
mentioned to add ‘muttor’ (peas). The Steward nodded
with a twinkle in his eye as if he had read the officer’s
innermost thoughts and proceeded to the galley. The
readiness report on the Maggie was made by the Steward
in five minutes (the mandatory two minutes is always
exceeded and the issue has been taken up with Nestle
time and again). The beaming Steward with immense
pride of a pro-chef presented the officer with ‘Mutton
Maggie’! To this day nobody in the ship was able to figure
out how the Steward managed mutton on a Tuesday (a
Veg. day) but the recipe if forwarded for Maggie contest
will surely beat other recipes hands down.
74
Hearing A.I.D.SLt Cdr GA Mathew
A man called home to his wife and said, “Honey I have
been asked to go fishing up in Canada with my boss and
several of his friends. We’ll be gone for a week. This is
a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I’ve
been wanting, so could you please pack enough clothes
for a week and set out my rod and fishing box, we’re
leaving from the office and I will swing by the house to
pick my things up”. “Oh! Please pack my new blue silk
pajamas”.
The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good
wife she is, did exactly what her husband asked. The
following weekend he came home a little tired but
otherwise looking good.
The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught
many fish? He said, “Yes! Lots of salmon, some bluegill,
and a few swordfish! But why didn’t you pack my new
blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?”
You’ll love the answer...
The wife replied, “I did. They’re in your fishing box....!”
In Lighter VeinVice Admiral Harinder Singh (Retd)
In the good old days, midshipmen spent a year at sea
and not six months as is the practice today. Of this,
the first six months were spent on the cruiser, three to
four in small ships and then reassembly in the cruiser
followed by the Seamanship Board. Thus it was that
on the first day of January 1959, 30 newly promoted
midshipmen of the 14th NDA Course climbed aboard
the Mysore lying at CB1 (Cruiser Buoy 1-is it still
there?) in Bombay harbour, having taken passage in
the old reliable, MV Elsie, from Challenor Steps in the
Naval Dockyard. We were soon shown our place,
literally, one deck below, in Chest Flats no larger than
12 feet by 12 feet where we stowed all our worldly
belongings in one single locker each. Around the
corner was the Gun Room which could seat a dozen
at a time while just outside the door of the Chest Flats
sat the ship’s Keyboard Sentry, with all important
keys hanging in a locked cupboard! In these luxurious
lodgings, truly so given the conditions in the Cadet
Training Ship from which we had come, we began to
learn to become officers and gentlemen. Our Training
Officer said that we would do this ‘observing and
learning’ this methodology had been good enough for
him (he scored brilliantly while a midshipman with the
Royal Navy) and it should be good enough for us.
Mysore sailed the next day and our training-by
observing and learning-had begun. We were gone
from home port a good three months for what was
called Springex, for Spring Exercises. Sometime in
June, we were shifted in batches of three to the small
ships and sailed for Summerex or Summer Exercises.
Mysore did a six week spell of refit and repair. The
next batch of midshipmen, of the 15th NDA Course,
was, therefore, embarked in the cruiser Delhi.
Sometime in early September, we returned to
Mysore. Thus it was that, in mid September 1959,
both cruisers lay moored head and stern to the buoys
in Cochin, one behind the other, midshipmen of 14th
and 15th Courses aboard. Raids by midshipmen to
ships of the Fleet, to take away mementos, later
traded for good scotch, were part of the training
process.
Pride of place in Mysore’s Gun Room was occupied
by its reigning deity-FIFI. About a foot and a half tall
and a foot across, it was a beauty in white polished
stone, sitting in the traditional Lotus asana, smiling
serenely, its modesty protected by a strategically
placed piece of red ribbon. It had been presented
some years ago to a much more senior batch of
midshipmen by their counterparts in the Thai Navy
and had adorned our Gun Room ever since. Because
its prized nature was readily understood, it was kept
in a glass enclosed box, under lock and key. Every
day, it provided sustenance to hungry eyes and many
were the stories, embellished with every telling, told
to those who came to the Gun Room as guests.
The Fleet Pulling Regatta, always a hotly contested
affair, was raced on Saturday. We were to spend the
weekend in Cochin and sail for Bombay on Monday.
After the hectic routine of the Regatta, there was a
general air of lassitude that prevailed in all ships. The
Admiral and Flag Captain had retired in good time
and the gangway staff in Mysore were only half
awake, if not half asleep. At around 0200 hrs a motor
cutter drifted with the ebb tide to our starboard aft
gangway, lying unattended. Three balaclava clad
persons, later identified as midshipmen of the 15th
Course from Delhi, armed with hockey sticks raced
up the accommodation ladder and then down to the
deck below. Before the Keyboard Sentry could even
open his mouth they had burst into the Gun Room
where some dozen odd 14th Course denizens lay
snoring in different states of undress. Their rude
75
Remembering FIFIVice Admiral PS Das (Retd)
awakening was not timely enough. Even as hockey
sticks were waved menacingly, the glass case was
shattered and FIFI removed from it. In a moment she
had been flung down the porthole and caught
expertly by someone in the Cutter below which had
secured there just for this purpose. The statue was
followed by one of the ‘terrorists’ who wiggled himself
through the porthole and jumped into the channel; he
was also picked up by the boat which sped away. The
remaining two invaders were manhandled and pinned
to the deck. Smilingly broadly, they showed no
remorse, triumphant that the mission had been
achieved. Soon, help came in the form of the Officer
of the Watch and others, summoned to the scene of
the crime by the Keyboard Sentry. The MAA and
Chief GI were awakened and the duo marched off to
spend the rest of the night in the solitary of the cells.
Sleep had deserted us as we sat cursing the 15th
Course marauders and bemoaning our loss.
Matters went up a notch higher in the morning as the
Commander berated us for our ineptitude. The two
‘prisoners’ were brought on to the QD and the ship’s
barber sent for. One by one he divested them of their
locks. Some dabs of black paint were put on their
foreheads, almost like marks of Zorro. This did not
dampen their spirits any. They were then put in
Mysore’s motor whaler and sent to Delhi where they
were received with cheers that could be heard across
the channel; a welcome befitting returning Roman
conquerors. Silence reigned in Mysore’s Gun Room,
even in the Wardroom. We could almost sense the
sniggers in other ships of the Fleet.
FIFI never returned to Mysore. Some years down the
line, she seems to have disappeared altogether, both
physically and from memory. We also left Mysore in
December to put on our single gold stripes and
having been a midshipman was only nostalgia. But
the incident, whenever recalled, and it always is
whenever some of us 14th Course get together,
typifies what life as a midshipman was and the fun
that went with it apart from ‘observing and learning’.
One wonders if the snotties of today have either the
time or the inclination for these seemingly silly things!
PS: Names of the ‘dramatis personae’ have been
held back lest they add spice to their otherwise
salubrious retired life!
The barber who did duty on that day in September
1959, Riaz Mohammed, continued to remain in
Mysore. He was there when I came in 1962 as Flag
Lieutenant. He was still there in 1967 when I was
SCO of the ship and even in 1973 when I lodged
there as FCO. He was later taken away to Rajput and
tended my scalp when I commanded that ship in
1984. He was still there in 1990 when I flew my flag
on that lovely ship. I was present at his funeral later
that year. RIP Riaz Mohammed.
76
Believe it or not!NDA had a Hunt Club called Khadakvasla & Poona Hounds. The Master of the Hunt was the Commandant Gen
Ranbir Bakshi, MC and I a Huntsman, along with Major Entee - both attired in Red coats and armed with Horns.
Fox hunting originated in the 16th century - banned in Scotland in 2002 and two years later in England & Wales.
Its criticism has been couched in terms of social class. Oscar Wilde in his play ‘Woman of no importance’ referred
to English Country Gentlemen galloping after a fox as “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable”.
Contributed by Commodore Kunte, ‘F’Squadron Cdr 1965-67
When I assumed command of INS Delhi in Dec
2001, I was overawed to be taking over a ship that
had acquired an enviable reputation in the short
period since her commissioning, in the footsteps
of her illustrious predecessor. Stepping on board
brought back many nostalgic memories of the first
Delhi, a Leander Class Cruiser and the Indian
Navy’s first major warship and flagship for many
years post-independence. We had many stories
from our Deputy Commandant at the Academy,
Admiral (then Cmde) Ronnie Periera, who had
come to the Academy right after commanding that
fine ship. She was a legend of whose exploits we
heard over our first few years in the Navy,
including her role in the famous WW II Battle of
the River Plate.
After passing out from the NDA in Jun 1972, we joined INS
Tir as cadets, the year the First Training Squadron was
formed with INS Delhi as the senior Ship. My first
experience of the old INS Delhi was not until early 1973 by
which time I was a Midshipman on board the Kistna. Her
prominent single stack became a familiar sight for all of us
during the long days at sea, where the day invariably
began with Jackstay, when we all received our welcome
‘Daily Bread’, hot from INS Delhi’s bakery, the serial aptly
named ‘Exercise Breadman’! At home in Cochin harbour
too, she was a familiar sight at the trots. The highlight of
our Junior Midshipmen’s time (we were the last course to
do a full year as Mids) was our visit to East Africa, where
Delhi led the Training Squadron to Mombassa, Zanzibar
and Dar-e-Salaam. The grand old ship made a great
impact at every port, especially at Dar-e-Salaam where
large crowds gathered at the narrow harbour entrance
close to the town to welcome us. Anchored in the inner
harbour she dominated the city of Dar-e-Salaam. Little did
I imagine that almost thirty years on I would have the
honour of commanding her successor.
My first encounter with the Delhi in her new ‘avatar’ was
at sea off Vizag in Nov 1997 whilst in command of
Vindhyagiri. She was on the East Coast under the
command of an old friend and colleague, Anup Singh,
after a triumphant debut at the Langkawi Defence
Exhibition, where she had dazzled the world navies, soon
after commissioning. We had been nominated to
rendezvous Delhi at sea and welcome the pride of the
navy to the Eastern Command. Although one had seen
her whilst she had been building at the Mazgaon Docks,
nothing had prepared me for the breathtaking sight of the
majestic but sleek Delhi at sea, fitted out with all her
powerful weaponry, a match for anything in her class.
Seeing her menacing silhouette scything through the
waves at high speed, approaching for replenishment was
indeed awesome.
Three years as Director Naval Operations had earlier
seen me closely associated with Delhi, the Navy’s ‘Flag
Bearer’, both at home for every distinguished visitor and
during overseas deployments. Every trip saw her return
covered with approbation, a fitting symbol of India’s
prowess at warship design and construction having come
of age. Her deployment East in 2000, was memorable for
the Eastern Fleet’s encounter with Super Typhoon
“Saomai” which kept us in the ‘War Room’ at Naval
Headquarters on our toes. When they finally entered
Shanghai, the Chinese were awestruck at how well the
Indian Flotilla, incidentally composed of only Indian built
ships, had weathered the storm. Mysore and Mumbai
also commissioned during this period, but Delhi retained
her prime status in the Fleet, fitting for the lead ship of the
class. I was understandably delighted when told that I
was to command the Delhi, more so when I learnt that
other than being fully operationally integrated with the
Fleet she was currently not only the best ship but also the
“Cock of the Fleet”. Living up to these standards would be
a major challenge.
77
The Spirit Of Delhi Cmde Rajeev Sawhney (Retd)
I assumed command in December 2001 with Delhi having
just entered an SR after a long operational period. With
the initiation of Parakram, the next couple of months saw
us work furiously to quickly get back to sea and resume
our rightful place in the van of the Fleet.
The annual Pulling Regatta came up in January 2002 with
Delhi’s tremendous record of not only being the current
holder but also of having been a strong contender at every
regatta ever since commissioning. This was obviously a
legacy of the old Delhi who had made a name for herself
not only in the IN but also during the annual Jetex regularly
held at Trincomalee in the 50s & 60s. The 2002 event saw
the ‘Spirit’ of the ‘Legend’ emerge once again and the
heats saw all the seven teams qualify. The final day soon
became a seesaw battle between Viraat and Delhi leaving
all others far behind and prior to the last race Viraat was
narrowly in the lead. Delhi, not only needed to win the last
‘Best Whaler’ race but have a three-position lead over
Viraat to go ahead. This was one of the tensest moments
that I have experienced and notwithstanding my cool
exterior my heart was thumping. As it turned out, our best
whaler did us proud by not only winning the race but
beating Viraat to a distant third resulting in both teams
being tied overall. It was then Delhi’s greater number of
wins that decided the issue and we came up winners
retaining the ‘Cock’, truly a triumphant moment. In five
years of commission the ship had now won the coveted
trophy thrice, a record that amply proved that she had
inherited her predecessor’s ‘fighting spirit’.
Our first major outing was as the flagship leading the Fleet
for an operational deployment in March 2001. The Fleet
Commander was amazed to see the spirit of the ship’s
crew which worked day and night at sea to get the ship
ready as a battle worthy unit as we had sailed within a
couple of days post undocking. We got ready in good time
keeping with Delhi’s motto ‘Ek Do Teen Char, Delhi
Hamesha Taiyyar’. The crew was ready for action, well
aware that should the need arise, Delhi would be at the
forefront of any Fleet action. Their indomitable spirit
humbled me with the realisation that I was responsible for
such a fine body of men. The ‘Spirit of Delhi’ had been
reinforced by the experience and now we knew that we
were really ready to meet any challenge.
‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ being underway saw the
North Arabian Sea and the Gulf crawling with coalition
warships. The Western Fleet presence during this
deployment was an appropriate display of our interest in
the region. The awe inspiring sight of Viraat accompanied
by Delhi, Mysore, Shakti and Vindhyagiri steaming up the
Straits of Hormuz into the Gulf would have sent a clear
signal.
Parakram was one of the major challenges that we
experienced during this commission. Maintaining the ship
in a high degree of sustained readiness required
considerable effort both to get the systems combat ready
as also to bring the crew up to the highest state of workup.
The prolonged deployment also saw the Fleet bond
together as well-oiled parts of a whole, ready to fulfil their
mission whenever called upon to do so. This manifested
in a brilliant performance by the Fleet during the ORI later
that year.
Our nomination as the OTC for the fourth Indo - US joint
exercise Malabar, being resumed after a gap of five years
was indeed an honour as the Fleet Commander himself
had led all the previous Malabars. The Indian Flotilla
comprised Delhi, Gomati, Aditya and Shishumar whereas
the US side had USS Chancellorsville, a ‘Ticonderoga,’
with USS Foster, a ‘Spruance’ in company. The exercises
which saw us cover the entire gamut of maritime
operations were an excellent experience for all the units
that participated. The culminating ‘Encounterex’ serials
saw us form ‘mixed’ units with each group leaving no stone
unturned in trying to outwit the other, the IN units performed
brilliantly and kept the flag of the Navy flying high.
The regular fuelling serials with Aditya, which had recently
joined the Western Fleet, became memorable in that
somehow the two ships always seemed to have problems
‘mating’. Thus every time Delhi and Aditya were planned
78
to replenish, their penchant for landing up in embarrassing
situations would come to the fore. One such was during a
passage to Kochi at the height of the monsoon. Whilst
engaged in night replenishment Aditya had a problem
recovering her gear whilst disengaging. Both ships found
themselves firmly stuck together in foul weather, struggling
to find a way to disengage. Trying to focus on maintaining
station in heavy showers and strong winds with rainwater
trickling down under one’s collar, while the tankers crew
attempted to wrestle the gear back on board, was a hair-
raising experience. When we finally disengaged the two
ships had been connected for almost four hours and Delhi
sprinted back to her station with a discernible sigh of relief
among all on board!!
The fifteen months I spent on board seemed to pass in a
flash and before I realised it was time to relinquish
command. As I addressed the ships company,
congratulating them on a magnificent performance during
the commission, I was reminded that this brought to an
end my final days at sea. It was with a sense of pride that
I left the mighty Delhi, I was certain that together with the
wonderful crew I had been given the privilege to
command, we had maintained the tradition of this immortal
legend which would live on forever in our memories. The
entire commission brought out the tenaciousness and
fighting spirit of the ship’s crew. Whether it was at sea
preparing her for battle or in harbour, every endeavour
saw them overcome all odds and shine. At each step I was
reminded of her heritage and convinced of the belief that
the naval custom of renaming a ship also saw the tradition
and spirit of one being passed on to the successor.
79
Navy is a true international service; it is because most
often than not it operates beyond 12 nautical miles of
the coast and hence in international waters called the
high seas. Our counterparts from the Army and the Air
Force rarely leave the country whereas we do it on an
everyday basis; in almost every sailing we leave the
territorial limits of the country. I was conscious of it in
my very first sailing as a cadet on the cruiser Delhi. At
sea, when I looked around, it filled me with a strange
thrill that the waters around me connected me as
much to foreign lands as to India.
Still, there is nothing like actually going abroad; one of
the fringe benefits of joining the Navy. I remember the
then Captain Nayyar, CO of Delhi, addressing the
ship’s company before entering the port of Aden; my
first foreign port. He said each one of us were the
ambassadors of our great nation ashore and were
expected to conduct ourselves likewise. I thought to
myself: ‘What great luck to be called “Your Excellency”
at the age of twenty-one’. Some of us accompanied
the CO for luncheon at the Governor’s residence and
felt like true ambassadors indeed.
Our next cruise was to the port of Sabang in
Indonesia. It was about 20 kms or so from the city of
Balawan. This was where we imagined the fun to be.
But, the problem that confronted us was how to reach
there. With our meagre resources we could not have
hired a cab and we were not familiar with the bus
routes. As we came out of the port we spotted a
‘tempo’ driven by a Sardar. We thumbed a ride. As we
sat with him in the front seats he got into a
conversation with us about the ship. We showed off to
him how the ship was fitted with the very latest in
warfare and comfort. He was particularly keen to know
about the conditions in the Engine Room. We told him
that our Engine Room had the latest in air-conditioned
Foreign JauntsCmde RPS Ravi (Retd)
luxury and had controls and sensors to match a liner.
After three quarter of an hour’s journey he dropped us
at Belawan with the parting shot, “Great to know about
your modern ship, Sirs; you did not recognize me, I
am LME A Singh from your ship. This ‘tempo’ belongs
to my brother here in Belawan. How about coming to
the Engine Room sometimes and doing a watch with
me?” For the next few months we avoided A Singh on
board as if he were a leper.
On Ganga, I remember our CO’s address before
entering the Ethiopian (now Eritrean) port of
Massawa. After reminding us about our
ambassadorial duties he embarked on another
subject. He said foreign visits were also occasions to
build up databanks. He said whilst we were not
expected to actively indulge in any intelligence
gathering, but, many a times, information could come
to us in most unexpected manner. To illustrate the
point he told us about the time when Indians were
making overtures towards the Germans to procure
submarines from them and wanted more information
about them. He said he had gone to have a haircut at
a saloon in Bonn and there, whilst waiting for his turn,
he was leafing through the magazines. Lo and behold
he found all the information about the submarines in
an article in a local magazine. That evening, after we
entered Massawa, we must have caused a
small flutter in international -
relations, for, the entire Ganga
wardroom landed up at the local
saloon for a haircut.
On Himgiri we had gone
on a foreign visit to the
Black Sea Soviet (now
Ukranian) port of Odessa. In
foreign ports, sailors
generally go out in uniform
whereas the officers in civvies.
But, so great was the
fascination of the Soviet belles
with uniform that we found that the sailors managed
to make friends with the prettiest of them. As if that
was not enough, to add insult to injury, on the
second day of our stay when a reception was held
on board, one of the ladies enquired of us as to why
there was no officer in the reception. It was difficult
to get to the bottom of this because of language
barrier and it took us sometime to unravel the
mystery. Apparently, a day earlier one of the Petty
Officers in uniform ashore, when asked as to why
was there a distinction between some of us going
out for ‘liberty’ (shore leave) in uniform and others in
civvies, had informed them that only they, the
officers, with an anchor or two on their sleeves,
were the only ones “permitted” to go out in uniform.
During our trip to Athens we were ambling in the
Constitution Square when a kind man came to us and
asked if we were Indian. He said that he admired
Indians and would like us to have drinks in the
company of his fair-sex friends. The drinks were nice
and the girls were nicer still. We talked about our great
nations, our history and heritage, Taj Mahal, Delhi etc
(amongst other things, that is) and really enjoyed
ourselves. We were under-trainee Acting Sub
Lieutenants on board. We were convinced that we
were smarter, wittier, more interesting company; else,
why would the girls be attracted to
us as compared to our more
senior colleagues from
Himgiri? In our
megalomaniac trance
we did not know that
the man who had invited
us had quietly vanished
and so had our seniors.
Later, we were asked to
pay an exorbitant bill for the
drinks, and we had to part
with our entire foreign
allowance and more. We
were the suckers who had
80
fallen for the obvious ploy. When we returned on
board we were ‘ceremoniously’ received with all the
seniors lining the gangway and going through the
motions of a mock side-pipe.
Such hoaxes and swindles during foreign jaunts are
worth remembering. During one such trip we landed
up at Colombo. In order to shop there we had to first
convert our Indian Rupee into local currency. Just as
it happened in Athens, a kind hearted
gentleman came and asked us to put
our money in individual envelopes
that he had brought, write the
names and amounts on the
sealed envelopes and then
he’d go and get the requisite
local currency. He took
the envelopes from us
only to make a list
and then handed
these back to us. We
held on to these
whilst he went on his
errand. As time
passed and he did
not return we
reassured ourselves
by feeling the
e n v e l o p e s
containing our
money. However, when
he did not return even after one
hour of wait we opened the
envelopes and found that
instead of our hard-earned
money these
contained newspaper
strips. In the evening we narrated this incident, over
drinks, to other officers in the Wardroom and they
made fun of us for being duped. The next day the lot
to whom we had told the story also lost their money
in like manner.
But, of all the incidents during foreign trips, this one
takes the cake. Whilst walking in one of the ports,
knowing that the locals would not know Punjabi, one
officer would accost the lovely damsels with the
naughty Punjabi line: “D... ke thane jaana?” (Are you
willing or should I take you to Thane, that is, Police
Station?). The damsels, not understanding the
question or its import would just smile and walk away
and all of us would burst in cackles. However, when
he asked this of the most beautiful
of the girls, she confronted him
with, “Thane jaana”. He did
not know where to look. That
evening we had a reception
on board and she happened
to be the daughter of the
Indian (and Punjabi) First
Secretary. Our flamboyant
Punjabi officer did the Mister
India trick (many years
before the movie was
released) and tried to
become invisible during
the party.
Foreign trips or port
calls or overseas
deployments are
great ones to
showcase Indian
technology, culture,
greatness etc. These are
occasions to make bridges of
friendship across the oceans.
However, what one
remembers most about them
are such snippets. I am sure
these, if compiled, would make a great book of
anecdotes. I am willing to compile one should you
send your stories to me!.
81
As always, the submarine left harbour in the small
hours, while the city slept. A huge, ominous shadow in
the dark, she moved silently but for the faint hiss of the
water against her sides. At five thousand tons, she was
the largest warship in the Indian Navy after the
carriers. The young Captain on the bridge had done
this dozens of times, but taking this formidable vessel
out through the narrow channel was still exciting, with
a potential surprise lurking at every bend.
Slowly the submarine made its way out of the harbour
and set course for the diving area. Today they were
leaving on an extended surveillance patrol of the Bay
islands under simulated war conditions, as part of the
essential and never-ending process of maintaining
presence in one’s own waters.
Before that, however, there was a game to be played.
Units of the Fleet were returning from deployment in
the south, and Headquarters had decided that the
submarine would intercept them in a staged encounter
and carry out a mock attack before detaching to
proceed on her main mission. The ships would be
closer in to the shore and the submarine further out,
listening out for them against the backdrop of shallow-
water noises. The interception area was some miles to
seaward of an estuary, and recent rains would have
made the seawater density variable, causing trimming
problems. Not ideal waters for a large nuke, thought
the Captain, but therein lay the challenge. In addition,
his crew would enjoy the thrill of the hunt.
“Bridge - twenty minutes to diving area!” came the
report from the charthouse. “Right - inform the
Commander, please”. The order was still being relayed
when the Captain reached the control room, just as the
Commander ordered “diving stations.” The Engineer
Officer was already there.
“We’ll catch a quick trim, then we need to crack on
some speed; our initial position is about twenty miles
south of here.”
The first dive after leaving harbour was always a ‘trim’
dive - a slow, deliberate dive done in stages to make
any adjustments necessary to the Engineer Officer’s
calculated trim.
“Diving stations correct, sir,” reported the Commander.
The Captain nodded at the Engineer Officer. They had
worked together as a close-knit team for a year now,
and there was no need for unnecessary words. “Flood
end groups” ordered the Engineer Officer. The diving
panel operator switched the end group ballast tank
main vents to “open”. There was a muffled roar as
hundreds of tons of seawater flooded the end groups
of tanks. The submarine sank perceptibly beneath their
feet; she now rode on the buoyancy of the centre
group tanks alone. While the Commander ordered
“Inspect compartments” and received the reports from
them, the Captain studied the trim and depth gauges
and the inclinometer, looking for the first pointers to
any major problems in the trim. There were none.
“Submarine inspected and correct - ready to go down.”
reported the Commander. “Permission to flood the
centre group, sir” asked the Engineer Officer This time
the roar of the water flooding the tanks was louder
since the tanks were around the hull right outside the
control room.
“Trim her at 40 meters for four knots - we’ll be doing a
lot of listening.” The Engineer Officer nodded. The
trimming operation was over soon, and as planned,
they increased speed to fifteen knots. It felt good to be
able to order higher speeds and not worry about the
battery, thought the Captain. “We may expect contact
with the ‘enemy’ between an hour and two hours from
82
Cacophony Below the SeaVice Admiral RN Ganesh (Retd)
now,” reported the NO. The Captain left the control
room leaving instructions to carry out a sonar search of
the area and call him when anything was heard.
They reached their designated position twenty minutes
early. An hour passed, and then there was a knock at
his cabin door. It was the Sonar Officer. “There’s a
small problem, sir”, he said; Pilot says they should be
within twenty miles of us to the south, but the sonar is
unable to hear anything.”
“Unable to hear?” repeated the Captain.
“The entire southern sector - that’s where NO says
they’ll probably come from - is blanked with noise. We
can’t hear anything through it.”
This was bad news. If the sonar malfunctioned, it could
take hours to locate and rectify the fault. Even the main
mission could be in jeopardy if dockyard help became
necessary. “Get the Commander and the Electrical
Officer to the charthouse. We need to discuss this.
Who’s on the sonar?”
“Master Chief Attar, sir” was the answer. The Captain
was reassured. Attar was the best sonar Chief in the
submarine arm, as far as he was concerned. He went
across to the ‘sound room’, which was just abaft the
control room. The Sonar Chief wished him ‘Jai Hind”,
and silently handed him the headphones. The Captain
had spent many an hour in the sound room getting his
ears tuned to the sounds of ships’ propellers - called
‘hydrophone effect’ or ‘HE’ for short. On this occasion
all he heard was the noise - it was a continuous
crackling, with an occasional popping sound as made
by a fire of dry, resinous wood. The noise blanked the
entire southern sector - it would be impossible to hear
anything through that racket, even if the ships passed
close by.
They held a council in the charthouse. “No problems
during the pre-patrol checks yesterday?” asked the
Captain, though he knew that all sensors had been
reported checked and correct. The Electrical Officer
confirmed this.
“Can you say whether the noise is external or a system
fault?”
“I would say external” interposed the Commander. We
made two ninety-degree turns after initially hearing the
noise, but the true bearing of sector didn’t change.”
The Captain nodded in agreement.
Time was ticking away. The submarine would never
live it down if the fleet ships sailed past undetected.
Many years earlier, the Fleet Commander, a bluff,
laconic man with a sardonic sense of humour, had
been the Captain’s Divisional Officer in Kharakvasla.
He would have a thing or two to say about the
marvellous capabilities of nuclear submarines when
they next met, thought the Captain wryly.
He went back to the sound room. The Chief Sonar
operator handed him the headphones and said with
conviction: “It’s bio-noise, sir.” The Captain agreed.
Landsmen, he mused, thought of the ocean depths as
dark and silent. In fact, there was a cacophony of noise
down there that could drive submarine sonarmen to
distraction - whales with their long, soulful moans,
dolphins with their clicking and whistling, and a host of
other noisy creatures, not to mention the ambient
noise of the sea itself. They had a whole taped reel of
these sounds but he had never heard this kind of noise
before - certainly never anything near this loudness.
“Can’t we go around” asked the Sonar Officer.
“No - we can’t leave the area. Maybe the noise will
stop after some time.”
“Sir....” The Sonar Chief hesitated. “We can try one
high power transmission in that sector. It may have
some effect.”
83
“Good idea!” The Captain got up, slapped the Sonar
Chief on the shoulder, and left for the control room,
visibly excited.
Although the submarine had a powerful active sonar, a
transmission could compromise its stealth and was
only used after carefully weighing the balance of
tactical advantage. However, on this occasion there
was nothing to lose. And if it worked it was well worth
the tactical ‘risk’.
Soon the order came from the control room. “Sound
Room, Control - standby single pulse, high power,
centre bearing 200.”
“Sound room roger, stand by single pulse, high power,
centre bearing 200.”
The Captain went back to the sound room, the
Electrical Officer close on his heels. ‘Let’s hear it,
Master Sa’ab”. One of the sonarmen switched on the
loudspeaker for them. The noise was as loud as
before. “Sound room ready for single pulse, high
power, centre bearing 200” reported the Sonar Chief.
“Transmit” came the order. The second operator
flipped up the guard cover and pressed the red button.
They could hear the pulse as it left the ship.
More than a minute passed. And suddenly it was as if
somebody had turned off a switch. One moment there
was that overpowering crackling noise, and the next -
total silence. The Captain shook the Sonar Chief’s
hand and said “Well done, Master Sa’ab!”, and went
back to the control room. Hardly had he sat in his
Captain’s chair that the report came in, the deliberately
expressionless voice of the Sonar Chief:
“Control room - group HE on bearing 175, classified
warships.”
The atmosphere in the control room was electrified.
The Commander took the mike in hand: “D’ye hear
there! This is the Commander. The sonar team has
detected ‘enemy’ ships in sector south. A big shabash
to them. Action stations - torpedo attack!”
“Game on!” said the navigator, as he bent over the
attack plot.
We never pumped our fists in those days.
Post Script: This story is based on a real experience in
INS Chakra in 1988. The noise was generated by the
denizens of large shrimp beds in the general area of
Kakinada. From later reading I learned that the culprit
was the snapping shrimp, which thrives in tropical
waters near the coast. A one and a half-inch
crustacean almost foiled a 5000-ton nuclear
submarine!
84
ship or QuarterNumber
Cmde RK Dass (Retd)
The SDB series built in the late 1970s at
GRSE, Calcutta were christened with Numbers
T 51 onwards instead of the usual names
given to the Indian naval ships. In 1980, I was
serving on board T 51 which was based at
Bombay. I was staying in Navy Nagar and one
particular evening feeling little unwell, went to
Ashwini. I went to the duty LMA to get myself
registered and get the chit made to be seen by
the DMO. I gave my name and official number
to the LMA and on enquiry from him which
ship, I replied “T 51”. In response the duty LMA
promptly asked “Sir, I want the ship’s name
and not the quarter number”.
I was doing my time in NDA when I was appointed in
command of Nipat of the ‘Operation Trishul’ fame, in
Dec 1973 and she had not sailed any in the previous
year. After the then sacrosanct COQC, I took over
command on 3 Mar 1974 and during this gap of
three months the XO, Lt (later Commodore) Arun
Madan was officiating as the CO.
I was slated to be tested by fire immediately, as the
ship was sailing for the first PMF by the Squadron,
post 1971 Ops, on the following day, thankfully, as
the standby ship. As there was no time I could not
have sailed or worked up the ship. My requests to
K25, Cmde RP Bhalla for taking over command
before completion of COQC and a sea outing were
dismissed outright. I was told that I was just a
standby ship and it was only a formality. Engines of
205 boats had an extremely limited engine life
between first overhaul of just 600 hrs, no overhaul
facilities had been set up in India and most of the
engine hours had been exhausted during the 1971
war. My engine hour allowance for the year was a
generous 100 hrs including time for entering and
leaving harbour, so we did our best to maximize by
motoring on one engine whenever possible and we
often drifted at sea.
On taking over and after the customary calls we
settled down to planning the sortie and carrying out
harbour and sea drills. At the end of the hectic day,
I believed that we were generally ready and we
should be able to put a decent foot forward. As
scheduled we sailed out quite uneventfully but when
in the PMF area, we had a problem with the MK 31
panel for the P15 missile, ruling out the possibility of
its firing. We informed K25 and started looking at
options and we thought of switching Panels but the
same had never been attempted earlier. We sought
approval from K25 but none came as ‘we were just
a stand by ship’.
INS Vijeta with Lt Cdr (later IG, Coast Guard) NS
(Minna) Achreja as CO and Lt (later Vice Adm)
Pradip Kaushiva as XO were, directed to launch its
missile. The missile launched beautifully but ditched
about a couple of cables ahead of that ship and
became the first SSM misfire in IN. The missile
engine had not started. I immediately sounded
action stations and without waiting for approval (it
never came), we set about changing the launch
panel. Sure enough we got orders to prepare to
launch our missile and indicate when we will be
ready, we requested for 45 min. The OTC
(FOCWEF) was not aware of our problems. We
successfully, launched the missile which hit its
target, on my and my ship’s very first, post refit
sailing, without any prior work up. I am sure we were
blessed.
Epilogue. Many years later, in 1988, I was in
command of Rajput and we put out to sea for the
first ever under water launch of a missile by Chakra
and my very own ex-Nipat was the target. Chakra
(Capt (later Vice Adm) RN Ganesh) scored a direct
hit but indestructible ‘Nipat’ would not go down,
despite all the hits from the heavy caliber guns that
were subsequently rained on her. Rajput was then
directed to sink ex-Nipat and I had the (mis)fortune
of sinking my first command with volleys from 30mm
guns. It was satisfying to complete the task and yet
it left a lump in my throat. May all those who sail in
Nipat have good fortune and success always and
every time.
85
INS Nipat - Baptism by PMFsVice Admiral Harinder Singh (Retd)
In the first half of 1971, ships of the Western Fleet,
entered Cochin, after a fortnight at sea. As a young Sub-
Lieutenant, I was the Navigating Officer of the frigate INS
Kirpan, and remember how we rushed off to the SNC
Mess, to attend a dinner function. The evening was a
great success, with tales being exchanged, good
natured jokes being shared and toasts being
raised by sailors back from the sea.
Around midnight, we were asked to get
back to our ships and “sail with dispatch”
for Colombo, as our Prime Minister had
responded to a request for
help from Sri Lanka, to
prevent arms being
smuggled in to help
insurgency by the Sinhala
nationalist JVT (Janatha
Vimukthi Peramuna). All the
units cast off before sunrise, and
anchored off Colombo harbour,
the next day. Our hosts were
very happy to meet us,
and old friendships
were quickly renewed
over a few drinks, with
the Sri Lankans, clearly
showing their fondness
for “Rum & Coke”!
At Colombo INS Kirpan embarked a
couple of Sri Lankan Navy Petty
Officers, (to help in our interrogation of
any suspicious local fishing boats) and
sailed to patrol our given sector on the
southern and south eastern part of the island. Tensions
were high as unconfirmed reports had come in of foreign
submarines possibly landing arms into the island. We
began stopping near small Sri Lankan fishing boats, and
the Sri Lankan sailors would question them, and we
would let them off, after a quick visual check. This
mundane activity did not impress a young naval officer
(from the Middle East), who was borne for sea training. I
remember, he was my Assistant OOW, and told me “Sir, I
don’t understand this system of inspecting
fishing boats. In my country, we would
have simply opened fire, shot everyone
and sunk the boats. This way, you can
ensure that no weapons will ever come in!” I
am not sure how far he rose
in his Navy later, but we
had to keep an eye on
him for the next fortnight
that we were on patrol!
In 1989, as the first
Captain SM of the newly
formed 11th Submarine
Squadron comprising four Kilo
class submarines, I was just
beginning to get to grips with
my new operational job,
when I was ordered to
go to Sri Lanka. On 23
April 1989, an IAF AN-
32 aircraft dropped me
at the Trincomalee military airport.
I took over my new duty, which
carried the rather pompous title of
INCOM (T) or “Indian Navy
Commander Trincomalee”. As an
Indian Navy Captain, I found myself
in unfamiliar territory and on an
unfamiliar mission.
I was part of the IPKF, which comprised the Indian Army,
Indian Navy and IAF. The situation was rather grim, with
86
Paratha & Poori DiplomacyVice Admiral AK Singh (Retd)
the IPKF fighting the LTTE, and also under attack by the
JVP or the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. Indeed, as
Trincomalee port was under constant threat from the
LTTE and JVP activists, with bomb blasts and IEDs taking
almost a daily toll of Indians and Sri Lankans alike.
Practically the entire IN detachment, including myself,
went around our 24x7 chores of water front and coastal
patrolling, liaising, meetings etc with loaded weapons in
our hands. The overall IN presence in Trincomalee
comprised a few dozen hardworking officers and sailors
who, along with their Army and Air Force counterparts, did
their best to keep the Indian flag flying high, in very
troubled waters.
Even though over 90 percent of the Sri Lankan Navy
personnel had been trained in India, and were very well
disposed towards us, the tension in the air was palpable,
with almost everyone moving around with loaded
firearms. Our detachment was located next to the Sri
Lankan naval base, and when I called on the Sri Lankan
Commander East, Commodore W Fernando, I
discovered a friendly officer, who had done all his training
in India. I invited him for “Rum and Dinner”, which was a
great success and became a weekly event, with the
Commodore sending me a crate of coca cola just before
his arrival! Commodre Fernando took great interest in
Parathas and Pooris. Very soon, the fame of our cooks
reached the Sri Lankan Naval Headquarters, Colombo
and the Sri Lankan Navy Chief sent a team of his Navy
cooks to learn how to make various Indian dishes,
specially parathas and pooris!”
The ice was slowly breaking after the “Paratha and Poori”
diplomacy, but then a particularly nasty IED killed a few
Army troops nearby, and tensions went up again. Nobody
was sure if this incident was the handiwork of the LTTE or
the JVP, or any other unknown group. At this juncture,
with things getting from bad to worse, I suggested to the
COMEAST, that we could play a cricket match on the
coming Sunday. He readily agreed, and arranged for the
gear and a post match lunch.
With just three days to go for the match, I had a very
difficult time trying to pick up 11 players who could play a
reasonable game of cricket, Finally, a team of 11 (with no
substitutes available) was selected, and a small training
session at the nets, resulted in a couple of injuries. It was
then decided not to practice anymore, to avoid any more
injuries, and also to ensure that sufficient men were also
available for boat patrols and sentry duties. After all, the
aim was to play cricket to reduce tensions, and it was
important that 11 fit players took the field on Sunday.
The Sri Lankan Navy, with a local pool of a few hundred
men, took the match seriously, with daily net practice. As
I watched the Sri Lankans practice in real earnest, I
wondered if I had made a huge mistake!
After discussions the match timings were fixed from 9.30
AM to 12.30 PM, followed by a lunch to be hosted by the
Sri Lankan Navy. Elementary calculations of “over rate vs
time available” revealed a 20 over (each side) game and
thus, unknowingly, “unrecorded history” was made, many
years before the world thought of T-20!
Security for the cricket match was very tight, given a
series of bomb blasts the day before and an IED going off
about a km from our tents. After a sleepless night of vigil,
our team went to play a good game. I remember as a
captain of our cricket team, I was driven to the ground
with a loaded service pistol, which I handed over to one
of my subordinates, just before going out to toss.
We played our hearts out, but lost narrowly to a far
superior team. Our gracious hosts served a fabulous
lunch (which included Parathas and Pooris, along with
some fantastic local cuisine), and good relations were
firmly in place after that. Both sides could now confidently
focus on the daily terrorist threat.
After my return to India, I learnt that Commodore W
Fernando, the Sri Lankan, COMEAST, was promoted to
Rear Admiral and had taken over as the Sri Lankan Navy
Chief. Sadly, he was later assassinated by a motorcycle-
87
borne suicide bomber, whilst driving to his office in
Colombo.
Lord Wellington after his victory over Napoleon in 1815
reportedly said, “The battle of Waterloo was won on the
playing fields of Eton”. Another historian records that
many years later, while passing an Eton cricket game,
Wellington remarked, “There grows the stuff that won
Waterloo”. Obviously, Wellington was referring to qualities
of ‘leadership and espirit de corps’, which cricket
inculcated in the future military leaders of that era.
Cricket is no longer a gentlemen’s game. Money spinning
modern cricket has spawned a new breed of
entrepreneurs, in cricket crazy India. Also, it would be
ridiculous to compare the famous battle of Waterloo
(1815), with the rather insignificant and unrecorded
Trincomalee T-20 cricket match of 1989, but it is worth
recording that, in those difficult times, a few unknown
Indians had done their duty in Sri Lanka,
In December 2004, as the Director General, Indian Coast
Guard, I was invited by the Sri Lankan Navy Chief to
Colombo to participate in the first ever exercises involving
ships, aircraft and helicopters of Indian Coast Guard and
ships of the Sri Lankan Navy. The visit was a great
success, and I remember embarking on our Flagship the
top Defence Officials of Sri Lanka and then our High
Commissioner, Mrs Nirupuma Rao for a day at sea. Later,
whilst returning to Colombo, I hosted a lunch on board the
Flagship. Having visited Sri Lanka before, I had ensured
that the ship was not taken by surprise, when the Sri
Lankan VIPs declined the beer but opted for a glass of
“Rum & Coke”. Indian Rum, they declared, “was the best
in the world”!
88
With age, most human bloomers are remedied after a
substantial amount of ‘huffing and puffing,’ often leaving
one wondering at the end of it all, whether it was worth
it. That was not the case with command of INS Viraat.
There was unwritten logic that sometimes emerged
from the musty chronicles in the archives and
sometimes penned by the ‘Providential Helmsman’ that
always saved the day. So it was no surprise that like
clockwork, after 28 ± 1 days (international dateline,
what?!) there must be a fire or a flood incident or any
one of the many hair-raising episodes that serves to
chill the spine. Why? Because HQ1’s much thumbed
Incident Register statistically said so! The remedy lay in
tightening the screws of the ‘Fire Busters,’ a select
team that I had created to sally forth and boldly put out
fires that no man had extinguished before! And the
hazard prevention teams, from day 23 onwards-QED.
Also, the best times for planning the cast-offs or to
launch any auspicious event was out of ‘Rahu Kalam’
(remember the Rahu Kalam Sherry?) the winds would
be favourable, the tidal stream would gently nudge the
inner bough into pilotage waters, the tugs would be on
time, the after-back-spring would be tended with
consummate ease; the exertion never failed to elicit a
resounding Bravo Zulu! So, the first and second
Messiahs were an unwritten logic and Providence-a
secret that all Captains knew well.
So what happened during replenishment at sea, on 27th
April, 1996? The approach to the Tanker was perfect;
hoses were connected up in timings that would have
made some destroyers blush and pumping commenced
post haste. The long vigil on the starboard wing was
coming to an end as the Navigator’s Yeoman recorded
The Double Bottoms Officer Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar (Retd)
a 1800 tonnes FFO and 400 tonnes AVCAT (Aviation
Category fuel) received. The two ‘Stop Pumping’ boards
were being readied when an urgent call came in. I had
noted a similar tonal urgency in 1973 during my first
command of INS Panaji, when the Regulating Engineer
Officer reported, “Saar, engine room mein Flora
Fountain chal rahi hai!” Déjà vu? Cracking with emotion,
a distended voice reported that there had been
considerable spillage of AVCAT in the hangar. My first
two orders burst out in rapid succession: “Smother the
AVCAT and Stop Pumping.” The emergency parties
were quick off the mark and we disengaged with equal
alacrity. The Cdr (E) having raced up eight decks
reported, amidst frenetic yogic gasps, that there had
been a major SNAFU, in AVCAT tank management
which had resulted in two breather pipes over flowing for
a minute and a half. Some of us will recall that it was the
skill and avidity with which fuel had to be juggled into the
89 tanks through manual operation of a mind-boggling
set of valves, that controlled balanced and regulated the
intake of fuels coming in at about 7 tonnes a minute. A
bit like playing a reed flute with 11 vents!
There it was, about 7 tonnes of AVCAT slopping in the
312’X56’ hangar which through some splendid action
supervised by the XO, Cdr (E) and the NBCDI, was
neutralized and washed into the scuppers. No damage
done except a nerve-racking period of high anxiety-this
was the natural lot of the Captain, for even on taking
over the Viraat, the traditional baton was accompanied
by an economy-sized bottle of Alka-Seltzer!
Now began the enquiry that culminated in the Double
Bottoms Officer, Lt N, being arraigned before me. The
Cdr(E) had already spewed his wrath and heaven
knows what unimaginable hell fires had been inflicted
on him-like say, a watch spent on top of the boiler within
a hands’ reach from the Pilot valves-ambient
temperature 75°C.
The DBO on board an Aircraft Carrier is, for the most
part, a jolly enough officer, but in overalls he becomes
an odd mole-like creature; more at home in darkness,
amidst closeting fuel tanks weaving his way through a
labyrinth of pipes, ducts, valves and pumps. The
aromas he exuded were from the Jurassic Age-Viraat
still used fossil fuels! His responsibilities were onerous,
from operations and maintenance of all double bottom
and wing tanks together with their associated systems
for FFO, diesel, AVCAT, sullage, fire main, ballast and
fresh water to the RAS officer on valve controls. In short,
he was a harried man.
Lt N, it came to pass, was charged, and all the damning
evidence lay bare before him. The Senior Engineer
imputed unpardonable incompetence. Lt N with a voice
that could only have come from atop a funeral bier,
pleaded guilty. Hearing it for the umpteenth time Cdr
(E)’s face became more and more animated. If one
could hear fulminating silence then I think he was telling
me to drown him in the bilges and run hot skewers
through him, just to make sure.
Command is a peculiar thing, how often we played at
judge, jury and executioner, need hardly be recounted;
but the need was to insure against an incident of this
nature-one that had had calamitous portents. I looked
long and hard into Lt N’s eyes. His eyes were fixed
somewhere in the middle distance. I was reminded of
that climactic scene from Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities-
Sydney Carton having switched roles with Charles
Darnay taking the final steps towards the guillotine-I
could swear that Lt. N’s look was the same and yet, the
man had endangered the ship. Sentencing time-we
already had two messiahs, nay two saviours; perhaps it
was time for the third, certainly the ship deserved it.
“Yes, Lt N, punished you will be-I condemn you to
complete the commission as the ship’s Double Bottoms
Officer.”
We never again had a problem of fuel spills, Viraat’s
Third Messiah ensured it.
89
Most maritime nations in the world entrust all tasks of
war-fare over the oceans, including shore based anti
submarine operations, to their Navies. The United
Kingdom is one of the few exceptions. Coastal
command of the RAF does these tasks.
While Britannia no longer rules the waves as it did some
60 years ago, large maritime nations like India had to
look ahead to the future roles of its respective services.
The Navy felt that it was imperative that shore based
MR & ASW roles be taken from the Indian Air Force and
assigned to the Indian Navy.
In the Chiefs of Staff Committee meeting which was held
sometime in 1966 under the Chairmanship of late Gen. J
N Chaudhary, he had opined, that while there was merit
in the Navy’s case, the decision could be postponed till a
new aircraft for this role was inducted. In early 1972 the
Directorate of Naval Air Staff (I was DNAS) produced a
paper justifying the Navy’s position. After the 1971 war,
Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, had given the USSR,
Prime Minister, Mr. Kosygin, a shopping list where one of
the demands India made on the USSR was the Berieve
12 amphibian ASW aircraft. The Navy felt that the Air
Force would be happy and the role to perform MR/ASW
tasks would be taken over by the Navy.
In August of 1972 the then VCNS, Vice Admiral J
Cursetji led a delegation to Moscow to negotiate for
some of the new acquisitions. I, along with three more
from aviation branch was included in the team because
of our interest in Berieve 12, amphibian ASW aircraft.
While VCNS and the others in his team were busy with
the Russian counter- parts for ship acquisitions. I was
asked to negotiate with the USSR team which was there
specifically for the Berieve 12. I asked the officer who
was leading the USSR team when we were going to be
shown the aircraft. He replied that we would be shown
the aircraft after the contract is signed. I asked him how
he was sure that the contract would be signed without
us seeing the aircraft. I added that when I buy a car I like
to first drive it. He said he buys a car after looking at the
catalogue. I said I am different. I have to drive the car
before buying it.
To cut a long story short, I suggested to the VCNS that I
and my three other members in the aviation team, should
go back to India early, to show our unhappiness. VCNS
agreed. At the last minute he said that I should stay back
and the others could go back. The Russians would
produce a protocol of my deliberations with them for
signature. Since I was the only one who knew what had
transpired between us, it was important that I be around.
As soon as three members of my team had boarded the
return flight, the Russians agreed to show us the Aircraft.
We were flown to Sevastopol near the Black Sea to see
the aircraft. A hurriedly painted Berieve 12 was parked at
the end of the runway. I, along with the non-aviation
members had a close look. We asked a lot of questions
about its capability in the ASW role. The participation of
a TAS specialist was a great help. We were convinced
that we would be buying a pup in Berieve 12.
We made a comprehensive report about this aircraft and
rejected the Russian offer that they will give us the
Berieve 12. There was some hesitation in Naval
Headquarter whether we were doing the right thing.
However we were emboldened by the fact that PC Lall
who was the then Chief of Air Staff had similarly rejected
an offer by the Russians of an aircraft which had
originally been asked for in Indira Gandhi’s list.
The Russians having found that we have not accepted
their offer, they came forward to offer us the IL 38. This
time only an Air Force team went to evaluate the aircraft.
90
Indian Navy-Maritime Reconnaissance/Anti Submarine Warfare
Admiral RH Tahiliani (Retd)
Their report dealt only with the flying part. They had no
competence to evaluate the aircraft in its operational
role. We insisted that the aircraft should be owned and
operated by the Navy. The Government then appointed
a two member team led by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr.
Pandey and the Defence Secretary, Mr. Govind Narain
to hear the arguments of both sides. I recall that I used
to go and brief, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral S.N.
Kohli, about why the Navy alone should own and
operate this aircraft? We were on firm ground because
the report we made about the inadequacy of Berieve 12
in the ASW role for this aircraft were fully highlighted.
The Air Force had only commented on the flying
characteristics of the IL-38. We had examined the role
for not only maritime reconnaissance but also for ASW
role. The then ACNS (P&P) Rear Admiral Vivian
Barboza, took one of these copies of the report and
showed them to the Committee headed by Mr. Pandey.
This convinced the Government, that the lL-38 should
be owned and operated by the Indian Navy.
In January 1975 I had moved to do my NDC course. The
then Defence Secretary who was part of the team that
examined the Navy and the Air Force claims gave me
the good news that Government had decided that the
Navy was the right service to own and operate the IL-38.
After NDC I went in Command of Vikrant, Gen TP
Raina, the then Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee
spent a day on board. He told me that the Air Chief, Air
Chief Marshal Moolgaokar had offered the MR Super
Constellation Squadron to the Navy since the Navy was
going to own and operate IL-38. I said that we should
accept the offer without any hesitation. Gen. Raina
asked how our pilots will manage with multi-engine
aircraft when in the Navy they would have been flying
only single-engine aeroplanes. My rejoinder was that
single engine fighter pilots from the Air Force have no
difficulty, after a conversion, on permanent absorption
with Air India flying multi-engine aircraft. The Indian
Navy happily accepted the challenge and the Super
Constellations were transferred to the Navy. We put an
outstanding officer, Commander Ravi Dhir in command
of the Super Constellation squadron. The Air Force had
agreed that their Air crew and maintenance crew would
be with the Navy for six months and longer if required.
Our pilots had not had adequate experience in
instrument flying. The Navy asked that the Air Force
personnel continue after the first six months.
At the end of this first six month period however, the Air
Force suddenly withdrew all their personnel from Goa.
The Air Force hoped that our endeavour would collapse.
Nothing of this sort happened. Our air crew and the first
and second line maintenance crews coped with the
problem. Happily for us, third and fourth line
maintenance were being done by Air India and instead
of CDA (Air Force) sending a cheque to Air India for this
service, CDA (Navy) started paying this amount. In
addition to Commander Ravi Dhir, the Navy had taken
the precaution of sending pilots like Bhide and Arun
Prakash (who later became Chief of Naval Staff) to fly
Super Connies and that ensured that the process was a
thundering success.
Some years later in early 1981, I happened to be flying to
Bombay (I was DCNS then). In the same IAC aircraft was
Air Chief Marshal PC Lal who was flying to Goa for a
Board meeting of the RBI. He asked me if he could be
shown IL-38 aircraft. I promptly rang up Subir Paul who
was FOGA and asked him to meet PC Lal, seek his
convenience and show him everything about the IL-38.
PC Lal was most impressed and in his thank you letter to
Subir Paul said words to the effect that he was happy that
the Navy had got this role; it should have got it earlier.
A copy of this letter was circulated by us to MOD and the
Air HQs. The issue was settled for all time to come. The
Navy today operates the TU-142 which is bigger than
anything which is flown by the Indian Air Force in an
operational role as distinct from transport aircraft which
are basically for logistics.
91
On 30 Dec this year INS Ganga, the ship that I spent
about twenty memorable months many moons ago, as
the EW Officer, turned 25. Considering that the life of
warships is usually around three decades, the silver is
undoubtedly an occasion for celebration because it is
only a rare ship that reaches the golden jubilee mark.
Thus, the Ganga along with its siblings Godavari and
Gomati has been a prominent part of Indian naval
landscape for many navymen, particularly of my
generation. The G force, as I prefer to call them, have
been the in-between children not as sleek and glamorous
as the SNFs and not as swift and maneuverable as the
Corvettes and therefore perhaps have not had their share
of limelight. In any case with powerful newbies like Delhi,
Talwar, Brahmaputra and now the Shivalik class it is but
natural that the G force gets a little eclipsed. That should
not, however, detract us from the wonderful role played
by them over the two and half decades and their sterling
contribution when the Indian Navy was itself in throes of
change. While I would leave it to another generation of
worthies to write about the earlier incarnation of the Gs -
the Hunt class destroyers that served the navy from the
fifties until the seventies, the present avatars also need to
be chronicled for they were unique trendsetters in many
ways.
I joined Ganga in November 1992 and left in July 1994
and thus had a ringside view of many events that
unfolded then. But the history of the G force goes back a
decade before when the Godavari was inducted amidst
huge celebration because these were not merely
indigenously built but also the first indigenously designed
warships. To place the event in perspective let us
remember that the first indigenously designed car, the
Indica, only came in 1997 (along with the Delhi class).
The looks may not have been picture perfect but with a
marriage of Western, Soviet and Indian systems and
capable of carrying two Seaking helicopters we could
now justifiably parade them on the world stage as proof of
our capabilities. Thus, it was that Godavari went all the
way across the Atlantic to America and few years later
Ganga traversed east to Japan. The Lakshman rekha
that we had set ourselves, even if unconsciously, had
been crossed. The mid eighties were exciting times with
the Viraat, last two SNFs and the G class being inducted.
Operationally there was the ongoing Op Pawan in Sri
Lanka and the Op Cactus where Godavari was
instrumental in not only preventing a coup in Maldives but
also capturing the ringleaders after a chase at sea. The
world took notice and how - the TIME magazine ran a
cover story called Super India but significantly with the
Godavari class on the cover - perhaps in recognition of
our new found strength.
But indigenous design was not their only unique feature.
The biggest contribution of the G class was that they
brought the shift from the Bridge to Ops Room and were
the forerunners to today’s network centric warfare. The
sensors be they the APSOH sonar - our baby - or the INS
3 EW system were state of the art, the AIO system, the
IPN 10, integrated inputs like never seen before and
everything else in the Ops Room - the displays,
ergonomics, even the AC was top class. Add to this the
inputs of the two flying frigates - the Seakings with their
own powerful sensors and one suddenly felt like being
part of Star Trek or some advanced space shuttle. One
of the most abiding memories of those times is the
famous picture - splashed across desk and wall
calendars and every naval publicity material capturing
the spirit of the times. It featured then Capt SPS (Chotu)
Dalal peering over the IPN display of Ganga from the
CO’s chair in the Ops Room even as the NO, SCO, GO
and ASWO are huddled over the four panels. No drama,
no theatrics, none of the missile or gunnery shoots in
action, simply men at work in a high tech environment. It
is therefore no wonder that by mid-nineties Fleet
92
‘G’ Force in Indian Navy’s River SutraCaptain Srikant B Kesnur
Commanders - most of them ex SNF Captains - began
to choose the Gs as Flagships despite inherent
constraints in size and relative lack of visible firepower.
Today’s navy that operates in a high tech environment as
a natural state of being would do well to say a silent
thanks to the Gs for this transition. Apart from AIO, the G
class also gave a fillip to disciplines that demanded
subtlety and sophistication in maritime warfare. It can be
safely said that ASW took a huge leap forward with the
APSOH and the Towed Array and the Gs became the
coveted platforms for all hotshot ASWOs. Similarly, EW
underwent a generational shift with the systems fitted on
the Gs, it made possible several things that we had only
until then fantasized about. Such was the impact of these
systems or sensors that many of them were later
retrofitted on other ships even the older Leanders or
some of them further indigenized or miniaturized. Thus,
all subsequent ships have followed this basic template in
the AIO and sensor setup.
The excitement of the late eighties did not last though and
the nineties brought in a trough as we went through some
testing periods of resource squeeze and cash crunch and
perhaps a reorientation to brown water mindset. I
subscribe to Adm Madhvendra Singh’s view of this being
a lost decade and when I joined Ganga in late 1992, the
Western Fleet consisted of just 2 SNFs, 3 Gs and 2
Khukris. Allowing for normal op availability many Fleet
exercises saw just 2 or 3 combatants. The Gs, the show
ponies of the previous decade suddenly became the work
horses and maintained the Op tempo in those testing
times. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they
were our first and last line of defence maintaining
ceaseless vigil on the high seas during a turbulent period
of Indo-Pak relations and the country has much to thank
them for.
In their long and eventful commission the G force has
been in the thick of ‘action’ several times. If Godavari was
the lead in Op Cactus, Ganga was instrumental in the
withdrawal of Indian Peace Keeping forces from Somalia
in a hostile environment and Gomati was involved in the
capture of pirated MV Alondra Rainbow - one of the rare
successful piracy chases in recent history. They have
also remarkably re-invented themselves as platforms for
new equipment be it the Barak SAMs or the new
generation Sonars. In the ongoing Gulf of Aden counter-
piracy campaign the Gs have been active and registered
their presence in no uncertain terms. Thus, they continue
to be in the thick of things even as there is a gentle
acknowledgment that they are perhaps in the autumn of
their existence.
To close on a personal note, serving on the Ganga was
unique. One felt a sort of immediate spiritual connect, a
bond with India’s holiest river. As the MC for many ship
events, I made sure that all events began with the famous
RK ode to the river and the nation - Hoton Pein Sacchai
Rehti Hain ….It was during this tenure that I got engaged
and married - Ganga was my wife’s first experience of the
navy. The wardroom was full of laughter and joie de vivre
and even today many of us stay in touch and reminisce
about those days. My sojourn in Ganga also saw
cataclysmic moments in the life of Mumbai and the
country. The Babri demolition, the riots that followed and
the bomb blasts irrevocably altered the character of the
city and had its own impact on the navy. Viewed through
the prism of history the picture of what those events
meant still remains inchoate and perhaps deserves a
separate article. But the memories of Ganga bring forth a
smile and warm remembrance and as I write this in early
Aug 2010 in distant Nairobi, I am doing so with a spring
in my step because the Ganges is coming to my doorstep
in a few days. I feel the excitement of meeting an old
flame and hum to myself ….. Hum Us Desh Ke Vaasi
Hain Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hain.
Thus, the G force has left an indelible impact in the Indian
Navy’s river sutra. In a few years from now when they bid
adieu I am sure there will be many a wet eye particularly
among a whole generation of navy men who lived,
laughed and learnt on these big hearted vessels.
93
King Paul of the
Hellenes (Greece)
and Queen
F r e d r i k a
(daughter of
K a i s e r
Wilhelm II of
Germany, mother of the future Queen Sofia of
Spain) were visiting the National Defence Academy with
a large entourage in February, 1963. Many important
personages come to the Academy and ensuring visits go
off smoothly entails meticulous planning and execution. I
was detailed to assist the Chief Liaison Officer. I intended
to play my part to the full and see that the delegation left
with a good impression. For some reason I had started
studying Russian and had become familiar with the
alphabet. Its relevance will be apparent later.
The naval officers who trained us as cadets and
midshipmen in the early 1950s had served several years
in the UK under experienced and tough captains,
veterans of the Battle of the Atlantic. That and the liberal
social culture ashore in Britain had shaped their outlook
professionally and personally. They subscribed to the
ethos of “work hard, play hard”, were stern taskmasters
at work and the soul of liberality in the wardroom, on
“runs ashore” and on the playing fields.
They were also familiar with British royalty who frequently
visited ships and establishments on ceremonial and
social occasions befitting a seafaring nation dependent
on sea power. Princes were expected to serve in the
military, preferably the navy. Prince Philip (of Greek
ancestry) was a Lieutenant when recommended as
consort to Princess Elizabeth by his uncle Admiral
Mountbatten. Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the
British throne, had an undistinguished naval career,
“hated it”, being seasick, and left as a Commander.
One of our instructors while exhorting us midshipmen to
great deeds at sea and thinking to boost our self-image
said, as near as I can recall that naval officers were the
equal of royalty and were expected to have all the graces of
etiquette and behaviour without being overawed by position
and power. Being of impressionable age and eager to learn
my chosen profession, I took him at his word.
As the Greek delegation moved through the Academy I
diligently performed my duties. At some stage a short walk
was required and to be more useful I positioned myself next
to a be-medalled, resplendently attired General walking
solemnly behind the King. He glanced at my Lieutenant’s
stripes and did not deem me worthy of further notice. He
remained impassive when I tried to point out something of
interest. I seized my moment when he pulled out a pack of
cigarettes; he did not offer me one (I don’t smoke but he
could not know that). I could recognize the Greek letters on
the pack. I said to him conversationally, “the Greek alphabet
is very much like the Russian alphabet”. He did not
immediately respond, carefully lit his cigarette, took a puff or
two and said, as if pitying my ignorance “you mean the
Russian alphabet is like the Greek alphabet”!
The General was right of course. I had read Greek,
Roman and Hindu mythology as a Sub Lieutenant but as
yet knew little about world cultures and peoples. It would
be some time before I would register that Greece was an
ancient “mother” civilization (like our own, the Chinese and
the Egyptian) and obviously the Greek alphabet preceded
the Cyrillic. I also later understood that though not the
equal of royalty or even erstwhile royalty (their inherited
wealth and privilege allows them some pretensions!) a
good naval officer need never stand in awe of power,
position or authority in conscientiously doing his or her
duty.
94
Walking With KingsAdmiral VS Shekhawat (Retd)
I wonder how QD readers will view this piece which
concerns my close association with the ‘Woman of the
millennium’. History will make its own judgment but I
want to put down a few personal experiences which
show Indira Gandhi in a different light more humane,
generous and perspicacious. We had a bond, because
of a French connection. I studied French in a school in
Paris when my father, in 1950 was the Military Attache
to France. I did my MA in Bombay and French thereafter
in college, Sorbonne, finally fetching up in the JNU.
At CHOGM time, the Reception to the Queen - that’s
the setting in the British High Commission. Pukka
sahibs, rolling in good scotch, soft laughter drifting
through muslin and pearls, tinkle of glasses. As I am
talking to Commodore and Mrs Sanjana, resplendent
Mrs Gandhi flashes me a sparkling smile. Near me she
leans across and whispers in my ear, ‘You’re looking
lovely’ and goes past the VIP way. I feel so happy, so
unbelieving so completely seduced my knees are
wobbly and weak.
At the Calcutta Congress session, I feel in my element.
A vast, disparate gathering of 20,000 humans and Mrs
Gandhi in the centre of all this bubbling activity! When I
take the Algerians to her she talks, they hear her and
are charmed. At the end, just as I’m going out with them
she slips to my side, pats my arms and says looking
lovingly into my eyes - “Et vous, comment allez-vous?”.
At the President’s Reception in the Moghul Garden of
Rashtrapati Bhavan she looks at my saree and stumps
me with, ‘Oh, you are wearing naval colours’, knowing
that Mukund is in the Navy!
When I was getting back to my car outside 1, Safdarjang
Road, I notice an attendant waiting for me with a crate.
When I enquire he replies, ‘Madame has sent some
cherries for your children.’
Her brutal assassination was a shock for me and I had
penned some thoughts through verse, dated
28.12.1984:
Mrs Gandhi
Came into my life
And lifted me
From what I was, but never wanted to be
Restless I felt
Maladjusted, unhappy, insecure, deprived.
I knew not
What I sought, nor what I was capable of
Should I have married
Another, and moved in another world?
I wondered
Intrinsically dephased from my environment.
And then
Mrs Gandhi came
And her warm smile
Illuminated the darkened way
But
Now she has gone
Seventeen bullets
Ripped her soul apart
Nevertheless
She has left me a legacy
I shall not forget
Tough
Determined, purposeful action along with
The Art
Of governing this vast Empire
This brings an inner conviction
That she and I can be
The same.
95
Woman of the MilleniumDr Anuradha Kunte
If history has seen its share of heroes, it has seen a much
bigger share of hero-worshiping. And even today, hero-
worship is one of the few common terms left amongst
youngsters and elders. I too had a hero who I
worshipped, he was none other than our 1st Prime
Minister, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru. I might have inherited
worshipping him as part of family heritage. Because, the
adulation descended from my grandfather, to my mother
and then to me!
Today as I write this memoir, I recollect some nostalgic
moments of the period before the China war-the time when
I was just 8 years old! We came to know that Chacha Nehru
was going to deliver a speech at the grounds of Madhya
Marg, right in front of our house in Chandigarh. A stage with
10 cemented steps was being built for him, which
incidentally were used by Mrs. Indira Ghandhi for her public
meetings years later. Really, those were the days when
there was no tight security even for the Prime Minister and
the population was scanty as compared to today so there
was no doubt getting a good look at your leaders. Well, I
remember how I took the onus of personally monitoring the
construction by going to the venue daily.
Although when D-day finally arrived, the thrill in my sisters
and I was insurmountable. We were told that he would
address the crowd sometime during late afternoon. So we
had our lunch in a jiffy, and got all set to go. But in my
excitement I forgot to put on my shoes I ran barefoot
behind my sisters. I guess it was the fear of being left
behind. The voice of Pt Nehru still echoes in my head. I
may not be able to quote him but I do remember being in
rapt attention. I had the fill of seeing my hero from such
close proximity and breathing the air laden with such spirit
of patriotism. Once his speech ended, he picked a bunch
of flowers, clenched his teeth and with full force, threw
them at the enraptured crowd standing below. I must
have been the luckiest girl there as a rose fell right where
I was standing. Pt Nehru must have seen me leaping
ahead to catch the rose because he gave me the most
memorable smile of my life. I still remember the way his
eyes twinkled when he did so. I treasured that rose for a
very long time and used it to enjoy the envy of my sisters.
What also cannot be forgotten is the time Pt Nehru died,
just a few years later. The picture of my family members
huddled around the radio crying inconsolably as the
commentary of his last journey was being delivered, is still
vivid in my memory. How my tears flowed uncontrollably
even though I didn’t know what death meant! All I knew
was that I would never see my hero again.
My hero worship for Pt Nehru was to be followed by that
of Mrs Indira Gandhi. For her speeches, it was the same
venue, the same running and standing by the same road-
side barricades to see her car passing by. Her smiling and
waving out of her black ambassador car window is still
fresh in my memory. I remember my sisters and I
standing in a line; each one arguing “she looked at me”
“No, she looked at me”. Her renowned ‘Jai Hind’ after
every 15th August speech used to ignite the spark of
patriotism and love for the country in all of us. And just like
father, she too used to throw flowers at the crowd.
But coming to today, I sometimes wonder at the contrast
of hero-worshipping of our times and that of youngsters of
today. Who are the role models of this generation - the
Khans, the Kapoors or the Bachchans? And why? Is it
because times have changed or is it that role models
such as in our times have become a scarcity? Or is it that
the young minds of today are more intrigued by the belly-
pelvic dancing of heroes and heroines than the life turning
words of the wise. It’s not that we didn’t have our
favourites in film actors in those times. Who can forget the
likes of Balraj Sahni, Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar or for that
matter Raj Kapoor but they could never take the place of
96
Hero Worship of YesteryearsMrs Minni Sharma
Nehruji, Lal Bahudar Shastri and Dr Radha Krishnan. Is it
the lure for money, glamour, high flying lifestyle or the
dearth of true patriots and charismatic leaders that has
led to this contrast in hero worshipping? I have been
pondering over these questions but am still at crossroads
for the answer.
97
Prior to commencement of operations, the Indian Navy
followed an exemplary electronic emission policy with a
view to conceal and even deceive the enemy with regard
to the whereabouts of Vikrant. The carrier and its escorts
maintained complete electronic silence at sea. In
harbour, shore wireless stations handled all the out traffic
for the Eastern Fleet. Once the Fleet had put to sea,
there was increased dummy traffic ashore and from
ships not part of the fleet to give the impression that
Vikrant was still in harbour. Finally, the Fleet moved to
Port Cornwallis in North Andaman Islands to lie in wait
for the word ‘Go’ for launching air strikes at the then East
Pakistan. There was no naval communication station in
the port but there were plenty of messages to be sent
particularly in regard to logistic needs of the Fleet. I, as
the Fleet Communications Officer, volunteered to go
ashore to the local police wireless station to request
them to transmit our messages. R Adm SH Sarma, the
Fleet Commander, said he would come along. When we
landed at the jetty, we found that the wireless station was
at the other end of the island many miles away. We were
in a real fix when a jeep happened to come by. We
requested the jeep driver to take us to the station but the
driver declined. At which, the Admiral drew himself up to
his full height and bellowed, “By the powers vested in me
by the President, I commandeer this vehicle for an
operational task.” The driver was completely flustered
and promptly took us to the station where we cleared all
our messages!
When we learnt of the reported move of the US Seventh
Fleet led by USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal, there
was a lot of discussion on board Vikrant, the flagship, on
what we should do if we encountered American ships.
While ideas were in free flow, we received a message
from Cdr L Ramdas, CO Beas, asking the same question.
The Admiral’s reply was immediate, “Exchange identities
and wish them the time of day!” Decision taken,
discussions over! As we all know, the Seventh Fleet did
not come anywhere near us.
There was one other incident which created a lot of chaos
and rescheduling of operations at that time but evoked
much humour subsequently. After the first few hectic days
of air strikes, there was a lull in the activities during which
it was decided to replenish ships before further strikes
and the launching of amphibious operations. Accordingly,
the fleet tanker, Deepak, if my memory is correct, was
anchored in the area and the fleet ships were taking turns
fuelling and patrolling. The landing ships including Magar
and a number of merchantmen were making their way to
the amphibious launching positions. Just then we
received a Flash message from Magar,”Submarine
sighted. Confirm enemy or friendly”! As Magar in her
wisdom had encoded the signal, it was received and seen
by us after about an hour. As none of our submarines was
anywhere near there, we wondered if Magar, with a top
speed of 8 knots and no ASW equipment, was still afloat
to even receive our reply! Meanwhile, our ships too
intercepted the message and cleared the area. By the
time Magar confirmed that she had only seen some
fishing stakes, the amphibious force and merchantmen
were all over the place. It took more than a day to get
everyone in position once again!
Some Memories Of The 1971 WarCmde Ravi Sharma (Retd)
On any given day
It was Saturday evening, Capt Ravi, 42 years,
Commanding Officer of Indian Naval Warship INS Delhi
had invited his ships officers and families for a get
together at home. The first sip of whiskey on his lips and
the telephone rang. It was the duty officer with orders
from command to set sail ASAP- As Soon As Possible.
Well, the wives stayed put and the husbands left. In
about an hour the ship was off the Coast on a mission of
helping a stricken tanker with a fire on board. Men of the
Indian Navy were busy assembling fire fighting/rescue
equipment. Meanwhile the Seaking helicopter took off
from base and headed towards mother INS Delhi. Cdr
Philipose a qualified flight instructor with bags of
experience of flying from sea marveled at the flow of
adrenalin. He was telling his young pilot that no matter
how many times one has landed this large helicopter on
a tight deck, every landing was a new experience,
needing skill and watchfulness.
With the helicopter safely on board the ship was all set
for her mission. Briefing began for all the crew with
each man assigned to a task along with likely
emergencies that he may encounter.
Indian Navy to the rescue
Arun Karmakar was Chief Technical Assistant in the
Naval Dockyard. It was close to midnight. He and his
team were on board a submarine for the past 36 hours
to repair its diesel engine’s cylinder. The submarine
had to sail on a time critical mission. The CTA told his
civilian team “kaam complete karne ke baad hi ham
ghar jayenge”
Rear Admiral Prasad, Chief of Staff was on line with
the Chief Secretary of Gujarat, a Western Naval
Command ship had apprehended some smugglers
and their boats in coordination with the Coast Guard.
Handing over these persons to the local authority had
to be organized.
Garden Reach Shipyard in Kolkotta was launching the
second Landing ship at 1030 hrs the next morning.
The RRM and his wife were to do the honours. It was
a big occasion for the Navy and the Nation.
On the Eastern sea board in the Bay of Bengal,
combined units of the Western and Eastern Fleet were
carrying out a major tri-service exercise. Aircraft of the
Navy/Air Force and amphibious troops of the Army
were simulating battle conditions.
Petty Officer Sangram Singh out at sea on overseas
deployment received a message from his home
saying that he had become a proud father. His ship,
the sail training ship Tarangini was on a cadets
training voyage to Middle East and Africa. There were
cadets from other navies embarked also.
The Chief of the Naval Staff was hosting the Chief of
the Chinese Navy on an official visit to India.
What is our Navy. What does it do for the Nation. Why
is it called the Silent Service ????
Last things first- Imagine just off the coast, naval
operations become invisible out of sight with no
immediate impact on life ashore. Our operations are
neither seen nor heard. That is why the Navy is truly a
silent service.
Traditionally and culturally the Indian psyche remains
land locked despite our Nation being a reckonable
coastal state. Even today majority of our country men
remain agnostic and sometimes even indifferent to
matters maritime.
98
The Navy & the NationVice Admiral KV Bharathan (Retd)
India in actuality is heavily dependent on the seas for
its very existence across the spectrum of sovereignty,
security, commerce ranging from the critical to the
ordinary oil, gas, steel, cement, finished goods of a
long list. If the port of Mumbai or Chennai was closed
for more than 15 days the Indian economy would be in
turmoil. It’s as simple and as direct as that. It is the
Indian Navy supported by our Coast Guard that has to
ensure that our sea lanes and ports are always kept
open.
We are perhaps the one country that has an ocean
named after it- “Sindhu Maha Sagar” of yore is now
the Indian Ocean with the Bay of Bengal in the
Eastern seaboard and the Arabian Sea on the
Western sea board.
A brief look at our history would reveal that India’s
influence in the early centuries was through the
medium of the seas and its domination by the
European powers and ultimately Britain was from the
sea.
Even today, the prophetic statement of Admiral
Alfred Thayer Mahan of USA that “Whoever
dominates the Indian Ocean will dominate the world”
is highly relevant and very factual. This Ocean is
one of the busiest in the world daily traversed by
tankers, cargo ships keeping the world ticking. The
powerful Navies of the world are permanent,
proactive tenants of the Indian Ocean. They trade,
negotiate, woo, coerce, control and coordinate with
every littoral on their own terms. Enigmatic is the
fact that while the Indian ocean littorals may not
know each other well or may not even be interested
in each other due to legacies of historic / cultural /
commercial / hegemonic differences. European
powers, China and Russia seem to be very much in
the minds and thoughts of these nations alongside
lasting geopolitical changes that have reshaped
sovereignty and governance in most Indian Ocean
Littorals.
It is critically in this regard that the Indian Navy both
as an effective component of India’s foreign policy
and a potent economic/commercial contributor would
make a crucial difference to our Nation’s calculus of
Global influence in the comity of sea faring nations
with stability, growth, credibility in a typically Indian
democratic environ that is secular in belief and
ethos.
The Indian Navy is indeed the image of India in
portrait, presence, essence and existence. It
represents, presents India in all its colours and
secular spirits. Its people are true ambassadors of our
country in letter and spirit
In six decades, the Indian Navy has transformed itself
from a brown water flotilla to a reckonable blue water
Fleet that has readiness to reach with long sturdy sea
legs. Over the years it has developed a unique three
dimensional capability to silently perform with
professional flair and competence.
The legacy of its consistent leadership of vision,
value, steadfast in planning and execution, enabled it
to reach where it is today. A Navy with global
recognition, regional respect that displays
enthusiastic readiness to be both proactive and
reactive whenever called for.
In 1965, 1971 and Kargil operations we not only stood
our ground but carried the battle to the enemy when
needed.
Operation “Sukoon” to bring stranded
Indians/foreigners out of Lebanon, the dedicated post-
Tsunami assistance/aid to Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Maldives while looking after its own affected areas.
Escorting the US Navy in the Malacca straits, its
stellar role of aid to civil power during earthquake,
floods and the very recent display of force in dealing
with pirates are prime examples of optimal use of sea
power with sense and sensibility.
99
Adventure activities like the conquest of Everest,
reaching the North Pole have also made our Navy a
service which is not all work but also considerable
play.
Over the decades our policy of engaging other navies
in joint exercises, affording training opportunities to
many navies like Bangaldesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar,
South Africa, Oman etc, hydrographic support to
some Indian Ocean littorals, constabulary assistance
to a few African countries and the recently held Indian
Ocean Naval Symposium have been highly salutary
foreign policy initiatives, that have greatly added to
India’s international stature.
Over the years, the Indian Navy has been constantly
endeavouring to indigenize most of the material and
equipment that go into making a warship. There has
been a sustained thrust, in the core areas of national
strategic interests such as warship steel, major
engineering equipment, weapon and communication
equipment. New initiatives for joint development with
leading world manufacturers have also been initiated
in order to progressively achieve self reliance in these
core areas.
Indigenisation is a useful tool to plough back the
capital into our own nation not only to invigorate the
industry but also for development of the society at
large.
It is always essential and nice to gather our thoughts
in gratitude to our Nation, our men and women,
service/civilian serving and retired, our heroes, our
families who have all made and make our Navy a
place to Belong, Believe and Be.
100
The R Adm VM Katdare I knewCdr K Kutty (Retd)
I first met R Adm Katdare in 1965 when he was
serving in the capacity of Staff Engineer Officer to the
Flag Officer, Bombay - the predecessor to FOC-in-C,
West - in the rank of Commander. I was recently
promoted to Sub Lieutenant (SDME) and transferred
to INS Hathi as her Engineer Officer. We were in the
middle of a war against Pakistan then, though Navy
didn’t play any worthwhile role in that brief conflict.
Hathi was an Oceangoing Tug, employed to tow target
in the open sea for naval ships to practice firing.
Though she was based at Cochin, she had to be
brought to Naval Dockyard, Bombay for refit. The
ships of other commands visiting Bombay became the
responsibility of FOB. All technical overseeing of the
refit came under the purview of Staff Engineer Officer.
The refit of Hathi was entrusted to a private ship
repairing company Alcock Ashdown & Co then
situated near Mazagon Docks. Because of this
arrangement and my lack of experience in the
operation and maintenance of reciprocating engine
which was fitted in this ship, I practically lived
onboard and got involved fully in the refit. I then met
Commander Katdare who was in the habit of taking
rounds of ships belonging to FOB under refit at the
end of his working day. As we were in the early stage
of refit, he didn’t ask questions but just took a walk
around. On the first day, I introduced myself when he
came onboard. When he saw me every time he came
onboard, he asked me, “Kutty, your family is not
here? Don’t you go ashore for relaxation?” I had not
brought my wife to Bombay yet, but I told him about
my fear of the reciprocating engine and the need for
learning during this refit. Also I was recently
promoted, given the job of Engineer Officer and as
such the responsibility hung heavily on my shoulders.
He seemed impressed with my answer. Patting my
back he said, “good” and moved on.
The refit was over and trials commenced. The boiler
generated saturated steam at 200 psi and this steam
led through copper pipes to the main engines. At
such a low pressure, condensation was common and
frequent, warranting proper drainage especially while
preparing the engines prior to sailing. On that day of
trials, steam was raised and I told Chief Mech. to get
the steam opened to the main engine after proper
drainage to commence the warm through process. I
went for my lunch and at half way I heard a loud
explosion and rushed to the Engine Room. I saw
steam shooting out of manoeuvring valve body filling
the machinery space. The gunmetal valve body had
developed a full length crack.
The steam was shut, isolated, the boiler shut down
and the trial abandoned. We got the valve repaired
straightaway by brazing the crack. After testing, the
valve was put back and we carried out trials the next
day.
I was duty bound to send a signal to FOB about this
mishap. Pat came the reply from FOB asking me to
send a detailed report about this incident and asked
NCML to carry out a metallurgical examination to
determine whether the valve can be put to use
again.
I was worried about a Board of Inquiry on an Ag Sub
Lieutenant and feared loss of seniority! In my report I
explained the existence of an old hair line crack
which accelerated a through and through crack.
Because of the need to go ahead with trials, the valve
was repaired on priority basis and worked
satisfactorily.
Subsequently I was summoned by the SEO.
Commander Katdare who went through my report
and asked, “Kutty, this was a good report. Now tell
me what actually happened?” I answered, “Sir, it was
pure and simple water hammer due to negligence.”
He further asked, “After a refit, first time the main
engine was being prepared. Warm through was an
important process. Whom did you entrust this job?”
“My Chief Mech.” I replied, “Sir, I am not at all happy
with Ch. Mech. Not because of this incident. Overall
he is not much use to me. I will look for a
replacement.”
He then advised me, “You will not get a good Ch.
Mech. or Ch. ERA - all of them will be grabbed by
other ships. They get all the priority. Hathi will be
given Chiefs of this caliber whom no one wants.
This was the occupational hazard of serving this
ship. You better be more careful and try to do his
job too.”
That was a sound advice which I followed throughout
my tenure in that ship. Later I traded my Ch. Mech.
for an ERA IV class and sailed without a Ch. Mech.
I never got a chance to serve under Admiral Katdare
again. He seldom got upset or panicked but always
acted with maturity. He always carried with him a
book with handwritten pages worn out and soiled with
the passage of time. It contained all the defects or
breakdown he had come across during his sea time
and the remedial actions taken.
In the early stages of my commissioned service, he
showed me compassion and understanding when I
faced a problem due to negligence of someone. I
came to know that Admiral Katdare passed away in
2007. I would like to imagine the Admiral wearing his
immaculate white uniform and taking his unobtrusive
rounds in naval surroundings!
101
The idea of establishing a Dental Institute of Navy at
Mumbai came to my mind in 1995-96 when the one
hundred crore modernization project of INHS ASVINI
came through after prolonged efforts. I was then Dental
Adviser (Navy) and Officer-in- Charge, Naval Dental
Centre Mumbai. This setup existed for a long time but
the name did not convey her role as the premier central
dental setup of Navy. One got the impression of this
being any dental centre of Navy. This was also the
dental establishment of Navy which had a dental
laboratory fabricating dentures for all stations of Navy.
Since lot of advancements had taken place in various
specialties of dentistry, it was felt that existing facilities
needed to be upgraded and expanded further and the
time for the same was most appropriate. A case was
therefore projected for Government sanction to re-
designate NDC, Mumbai as Naval Institute of Dental
Sciences (NIDS), Mumbai and upgrade the post of
Officer-in-Charge, NDC to Director NIDS. It took more
than one year to get the Govt. sanction. In the mean
time as planning of modernisation of Asvini was going
on, we were asked by the Project Director Asvini to send
a line diagram of the proposed new dental set up based
on our then authorisation with reasonable provision for
further expansion. We did not know at that time as to
how much more will be added to our existing
establishment. Late Surg Cdr Dinesh Bhoil did a great
job by making the line diagrams of our requirements for
which we got very little time.
To achieve our aim the first and the foremost step was to
get an independent identity for our forthcoming new dental
set up for which adequate independent space was
required to be identified in the vicinity of the main new
Hospital. After prolonged discussions and presentations
the canteen and post office area of Asvini was identified
and allotted for the new Dental Institute. After my
retirement the project was later vigorously followed up by
Surg Cmde (Later Maj Gen) M L Gupta who also had the
privilege to get NIDS inaugurated on 23 Feb. 1999 by Vice
Admiral Madhvendra Singh (later CNS), the then Flag
Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
Whereas the sound foundation of dental service of Navy
was laid down by stalwarts like Surg Capt MR Vig, Surg
Cdr K L Malhotra and Surg Cdr (later Brig) DN Wadhera
the later advancements to NIDS were carried out by Surg
Cmde (later Lt Gen) SB Sehajpal, Surg Cmde (later Maj
Gen) S Karkun who added Porta AC huts in the year 2008
for the admin and training requirements of the Institute.
The Institute offers state of art dental treatment in all
specialties and super specialties of dentistry which are
not available in other Naval Stations. OPG with
cephelostat x-ray unit and RVG cameras are provided
for instant diagnosis. Ceramic lab for making shades to
match crowns on teeth and bridges, dental implants,
advanced management of maxillofacial injuries, gum
treatment with bone grafts and guided tissue
regeneration, advanced technology for braces and root
canal treatment are provided.
Besides this dental research projects in various stations
of Navy are coordinated at NIDS. In addition the training
of all dental personnel of Navy as dental assistants,
dental hygienists and dental technicians is carried out at
NIDS. These are recognized by Dental Council of India
for working in the Civil too.
NIDS has emerged as a research and referral dental
establishment of Navy and has given a new dimension
to the small dental service of Navy. The future is bright
for the dental service but there is never a final
destination in treatment facility in any branch or
specialty of medical science.
102
Naval Institute of Dental Sciences, MumbaiSurg Cmde JK Gupta (Retd)
On a cold winter evening in January, 1981, the
commissioning crew of INS Rana under the command
of Captain Bimalendu Guha assembled at INS TRATA
and left for Santacruz airport for proceeding to Poti, a
Georgian town in then USSR. Families of the officers
with children were permitted to accompany them. The
family of the Captain did not accompany as his son
was in school and his schooling could not be
disrupted. The HsOD were Cdr SS Khanna (XO), Cdr
VVM Rao (LO) Cdr Rajiv Paralikar (EO), self (Supply
Officer). The other officers of the commissioning crew
were Lt Cdr Vijay Shankar, Lt Arun Nayar, Lt Cdr KS
Pathania, Lt JS Gandhi, Lt Cdr SC Maini, Lt Kochhar,
Lt Cdr AD Singh , Lt BSR Murthy Lt GS Yadav, Lt
Rajinder Singh, Lt SPS Duggal, Lt SK Khanna, Lt DN
Praharaj, Lt GS Sambyal - all Executive Officers. The
engineering officers were Lt Cdr R Suthan, Lt
Mahapatra, Lt Belliappa and Lt V Sarwate. The
electrical officers were Lt Cdr PG Muthanna, Lt DB
Singh, Lt KK Chandra, Lt SVS Chary and Lt V
Raghav.
We were flown by a special Air India aircraft as the
officers and men with families were nearly 200. The
start was not without hiccup. The name of the
daughter of Lt Cdr Pathania (Pats) was not entered in
his Passport. So at Santa Cruz, the immigration
authorities did not allow his daughter to board the
flight. So he, his wife and daughter were left behind
when we boarded the plane at Santacruz. Some of the
officers and families joined us at Delhi. So we had to
land at Delhi to pick them up. We were sad that Pats
and his family could not accompany us. But luck
would have it otherwise. The Air India staff at Mumbai
was very nice. After we took off from Bombay, they
convinced the immigration authorities to permit Pats
and family to fly to USSR. Not only that, they put also
Pats and his family in another scheduled Air India
flight which left for Delhi immediately after our
departure and arranged for them to join us at Delhi.
103
Families At PotiCommodore SM Sundaram (Retd)
They joined us at Delhi. So all was well that ended
well. Next morning, we landed at the Shermatova
airport in Moscow. From there we were taken by bus
to another airport to fly to Sukumi. We were met at
Sukumi by the staff of Poti Naval base and taken by
bus.
Multi-storied flats built by their sailors (Shramdan)
within the Base were allotted to us. Even single
officers were given rooms with attached bath and
toilet. These flats were well furnished with complete
furniture, bed linen, cutlery and crockery, gas stove,
cooking utensils etc. There was central heating and
piped gas supply for the cooking along with a
refrigerator in each flat.
Poti is a very small sleepy town in Georgia. Officers
who were accompanied by their families, had sent
their bulk luggage by sea well in advance. The
advance luggage was in position at Poti when the
families arrived. Learning from the experience of the
first commission crew, we had made arrangements for
shipping well in advance enough dry rations to last
during our stay in USSR.
Fresh rations were a problem. Like our ASC, the
Russians also have Government supply. Their
Government supply was no better than ours. The first
day when the ladies received the supply of fresh
rations, there was hell to pay. The ladies rejected the
supply. In Poti, there was a “renuk” (Vegetables and
fruits market). In “renuk” fresh vegetables grown by
private farmers in the nearby villages were sold.
Similarly, fish, meat and chicken were also available.
The quality of the products was very good, but the
price was nearly three times that of the Government
store. The ladies did not mind, as twice a week, a mini
bus was provided for shopping fresh rations. In a
couple of weeks the ladies had picked up enough
Russian to bargain and converse with the vegetable
vendors. The ladies preferred to wear salwar kameez
for trips to “renuk” as the gypsies in the market place
took delight in pinching the midriff of the ladies if they
wore sarees! There was a small departmental store
inside the base as well where occasionally good
quality of tinned peas and fresh tomatoes were sold.
The ladies would make a bee line to this shop when
news spread of the arrival of the stock of these items.
We had taken one huge grinder, from India to make
Vadas for the Ships Company but making Dosas for
the entire Ships Company was time consuming and
had to be restricted to rare occasions.
There was a small town, Batumi, south of Poti, where
there was a dolphin training school. The pool in which
dolphins were trained was a very large one. It was
divided into two parts - one for the under trainee
dolphins and another was for trained dolphins. In fact,
one of the trained dolphins would take the Trainers
daughter out to sea for swimming practice and bring
back the little girl safely.
There was a dolphin show every week. The dolphins
were so well trained that they would come and collect
fish from the hands of the Trainers on the sliding
board. The Trainer would stand on top of the diving
board and the dolphins would jump to a height of 6
feet and collect the fish. The usual jumping through
the rings and jumping high out of the pool etc. were
the other tricks performed by them. In another
spectacular show, the dolphin would do high speed
swimming with its Trainer holding on to her fins.
On completion of the training period, the Ship was
commissioned on 19 February, 1982. Our families
were present at the Commissioning Ceremony. We
had nice party after the commissioning. All good
things had to come to an end. After commissioning we
all moved into the ship and the families left for India
via Moscow. In all the families had a very comfortable
stay and good time in Poti!
104
It can now be told I am a sailor who does not know how to
swim! People don’t believe me when I tell them this. How
could anyone get through NDA and join the Navy without
knowing how to swim. Well,
here is the story, all too true!
I never did enjoy learning to
swim but as it was mandatory
for passing out from the NDA, I
just had to do it. By the sixth term, I could
throw my arms and legs around
attempting to do the breaststroke for
a couple of meters. When I got to
that stage, the PT Instructor
told me that I must learn to
dive as that was part of the
test. So I plucked up courage,
held my breath and plunged
into the pool. The moment my
head touched the water, my head
started throbbing with the most intense pain ever. I
scrambled out of the pool and hurried back to my cabin. I
slept through the day and night before the pain eased.
The next week, I returned to the pool to continue my
lessons. I dived and once again, as soon as my head
touched water, the same shooting pain returned. Another
restless 24 hours before the pain subsided.
Now I was really scared. Time was running out and I was
afraid of entering the water. Anyway, after a few days, I
forced myself to go back to the pool. I told the PTI on
duty that I had to pass my test. He had a list of our
course with him and asked for my number and name. He
checked the list and told me that my name was among
the swimmers who had passed the test! I could not
believe my ears and asked him to recheck and saw the
list for myself. Lo and behold, the list showed that I had
indeed passed the test! I thanked the PTI and made a
fast exit from there never to return!
Fortunately, all my ships held
firm and I was never required
to swim! There was one occasion
which was a close shave,
though. As cadets on Tir, we
were at anchor in the
Andamans and were being given
lessons on handling the Captain’s fast
motorboat by then Lt HML Saxena,
commonly known as Bhaisahib on
account of his younger brother,
Madan, also being in the
Navy. I was the
sternsheetman when
Bhaisahib took the boat
alongside a whaler secured to
the port lower boom. This resulted in the
whaler being dragged towards the ship so that when he
cast off, the whaler boat rope, unseen by me, came across
my body and gently toppled me into the sea.
My colleagues saw this and with some of them knowing I
did not know how to swim, started shouting but Bhaisahib
being well forward did not realize what had happened and
continued to accelerate. By the time he became aware of
the incident and turned back, I could not be seen.
So far as I was concerned, it all happened so fast I had no
time to think! I felt myself going down gently for sometime
and then felt myself coming up. The moment my head was
out of the water, I saw the whaler and grabbed at the
gunwale. I hoisted myself onto the boat and sat down
shaking the water off my hair and body.
Meanwhile, there was panic on the FMB as my friends thought
105
A Non-Swimming SailorCmde Ravi Sharma
Commissioned on 5th May 1977, INS Dunagiri, (F 36), the
fourth indigenous Anti Submarine Leander Frigate built at
MDL was finally paid off at Mumbai Naval Dockyard at
sunset on 20th October 2010 after 33 glorious years of
service in the Indian Navy.
Rear Admiral RK Pattanaik, YSM, Flag Officer
Commanding, Western Fleet did the honours in the
presence of many previous Commanding Officers, notably
amongst them, Vice Admiral ‘Tony’ Jain, who had been the
commissioning CO Admiral Pattanaik had himself had the
privilege of commanding the Dunagiri as its 16th CO in the
late 90s.
In all, 26 officers have commanded the Dunagiri, the last
of them being the then Commander Sushil Das (son of the
ship’s seventh Commanding Officer) till 16th August 2010.
All ships, big or small, are equally great and unique in their
own way. A ship command of one ship is as all
encompassing as command of any other ship. There are
however, “lucky” ships. Dunagiri has been a lucky ship.
Lucky not just because of the array of the most admirable
and modest Commanding Officers she has had; that of
course, but also because she has had the ability to always
ride the waves, the storms, difficulties, hurdles and
seeming setbacks with ease and grace. Believe the old
Talwar and the old Delhi were also lucky ships.
My mind naturally went back to the mid eighties to my 19
months tenure on board, as Flagship to two very
demanding Communicator Fleet Commanders - Admirals
Ramdas and Govil. But then, if they were demanding, I
had the comfort of riding on the shoulders of a very
energetic and professional wardroom and an extremely
responsive ship’s company. Together, we were able to
deliver. In all fairness, I must admit that they were
demanding, yes, but not unreasonable. Indeed, if there
was a problem, it was theirs to have had to put up with
their Flag Captain.
Credit must go to the successive Commanding Officers
and their crews for having handled - or should I say
fondled the pretty Dunagiri with such warmth and caring,
that on being decommissioned after 33 years of service,
she still looked the sweet sixteen.
Emotive nostalgia filled the air as the decommissioning
ceremony proceeded. Alas, at 1812 hrs as the golden sun
slid down the Western horizon, Dunagiri’s Paying Off
Pennant was hauled down as the congregation saluted
‘adieu’ with moist eyes.
An event so gracefully conducted by the Western Naval
Command and the Western Fleet and executed by
Commander Sanjay Kumar, the officiating Commanding
Officer at the time of decommissioning.
Adieu Dunagiri, we await your resurgence in a new hull,
hopefully sooner than later.
106
Adieu DunagiriRear Admiral SK Das (Retd)
I had gone under! Only when they came very near the whaler,
they saw me and let out a big roar. They came alongside and
pulled me on board. They hugged me and thanked God I
hadn’t drowned. As the thought had never occurred to me, I
couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about!
I am often asked by civilians if I ever felt scared on a ship not
knowing how to swim. Frankly, the thought never occurred to
me as I never thought my ship ever would go down.
Please refer to Admiral J G Nadkarni (Retd) article “For
want of a Nail” on page 67 of Quarterdeck 2010
regarding the grounding of Hunt Class destroyer INS
Godavari on a reef in the Maldives islands.
I wish to complete the story as at the time I was
holding the appointment of Director of Naval
Operations (DNO). When the news about the Godavari
grounding came in March 1976, I was devastated to
say the least. Emotion apart, it was time to act. I was
fortunate enough to have a dedicated professional
Captain U C Tripathi (1st course NDA) as my Joint
Director. The salvage operation was code named
“GODSAL” and appropriate operational instructions
issued to all concerned.
The next few days saw us dispatching all possible
items of logistic and material support to be available at
the site including Clearance Divers, the biggest
available nylon hawse, the Navy Tug INS Gaj and an
Ocean Going Tug from Mangalore, details of which are
given in great detail in the Admiral’s article. Meanwhile
our Naval Advisor Capt K C Gairola based at Colombo
was directed to proceed to Male, the capital of
Maldives for liaison duties and seek local assistance if
any when required and to keep the host government
fully informed. Capt Tripathi and I decided to sleep in
the War Room on alternate days to respond to any
new development.
We were hoping that with the Clearance Divers
chipping the coral around the ship combined with
lighting the ship would perhaps work on a high tide, but
unfortunately this made no difference. By this time two
weeks had already elapsed. However our only hope
then rested on the fact that one of the most
professional Capt. commanding INS Delhi, then Capt J
G Nadkarni was expected on the scene in a couple of
days and was accordingly appointed the senior officer
in charge of the entire salvage operation.
Notwithstanding the above it is always imperative to
have a contingency plan to cater to a worst case
scenario. Accordingly I sought an audience with the
CNS, Admiral Cursetjee. After briefing him, I submitted
that in the event we were unable to salvage the ship,
we should blow her up with explosives using our
Clearance Divers to remove all visible evidence of her
grounding for all times to come as to leave her
aground on a foreign shore would be a matter of
national disgrace and a crying shame for naval honour
and professionalism. I am happy to say that after a few
minutes he gave me the “go ahead” and directed me to
get the Raksha Mantri approval for this ultimate option.
I came back to my office and prepared a note marked
“Most Immediate” stating that this had the approval of
the CNS and would be the last option to execute in
case all concurrent efforts failed to salvage Godavari.
The government of Maldives would be taken into
confidence beforehand, assuring them that we would
take all due precautions to ensure that the least
damage was caused to the environment.
My gut feeling was that if we followed the routine
bureaucratic route, the file was most likely to run
aground half-way. I therefore decided to carry the file
myself and walked past intermediate bureaucratic
speed breakers and virtually walked into the Defence
Secretary’s office and after due apology managed to
satisfy him about the case and also managed to get his
recommendation endorsed on the file. Thereafter I
went to the office of Shri S K Mitra, the OSD to
Choudhry Bansi Lal, the RM and explained the case to
his entire satisfaction and requested him to convey to
the RM, a man of few words that “Yeh Navy ki Izzar ka
107
It Became A Question of The Navy’s IzzatLate V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd)
sawal hai”. I asked Shri Mitra if I could accompany him
but he said it was not necessary and that he would get
the needful done. He came out of the office of the RM
with the file carrying the approval of the RM duly
endorsed. All this took me no more that an hour. The
first person to be informed naturally was the CNS who
thumped my shoulder and said, “well done!”
Fortunately a signal was received from INS Delhi the
same afternoon that Godavari had been extricated
from the Coral Reef. Understandably there was an air
of relief and thanksgiving. At the same time I realized
that Godavari during the process of being pulled out of
the Coral Reef would have suffered considerable
damage and perhaps will never go to sea again as a
warship but that “Naval Izzat” had been salvaged was
a matter of naval celebration. Naturally now there was
no need to carry out the contingency plan.
108
Holiday in ParisLate V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd)
Late Cdr VF Rebello and I joined the Navy together and
met for the first time in Cochin in mid October 1949 to
undergo the Naval Orientation course prior to our
departure for the UK to undergo four year’s training with
the Royal Navy.
Whereas our surnames started with G and R; for some
inexplicable reason we were allotted the same cabin in
various shore establishments. Naturally we became
very close to each other and Vernon Rebello started
calling me “Partner”. Besides other great human
qualities Vernon was gifted with a great sense of subtle
humor. We used to meet in London during our breaks.
By 1951 we had been promoted Midshipmen and
decided to go to Paris for a holiday. At the time in
accordance with the old currency regime in both
countries, the British Pound was worth Rs 13.30 only
and the British 6 pence coin fetched you less than 30
Indian Paisa with which you could buy a “samosa” or
“two bananas”!!
For reasons of austerity the British Government at the
time had restricted the holiday allowance per person to
25 pounds only regardless of the length of your holiday.
However pre paid tickets by rail, including the return
journey as also the coupons for fixed menu meals on
railways could be purchased in London prior to one’s
departure.
A well-wisher advised us that as we still had to contend
with at least another two years with “shepherd’s pie”,
“steak and kidney pudding” served with mashed
potatoes and boiled cabbage served in Royal Navy
Messes we should avoid the temptation of going in for
French “gourmet meal”. Instead we should raid
university college canteens for subsidized food and
travel by Paris underground railway and at all costs
avoid visiting any “night spot”. We managed to find
fairly clean and reasonably priced digs to stay in.
Everything was on track and we managed to see most
of Paris including the world famous painting “Mona
Lisa”. Two days prior to our scheduled departure,
Vernon pleaded with me that at our age it would be a
shame if we did not see French “Cabaret” before we left
Paris. Most reluctantly I agreed and we entered one of
the night clubs. After paying the entrance fee, as we
entered the club, two self appointed hostesses put their
arms around us and escorted us to a table for four. A
waiter who was watching us like a vulture soon arrived
to take our orders for liquid refreshments. Vernon and I
decided to share a bottle of beer to last the whole
evening, the ladies insisted on only champagne, but
were actually found to be drinking some green colored
liquid. The waiter soon appeared with the bill and on
seeing it, Vernon placed the money on the table and
whispered in my ear and said, “Partner, let us scoot”
and that we did within seconds
ignoring the fervent pleas of our
hostesses. Vernon was once
silent and on reaching the
“digs” we virtually crashed
into our beds.
As we had to spend one
more day of our holiday in
Paris before our scheduled
departure for reasons of
pre-paid tickets for
specific dates, and
given our financial
state, we could afford
to buy only one more
meal before we arrived
back in London.
Accordingly after much
reconnaissance, we sat
down at a virtual
French “dhaba” for lunch. The waiter brought a basket
of French bread and we ordered two omelets. When
the omelets arrived, the waiter observed that half the
bread in the basket had already disappeared. He was
kind enough to go inside and recharge the bread
basket. When the bill arrived, two baskets full of French
bread had already disappeared into our stomachs. The
waiter went inside to attend to other customers, we
placed the bill amount on the table (no tip) and virtually
ran to disappear beyond the line of sight of the waiter.
Thereafter we tried to flog my German camera to raise
resources but given the historic hostility between the
Germans and the French especially after World War II,
we were given such dirty looks by the French
shopkeepers that we gave up all further attempts. The
only satisfaction was that with a basket each of French
bread in our stomachs, we could survive till we reached
the UK.
On arrival at Victoria station in the UK by rail
sometime in the afternoon the next day, we took a cab
and proceeded to our hotel.
As I disembarked with the
luggage I asked Vernon if
he had the money to pay
the taxi fare. Looking at
the taxi meter he said
“yes” and that after that
only a six pence coin would
be left. I requested Vernon
not to pay the tip. On
entering the hotel I
managed to meet the land
lady and explained
that we were truly
and utterly broke.
She was a kind soul
and highly impressed
with our past behaviour,
gave me an advance of
about 10 Pounds with a
request to pay back the loan as
and when “able”. I was mighty pleased to say the
least. Soon Vernon opened the hotel door and had a
sheepish look on his face. When I asked him what had
happened, he said, “Partner I gave the taxi driver the
six penny coin as a tip and instead of accepting it, he
placed it back in my palm with the parting remark,
“Have a good time on me, Sir.” Finding me a little
annoyed he said, “Partner, you must develop a
positive attitude. You know that it is for the first time
that someone had addressed Midshipman V.F.
Rebello as “Sir” even though it happened to be a taxi
driver!”
Well, that was Cdr Vernon Francis Rebello who is no
more. God bless his soul.
109
Ever seen an actual stone frigate? One was built in
Bombay for Sea Cadets training over half a century
ago!
Ever heard of a cruiser quarterdeck awning, and a
ceremonial one at that, spread in the national capital?
I was as much surprised then as you may be now, to
learn that that was the task assigned to me barely a
couple of months after arriving in NHQ in the mid
1950s.
The Naval Officers’ Wives Association had set up a
committee to organise a Navy Ball to raise welfare
funds for the Navy. In order to make a striking
spectacle of the show the committee decided to
borrow the ceremonial quarterdeck awning of the
then flagship INS Delhi (ex-HMS Achilles) to decorate
the dance hall of the Delhi Gymkhana which was to
be the venue of the Ball. The ceremonial awning had
broad red and white bands alternately, running
athwartships all along its entire length and when fully
lit up at night is truly a magnificent sight to behold by
any standard!
One morning my Director summoned me and told me
to report to the Director of Naval Construction. The
latter was an RN officer and being a member of the
club he must have been on sufficiently good terms
with it’s managing committee to get their approval for
what he proposed to decorate the dance hall with.
When I went to see him he told me what had to be
done. I would have a working party of sailors and all
the materials necessary to do the job were already at
the site.
Not being from the Executive branch of the Navy you
can easily guess how nervous I must have been at
the time. What if some ham-handed member of my
working party damaged the club or some unforseen
accident occured? What about club fittings like
ceiling fans and electric lights? Would they come in
the way? I had never been to the club and had
absolutely no idea of what to expect. No steel wire
ropes allowed - I would have to spread the awning
and support it’s considreable weight using only
Manila ropes.
When I got to the club I found the working party
already there and as promised all the materials,
including the ladders the club provided, at the site.
On first inspection I heaved a sigh of relief to find that
there were no ceiling fans and electric lights hanging
from the top of the dance hall. Just below the ceiling
the entire dance hall was ringed with skylights. We
quickly decided that we would have to have a stout
Manila rope running along the whole length of the
centre of the hall to support the awning. To spread the
awning we would have to run another Manila rope
along the upper portion of the surrounding walls and
secure the rope with cords tied to the skylights.
I mention these details to show why it took us the
best part of two days to complete the job. I was quite
gratified to get a letter from the committee thanking
us for the effort we had put in.
There was an amusing sequel. After the Ball I had to
visit the site to check if there had been any damage
to the premises of the club. Not everyone apparently
had been impressed with our efforts. A dear old lady
came up to me and said,”You know, you took so many
days to put up the awning, but today they took less
than two hours to take everything down!”.
110
Awesome AwningCdr NA Mullerworth (Retd)
After successfully getting through the 11th Submarine
Course way back in 1973, the theoretical phase at
least, I found myself joining INS Vagir, a Foxtrot class
submarine at Las Palmas, for the practical phase of
submarine training which included crawling through
bilges and battery compartments.
Showing off the submarine badge to one and all in the
years ahead brought immense pleasure and plenty of
“Oohs and Aahs” from lady friends in particular.
And then one fine day as a Surgeon Commodore I
was informed by the Office of DGAFMS that I had
achieved Flag Rank. Since no vacancy was available
as a Surgeon Rear Admiral, the DGMS Army called up
to inform me that I had become a General Officer and
was to proceed to take over Command Hospital,
Central Command, Lucknow. The appointment was a
superb one and the change over from whites to olive
greens is aptly described in my article titled, “An old
seadog becomes a Land Lubber”.
An old seafarer with almost fourteen years of sea time
under his belt had without blinking
an eyelid successfully converted
into a stomping General Officer.
While as Commandant, CH (CC)
Lucknow was a terrific command,
however, for reasons unknown to
me, the Army felt they had the right
choice to take over as MG
(Medical), at the Northern Army
Command in J & K. This command
is known as the most Ops command
of the Army. And so, I found myself,
a submariner from the very depths
of the oceans, climbing the highest
mountains around the Nubra Valley leading to the
Siachen Glacier.
The dolphins remained a part of all my OG uniforms
daily wear, formal wear and field rigs. This badge was
not just a curiosity for the Army officers and soldiers,
in fact most thought that it was some form of
decoration. With many exciting submarine stories
under my belt, I perforce had to repeat myself many a
time during tranquil periods in counter insurgency ops
in the Jammu area and Kashmir valley and during my
visits to Leh and Ladakh regions. Even on the highest
peaks visiting my RMOs on the LC fence and glacier
the COs of the various regiments would welcome me
having already got to know that a crazy two star
travels everywhere by road for ten hours a day
attempting to meet RMOs and Dental Officers, of
whom I had twice the number that the Navy had.
The Marine Commandos at Wuller Lake just could not
believe themselves when I landed up in a heavy snow
storm for a cup of well deserved coffee laced with rum
at three in the afternoon. A General actually visiting
111
A Submariner Army GeneralMajor General Subroto Kundu (Retd)
them and not just any old
General but a By-God
Submariner General! It was by
then known in the Northern
Army Command that their MG
(Medical) only preferred to
drive all over the great
Himalayan and Zanskar ranges
to areas one only reads about
in the newspapers. In fact it is
believed from intelligence
sources that I had actually
been targeted twice by
militants. The only reason I
believe, that I am still around is
that the militants just could not
get the registration number of
the vehicle I was driving, in areas such as Sopore and
Sopian.
The other reason for my survival was that on all my
inspection tours I would travel alone, which was
probably well known. During these two incidents in
particular I was accompanied by the ADMS of the
Corps. Hence anyone lying in ambush was on the
lookout for only one individual in the backseat, not
two and thus my SUV slipped through followed by
another SUV a little later with a single individual in
the rear seat which sad to say met its fate in a
grenade attack. Such close encounters were a
regular feature especially amongst soldiers who were
on road opening patrols and men of the Rashtriya
Rifles.
I firmly believe, that my training as a submariner with
an eye for technical details brought many a medical
CO to tears as I got after continuous training, fire
fighting, ambulance vehicle parades, the tackling of
emergencies, NBC exercises and demonstrations of
basic first-aid after high teas and barakhanas.
However, all these tears finally benefitted the frontline
field medical units by the time I finally left.
Unfortunately, everyone had misunderstood or could
not fathom the likes of a submariner General who they
thought would not know anything about field
conditions in the border areas and CI ops areas and
thus the tremendous jolts. It was well worth the
tremendous efforts put in by the RMOs, Dental
Officers and field medical units resulting in superb
medicare being provided to not only the Army but also
to the BSF, ITBP, CRPF, J & K Police and all civilians
of the state.
Before I conclude, I must submit that paradise on
earth does exist in J & K, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand. The pristine jaw dropping beauty of
these hilly states and the simplicity of their peoples is
something to cherish in our very materialistic
existence. The Pir Panjal, Ladakh and Zanskar ranges
have in their folds peoples and places that could be
considered God’s own.
The services and the Submarine branch actually
prepare one to rapidly adapt to frequent changing
circumstances. I know, for I benefitted.
112
Teenoteen Dahine chal, Dahene muddddd!
Dahine Se Sajjjjj!
Dho line Bunnnn!
A cacophony that was often heard on the corridors of
Gunnery School Parade
Ground -- a noise
that I would never
forget in my
lifetime! Because,
that’s where I
spent nearly a
year doing Parade
training during the
1st Long (G)
Course that was
conducted in India
(during 1958/60),
and hence
considered a
p r e s t i g i o u s
Course.
NHQ had appointed a crack training team comprising
LCdr. M R Schunker, the Course Officer at the top. Ably
assisting him was the Course Gunner, Commissioned
Gunner Kelman and Chief GI Martin. The team had
assembled in the School well in advance and planned
the entire Course, not leaving out even the smallest of
details. The syllabus was a comprehensive one -
Parade Training, Rifle and Sword drill, Company drill,
plenty of class room instructions supported by practical
drill on School models, mock-ups and actual armament
training in the Naval Coastal Battery. Add to this,
attachments to naval ships for Gunnery training on
Destroyer, Frigate, Cruiser and Carrier and special
Courses with Army Infantry and Artillery Schools and Air
Force Training College for Weapons training. The
Course concluded with a Bharat Darshan comprising
visits to various Ammunition and Ordnance Factories
and even to Proof and firing range in Balasore, Orissa.
Though the Course took the life out of the five of us, the
trainees it was the most enjoyable period and there
were so many interesting
incidents. As a
matter of interest,
the officers were Lts
Ravi Sawhney, RK
Choudhury, N
Khullar, V Rebello
and myself.
During Cutlass drill,
an Officer, X (name
withheld) was
ordered to give
detail to our class
for the Command,
“Nikaal Kirch”,
that is, instructions
for drawing the cutlass from
the sheath that will be hanging from the belt worn by the
trainee. This has to be done in two movements. On this
Command, the trainee is to smartly grasp the hilt of the
cutlass with his right palm, holding the sheath gently
with his left hand as the first movement and then
counting a pause of 3 marching paces as 1,2,3 in the
mind, smartly pull the cutlass out of the sheath and hold
it in the Carry position as the second movement. The
Carry position is holding the cutlass upright and keeping
the right fore arm parallel to the ground. The officer
brought the squad to attention and started to
demonstrate how this order was to be carried out. So,
he began giving the order, “Nikaal…” but could not
complete the order as he forgot the executive part
“Kirch” completely. Those were days when Hindi
113
Gunnery School - My Alma MaterCdr R Ganapathi (Retd)
commands were just introduced into the Indian Navy
and X happened to be from Madras! So he went on
using his Gunnery voice and shouting
“Nikaal…..Nikaal…..Nikaal…..”. The trainees’ faces
went into all manner of convulsions - they were
suppressing their laughter lest they should get some
punishment! Finally with some smart presence of mind
X said, “Nikaal, Nikaal!” instead of the correct words and
proceeded further with the drill. The occasion was
actually a part of our examination and not only he failed
and had to reappear, but he was given a few rounds on
the Parade ground as well!
When we finished our attachment to Infantry school,
Mhow the Commandant invited us for a dinner party at
short notice. One Officer had not brought his lounge suit.
There was great panic, as he could not give any excuse.
First, we went to town and no tailor would stitch a suit at
such a short notice. Then we tried a few dry-cleaners for
hiring but no one would come forward! Our next search
was for an Army Officer amongst our friends who could
be of same height and girth as the hapless officer. Lt
Vernon Rebello came with a brilliant find, namely, Maj
Sethi who had played some bridge with us in the Mess.
We ran to his house the same night and he obliged! I still
remember, it was a light brown suit with checks and in
the party that evening Maj Sethi was very generous in his
remark, “This suit suits you even better” and the person
he addressed was none other than poor me!
Unlike other Schools, Gunnery School was special
since it was its responsibility to organize and carry out
Captain’s Divisions and Ceremonial Parades. And with
what professional perfection and brilliance they were
conducted whether in Gunnery School Parade Ground
or in the Command Parade Ground! With the Naval
Band in attendance it was an experience to witness or
to take part in the whole proceedings until the March-
past before the saluting dais!
Any write-up on the School would be incomplete,
without a mention of the GI’s (Gunnery Instructors). As
Trainees, when you happen to go as part of a platoon for
Divisions, there will be 6 to 8 GI’s roaming around the
Ground and looking for mistakes. From one end of the
ground, a GI will shout, “3rd from right, front rank, fold
your fingers from second knuckle, Sir!” Then another
would be shouting to someone else, “Swing your arms
fully fore and aft” and the like. Such was their power of
observation. They all looked ferocious as though sparks
would fly from their eyes and we were all mortally
petrified of them. I cannot forget some of them - to
name, Chief GIs Ramanujam, MG Nair, Anjum, Thomas,
Pasupathi and many more! Their spoken English was
not great though. For example, one Instructor was
teaching a class about a weapon and he was referring
to it as Absolute. What he meant was obsolete! Another
GI who was taking a drill on the gun mounting was
listing the duties of each position on the equipment and
then allotted numbers to each one of our class. He said
ONE’s, will be the Layer, TWO’s will be the Trainer and
so on. He had the habit of adding the letter ‘S’ wherever
he could. So that night, my friend Khullar came out of his
cabin and was shouting “Let us go for dinner,
Ganapathis and Rebellos! And we had a hearty laugh.
But they were all excellent Instructors, knowledgeable
and extremely smart and well versed in every aspect of
the drills. I need not say about the Gunnery officers -
they were always the best!
Recently I happened to passby Cochin and naturally
visited Venduruthy. Oh! What changes have taken
place! Though everyplace is looking new and
impressive and shows growth, the old buildings and the
extensive layout are missing. When I approached the
portico of Gunnery School, I was disappointed. It was no
more the Gunnery School I knew but some Training Unit
of INS Garuda. I was told that it has become an
Establishment called INS Dronacharya and is located in
Fort Cochin, at a place where the erstwhile Naval
Coastal Battery was. Well, I shall make a separate trip
to visit my Alma Mater soon.
114
IN has undergone many changes in the last several
decades, in some ways for the worse but
operationally I am sure, for the better. Change is
progress. Them days, there were some great
stalwarts who lived king size and were professionally,
intellectually and integrity wise outstanding. They
were legends in their own time.
I had then in Dec 77 taken over as the second XO of
the newly commissioned Himgiri with Cdr KN Zadu in
command and he in turn was soon replaced by Cdr
NN Anand. Before we could settle down, we had our
annual inspection by the Fleet Commander Rear Adm
RKS Ghandhi (later C-in-C, West and Governor of
Himachal Pradesh). Commander (later Rear Adm)
Anand was an outstanding Commanding Officer and I
believe amongst the best the Navy has had and I
learnt volumes from him. He was also a favorite with
FOCWF and the ship was selected to take the Fleet
Commander to the Lakshdweep for his farewell
sailing holiday to satisfy his desires for angling. The
XO was a worried guy with the FOCWF on board for
an extended visit where we would be continuously
under his watchful ‘gunners’ eye.
As we anchored off Agatti, I was sent for by the Fleet
Commander and told that all protocol was to be
dispensed with and it was not necessary for me to
receive or see him off, and he was acting
independently. I wasn’t sure how the orders were to
be interpreted but he promptly went angling and we
equally promptly hailed fishing boats and requested
the fishermen to get some fish for us, which was
abundant in the area.
They promised to bring their catch by the end of the
day, which they did and the prior agreement was that
we would trade fish for diesel. We promptly unloaded
the fish which aggregated more than a couple of tons
with each fish being about 2 to 3 kilos. Whilst we
were negotiating how much diesel was to be given,
the quarter master reported, ‘Fleet Commander
ahoy’. I was not happy the way things were
happening and received the boss on board who was
not looking happy, he had not caught any fish. He
enquired what I was discussing and I briefed him. He
was upset and said ‘Number 1, be generous, if they
want 2 drums, give it to them’ and the needful was
done.
As the fish had already been unloaded he enquired
about the type of fish and I admitted that I didn’t know
what it was, but it was fish and we had plenty of it. So
I lead him to the ships galley where it was being
cleaned. He was indeed surprised and joyously said,
‘No.1, you know this is tuna, one of the best fish in
the world’. After another moment’s thought, he asked
whether he could have some 25 to 30 of them and I,
visibly relieved, agreed that he could take even more.
Later, the same evening the same fish was served in
the ships galley and post supper when he was taking
a walk on the QD, he asked sailors whether they liked
the fish and they promptly volunteered that it was
‘khatti/sour’ and not good like the normal fish. He was
visibly, not amused.
Epilogue: No sooner did we arrive in Bombay that he
made a signal to all fleet COs to collect fish from the
flag ship that ‘he had caught for them’. They don’t
make these Admirals any longer!
Fast forward, I am now the FORTAN and get a call
from another of the Navy’s old stalwarts, late Vice
Admiral RN Batra whose last appointment, I believe
was the COP and who wanted to visit the Andamans.
115
Fishy Tales - By Hook And Other MeansVice Admiral Harinder Singh (Retd)
He accepted my invitation but warned that his basic
interest was angling, that he could not indulge in,
having settled in Delhi for long.
He came with Mrs Batra and his extended family and
as desired we arranged to take him angling with
another avid angler and member of my staff, Cdr. As
a courtesy, I accompanied and we set out before
dawn and went to all the spots that had been
recommended to us. But we had no joy; no fish
(unlike junior officers) would take our (senior officers)
bait. The Admiral was worried what his wife would
think. We set course to return for breakfast at about 8
and as we neared the naval jetty we saw a fisherman
in a small boat, busy fishing and landing one fish after
another. We stopped by to try our hand in his area
and seek his advice but the result was no different,
the silly fish would not be baited.
Then the fisherman seeing our plight, quietly took the
Admiral’s hook and put a fish on it and quietly threw
it in the water and this became the ‘one’ fish caught
by him. Admiral was not happy and I suspect, he
knew or suspected what had happened. Anyway, he
asked to buy some fish so that he could show Mrs
Batra ‘his’ catch and serve it for her breakfast. The
fisherman was happy to give the fish but we
discovered, we had no cash as the money bag, the
Flag Lt, was not with us. We requested the poor guy
to collect his earnings from the Navy House, which he
generously accepted.
Mrs Batra was, I understand, very pleased with the
Admiral’s catch and particularly enjoyed her
breakfast and of course her stay in the Andamans.
116
I am told summer months are not the right time to
visit Mumbai and rainy season is risky. I had first
visited Bombay as an Air Wing NCC Cadet during
winter of 1957/58, when after attending Air Wing
NCC camp at Poona, the whole troop with the help
of the NCC Officer, took a detour to see Bombay. I
still have fond memories of Juhu beach, Hanging
Garden with Shoe house and a few other places we
were able to see in two days. There was shooting of
a small scene with Johnny Walker, taking place on
the road at Hanging Garden at that time. Those
were some exciting days!
My second visit to Bombay and our first to NOFRA
came about during winters of 2001. Those were
good months to see some places and loiter around
even during day time. We were able to go out for
sightseeing around the city without hesitation.
During my recent visit to NOFRA, I found time in
reflecting and reading whatever one could get hold
of. Fortunately, I found Quarterdeck 2009 besides
other books and magazines to go through which I
would have avoided otherwise. Having retired some
15 years back from the Army, I have been
assiduously avoiding anything Military to remain as
far away mentally from such subjects as possible.
The Quarterdeck 2009, I thought has naval subjects,
not really my kind of military subjects and something
new and hence one could make an exception.
My earlier encounter with the Indian Navy was in
DSSC in 1980, when I was attending the Staff
Course. The yearlong association and interaction
with naval officers gave me enough insight into their
Some Thoughts From An ArmymanCol NS Rawat (Retd)
way of life and thinking. Our visit to naval
establishment at Bombay during the Industrial tour
in 1980, and the interesting cruise gave us a
somewhat better perspective of naval ships and
Navy in action.
I found Quarterdeck 2009 quite interesting. It was
great to learn about another good deed of Admiral
Pereira. I had heard some very good stories and
some tough stories from naval officers. He had
visited DSSC in 1980 as Naval Chief and during the
cremation of one Army Student Officer who died due
to heart attack, stayed on with the family of the
diseased till the last. He then called on the family
again the next day. His address was sadly cancelled
due to this incident.
The article on Field Marshal Manekshaw was
another nice piece to remind me of days at DSSC
1980. The Field Marshal always invited student
officers and their families of Gorkha Regiments from
each course for tea once during the year in his
house in Coonoor when he was there. His infectious
good spirit, enthusiasm and jovial temperament at
his age were something one cannot forget.
The naval expedition to Karakoram Pass taken up
by Capt SS Vombatkere and Cmde PS Vombatkere
reminded me of my tenure in Nubra Valley in 1968.
At that time Nubra valley was not connected by road
with Leh. The walk from Leh to Thoise in Nubra
valley took seven days. Another route was to fly
back to Chandigarh, take the train to Pathankot and
fly to Thoise in old Packets recharged with a jet on
top. This is what I did when I was posted there.
Further ahead at the base of Saser La, there is a
pond of melting snow and close to it where we had
camped in 1968, we had found some remains of old
travelers still intact. The present road to Siachin
passes through Sasoma. Siachin had not got
activated by then and Sasoma was the farthest base
at that time looking after Saser La approach with
Chinese in mind. These trekkers must have really
enjoyed themselves and the happy memories of this
trek will last them forever.
I was also fortunate to pay a few visits to famous
INHS Asvini and get some treatment done on my
ECHS card. I think I will always remember to come
to Mumbai and get myself treated at INHS Aswini
than at Delhi! Some kind of Medical Tourism!
Someone from the ECHS HQ in Delhi should come
to INHS Aswini via ECHS Polyclinic Delhi Cantt. and
see the difference.
I had gone to attend the Passing Out of my son at
Lonavala in 1996, where during the party in the
evening the chief guest, the Rear Admiral I think,
mentioned clearly that anyone having more than two
in family in Armed Forces gets some special
concessions on travel etc. I sent a query to the
office of Joint Chief of Staff in MOD and got a very
vague and typical staff reply which said nothing.
I am fully enjoying my stay in Mumbai in Naval Area
and would always wish to come as often as
possible. My only negative observation is that with
so many excellent facilities available and such nice
programmes being conducted there, the younger
officers for quite a few years of their early service,
for whatever reasons do not get enough time to
enjoy and participate in these activities, even during
peacetime environment. The practiced working
hours are too long. It must be a drag on quality of
life, happiness in family life and peaceful healthy
social environment for initial building up of family
values. I found that a lot of ladies were working,
which is a good thing. I also felt that the number of
families having family discord in the younger lot is
somewhat high. Children of all ages though, appear
to be making full use of the opportunities available
to them.
117
The venerable term ‘veteran’ means ‘one who has a
long record of service in a given activity or capacity or
experience’, especially one who has seen much
active service as a member of the armed forces. The
usage ‘veteran sailors’ is currently gaining currency
for whose welfare Veteran Sailors Forum has been
established.
My naval voyage commenced on the 10th of
September 1960 and ended on 22nd April 1972. This
was an important period in the history of India. First it
was the liberation of Goa from Portuguese through
‘Operation Bijoy’. After only 26 hours, the Portuguese
Army surrendered unconditionally and the Indian
National flag flew all over Goa, Daman, Diu and
Nagar Haveli on 18th December 1961. China
attacked us from 20 October to 20 November 1962.
Pakistan attacked us twice in 1965 from 6 September
to 13 September 1965 and in 1971 from 3 December
to 17 December 1971 during which India split
Pakistan into two nations as East Pakistan became
Bangladesh.
In my humble opinion, naval service is the best
example of unity in diversity of India which we hold
aloft with huge pride because in ships everyone lives
as members of a family. Naval personnel get larger
international exposure because warships visit other
nations and participate in joint naval exercises. Inter-
personnel relationship, inter-personnel
communication and intra-personal activities are far
better.
In the beginning, I was trained and worked as a
Telegraphist for the first five years of my service.
Thereafter, I joined the air wing as a handler and at
the time of retirement I was Leading Aircraft Handler.
I received Raksha Medal in the year 1970.
INS Trishul on which I served, was a frigate
commissioned in 1962 and it served IN for 32 years.
One day during patrolling off Andaman Islands we
spotted a submarine and Action Station was sounded.
NHQ and other concerned authorities were alerted.
But finally it was “let it go”. It gave us some anxious
hours. Captain EC Kuruvilla was the Commanding
Officer.
The Golden jubilee of naval aviation was celebrated
on 11th of May 2003 with great fanfare in the
presence of active and retired officers and men. The
air display was superb-just thrilling. Rear admiral P
Kaushiva, Chief of Staff, was the Chairman of the
organizing committee and Captain NM Kalia,
Commanding Officer INS Garuda, chief co-
ordinator. I am extremely grateful for extending an
invitation to me! It was a rare but precious
opportunity in my life.
HMS Hercules was its maiden name. It was a majestic
class light aircraft carrier which was renamed INS
Vikrant and was commissioned on 4th March 1961. I
served four years on INS Vikrant. This great and the
first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy was
decommissioned on 31st January 1997 and it is
preserved as a floating museum in Mumbai.
Serving in the armed forces is a direct commitment to
protect one’s motherland. It is a personal contract to
sacrifice life. It is a holistic insurance the nation holds
and continues to hold on a very low premium. If a
service person becomes an ex-serviceman he is
grossly fortunate because he could redeem his
mortgaged property that is life per se. This is the
untold story of a veteran sailor.
118
The untold story of a Veteran SailorDr CT George
Getting tossed to Karanja across Bombay harbour from
the balmy, salubrious climes of Pune was some ‘sea’
change. Mid ‘75 whilst completing the Advanced Naval
Weapons course at the Institute of Armament
Technology, Pune, our transfer orders came in.
Two of us young Lieutenants, both bachelors, were slotted
for INS Tunir, the missile base at Karanja. We were under
the impression that we would be staying ‘officer like’ in the
swanking Western Naval Command Officers’ Mess located
at scenic Colaba by the sea, and take the Dockyard ferry
back and forth to Karanja daily, but our Commanding
Officer, late Captain Subramaniam had other ideas.
To try and make our ‘case’ we enrolled for evening
classes in management at the Bajaj Institute. I went a
step further going in for German classes at the Max
Mueller Bhavan, in addition. For a while things were okay
taking the daily boat along with the rest of the officers
living ashore in Bombay, including our Captain. Then
came the bombshell from the XO, ‘Captain was asking
how come you both have not shifted to Karanja yet?’ I
explained that we were attending evening classes at
Bajaj hence it was convenient for us to stay in the
Command Mess. We were going to ask for permission
today. Soon after reaching the Base, we were called to
Captain’s office where XO was also in attendance,
something not too pleasant seemed to be brewing.
Captain was crisp ‘You are welcome to do any course,
but you will do it from Karanja. Please shift here
forthwith, XO please give them some Mess duties!’ Even
the XO was taken aback, as there was no proper Mess
in place yet. Our Bombay dreams went crashing out of
the window. That evening cocktails followed by dinner in
one of the Colaba restaurants marked my Bombay
‘farewell’, and the beginning of my Karanja ‘exile’. We
shifted to Karanja over the weekend. There were a few
bachelor officers occupying a bungalow by the sea which
functioned as a makeshift Mess. It was called the
‘Hodiwala’ bungalow, looked somewhat eerie at night!
Some said that the Madhubala mystery movie ‘Mahal’
was shot in this bungalow. There was no place for us in
there. Soon enough XO cleared our doubts ‘You both
would be staying at the ‘PIM’ quarters, which would
function as the new Karanja Officers’ Mess. Lieutenant
Dutt, please settle down and take over duties of Mess
Secretary, by the end of the month’.
PIM happened to be a Yugoslav company which had
constructed the Karanja jetty. They had built quarters for
their staff on site, and on their departure, handed them
over. The name ‘PIM’ required regular clarification as it
became a source of embarrassment amongst outsiders
who got curious about our ‘alternate’ profession! There
were no trained bearers, dhobis, even the rations,
vegetables etc would be brought from Bombay by the
Chief Steward, Subey Singh. We were in ‘Columbus’
land. In an effort to simplify, I called up Subey Singh at
lunch one day and instructed him to get the menu
approved every week, ensure the officers have no
complaints and tap the local market in the Mora village,
instead of Colaba. He responded ‘no problem Sir, par
aapne kuch plate mein liya nahin!’ (but you have taken
nothing in your plate!).That was it, the Mess began to
make profit, Subey Singh was on song.
We had to take care of our ‘Bombay life’ and at times
failed to catch the last boat at night. This meant taking
the boat next morning along with Captain and other
officers staying in Bombay. On one such occasion,
Captain remarked in presence of the other officers he
was glad with my performance, firings and Mess duties.
However on reaching the base I got a prompt ‘summons’
from his office to explain in writing as to why I missed the
boat previous night? His Secretary quipped ‘How would
119
Convoy CommanderCdr Tushar Dutt (Retd)
you like to explain it Tushar-in German’? ‘Keine prublem
Kamerad (No problem Comrade), we are on the same
wavelength’. ‘Believe he requires more duties XO, not
loaded enough’, Captain commented. I returned to the
hangar and waited for the ‘good’ news.
Soon enough, returning from Bombay one evening, the
Wardroom greeted me ‘Tushar congratulations, you have
been promoted to Convoy Commander and are to take
the baraath, day after for the missile firing!’ Early morning
the missiles ‘housed in huts’ along with other service
vehicles in convoy, used to be taken by road right around
the city to the Dockyard. Here they would be loaded on to
the boats/ships for firing exercises. The drive was nearly
a 100 km. Sometimes as many as twenty vehicles would
form the convoy. The Convoy Commander would
normally carry a pistol as a precautionary measure in the
event of any untoward incidents en route. On receiving
the orders next day, I went across to the Gunnery Officer
to draw the pistol from the armoury. There were no
pistols, all away with officers on various duties. Only
option left for me was to take the sword, which he agreed
to issue provided higher command approved.
The Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander
Ramanathan, a saintly sort, seriously queried ‘Are you
going to use the sword in case you are in some jam’?
‘Sure Sir, I’ll brandish it and yell ‘Hut jaao, Meray Hut ke
raaste se’! (Move out the way of my (missile) Hut!).
Ramanathan sahib fell off his chair. ‘Play the game and
remain sane’ was the time tested mantra.
Looking back, Tunir was probably my most satisfying
and enjoyable naval posting ashore.
120
Like everybody else, I also picked up many Mantras
during the service span. In the 40 years, most of them fell
by the wayside but some endured. One of the latter was
“Take the Service seriously but never take yourself too
seriously”. I liked it, so tried to follow it and also looked for
opportunities to share it. Three years ago, when I was
Commandant NDC, I sought crowning glory. For the
Fancy Dress Ball organised by the Ladies’ Club
Rakshika, I rented full costume from East Delhi, got
myself made up by a professional artist and presented
myself dressed as Akbar. From the stage I boomed out in
Bollywood Urdu my best imitation of Prithviraj Kapoor’s
voice “Hindustan ke Shahanshah Jalaluddin Mohammad
Akbar ka firman aaya hai ki kal din barah baje se National
Defence College main maa badaualat ka aana jaana
bund kiya jai. Akbar-e-Aazam ke hukum ki taameel ho”.
As I was to retire at noon the next day, being Sunday, I
took the ensuing thunderous applause and loud cheering
to mean that my delivery of mantra to the service for the
last time had been exemplary. A more objective
assessment, however, became available recently when a
former Course Member came up to me very respectfully,
exchanged courtesies and with great gusto held forth his
admiration for many things including the spirit behind my
very authentic performance as........Raavan! My face
must have reflected quick changing reactions from
amusement at first, to disappointment and then to mild
annoyance; before I suddenly laughed out aloud. The
very confused, Major General politely took leave.
Perhaps someday I should explain to him my mixed
reactions to the transition from Akbar to Raavan, and then
the realisation that in my quest for crowning glory I had
probably taken myself too seriously! That was the stage I
had started laughing at myself!! But, how can I be sure
that my attempt to explain it would not tantamount to now
taking myself too seriously ?!
Seriously!Vice Admiral Pradeep Kaushiva (Retd)
The following letter, replete with choicest naval slang,
has been extracted from “We joined the Navy” by PO
Writer Robert Burgess and Ldg Writer Roland Blackburn,
and published in 1943.
It may be of interest to some of my contemporaries and
‘old timers’, this may bring nostalgic memories of time
spent at sea, both enjoyable and otherwise. One can’t
forget parties and get togethers when ashore, and after
a late night binge, catching the milk train from Waterloo
to Portsmouth harbour and grabbing a mouthful of fish
and chips at 3/d at the dockyard gate. As youngsters, we
knew where to put up when in London - the BBC where
B&B was 7/6d or the Frobisher Court Hotel, frequented
by midshipmen, where B&B cost 12/- per day.
From Old China to Pincher
DEAR PINCHER,
I am sorry to hear that you got a bottle for serving out a
drink to Jack Dusty for not taking that straight rush up to
the galley at Stand-easy. He ought to have known better
than to leave that fanny full of his messmates’ bubbly in
the Rec’ Space like that.
I suppose he thought it was a green rub when he got
lined up by the Jaunty in front of the Bloke and got
weighed off with fourteen-pennorth. A spot of jankers will
make him a little less stroppy perhaps.
I heard the Sky Pilot talking to Jimmy the One and the
Custard Bos’n the other day and they all agreed that it
was too bad of that sloshy to unhook the Crusher’s
caulker from the cooler to get his head down on. The
Chief Buffer has got a howl on now because he got a
blast from Torps, as so many of the part of ship hands
were doing a never on the messdecks instead of working
main derricks. He dripped to Tommy the Bos’n about it,
who told Guns that he thought the Skipper ought to give
a make-and-mend or a Pipe-down occasionally, so that
the troops could have a run up the line.
Jimmy Bungs and the Chief Pusser say that the slops
are getting scarce, so it looks as though that new
Number One suit of mine is a washout. My oppo has got
a draft chit to Whaley. I’ll bet that the gravel-grinding and
much-stick drill under some of the Gate and Gaiters
there will soon make him report to the Poultice Walloper.
He is a tiddly rating at the best of times, and the other
morning they sounded off Charley, and he didn’t think it
touched him, so he stayed in his flea bag. Said that it
wasn’t on his card, so seven days’ Number Eleven was
his whack.
By the way, I picked up a pound of Ticklers yesterday,
and today my missus sent me a pipe. I shall have to try
and get a pound of perique to smoke in it. I have bought
a quiet number now. I’m Bos’n’s Mate, and I had to pipe
the side last night when the Admiral came on board in
the Dogs. As usual I made a cock of it, and he was mad!
Talk about panic. He’s got a temper like Torpoint chicken,
proper acid at times. Well, I must pipe down now, so
cheerio. See you in the Lime Tank - Your old china,
BUNGY.
glossary
For the benefit of the uninitiated, I am jotting down the
meanings of few naval slangs used above.
Bottle: Harsh Reprimand
Jack Dusty: Supply Asstt
Fanny: Mess tin of eight pints capacity
Jaunty: Master-at-arms
Weighed off: Punished
Fourteen-Pennorth: 14 days’ cell
Jankers: Punishment for misdeed
121
Sea SpeechRear Admiral Subir Paul (Retd)
Stroppy: A bumptious rating
Sky Pilot: Chaplain
Sloshy: Ship’s cook
Custard Bos’n: Warrant Cookery Officer
Crusher’s Caulker: R.P.O’s old blanket or overcoat
Cooler: Cell/Prison
Jimmy Bungo: Ship’s Cooper, now extinct
Whaley: HMS Excellent, Gunnery School
Gaits and Gaiters: Gunnery Instructors
Poultice Walloper: Sick Bay attendant
Ticklers: Naval Tobacco issue
Perique: Leaf tobacco
Torpoint Chicken: A very quick tempered man
Lime Tank: Naval Hospital at Haslar
122
The PCT list came and went. No, I was not looking for a
CO/XO time. I am firmly in command, hence the red
pen. But, then why was I keen for the PCT list to be out,
I was waiting to the see the name of my reliever, I would
have finished 12 months by the time the new captain
joins after PCT/OJT, hence the wait.
But alas no reliever for me! Sir, who told you this is a
365 day tenure. Did I feel dejected or sad? Yes, to be
frank I felt low and was expecting to hand over. I had
done my bit, I was tired. The ability to continue to ensure
that my ship and I perform to our best was taking a toll.
I spoke to my father; I asked him why I had been not
been relieved. He was surprised. “Enjoy your command,
young man Navy continues to exhibit faith in you”, old
retired Colonel, my mistake of asking him. I tried once
again, the ‘P’ branch this time. Sir, its a 15-18 month
tenure.
That’s it; I was waiting for my next appointment. But I
have to continue. So what, why did I feel sad, was I
unhappy with this very fine job, of leading men to war, to
be able to decide today I can have beer in the afternoon.
I did some introspection with great power comes great
responsibilities. Was I scared of continuing to shoulder
this responsibility? Agreed that command is a tough
task. Every alongside/casting off brings the heart to the
mouth. EO reporting Port Boost GT tripped while
making approach in Porbander harbour. Yes we all, (i.e
my team) have had some rough and hard times, but we
were all together, my team.
Now, I have to train the new team, blind, visual
reporting. So be it. I am capable of it. I will.
I did not have this 365 days tenure on me when I joined
the navy. We learned it here. CO/XO time is at a
premium, more officers are waiting and less ships. We
have to finish everybody before the promotion board.
Hence, the anticipation to move on, the anxiety to wait
for your reliever as soon as your two terms are over.
Yes, the command and sea are tough task masters. But
like Sidhu says “the best only survives the toughest call
of duty” Yes, everyday in Command is a challenge.
But I pray to GOD that the ‘P’ branch be kind enough
once again on me, so as to miss the name of my reliever
again in the next PCT because, I have started enjoying
using the red pen.
Nobody Asked Me But…Cdr Manav Handa
It was the year 1992 and we were fast approaching our
twenty-fifth wedding anniversary - falling on 4th May. I
had been brainwashing my husband a couple of months
in advance to buy me a diamond ring, which would be my
first piece of diamond jewellery. He said he could spare
five thousand Rupees. On 29th April, on returning from
office, my husband took me to a jewellery shop (KK
Jewellers) in South Extension. We selected a small
diamond ring that cost four thousand five hundred
Rupees.The shop owner suggested that my husband
should also buy one because it was a joint celebration.
My husband immediately responded that a service officer
could not afford such luxury. The shop owner suggested
that we could ‘buy now and pay later’. Since my husband
was in uniform, the owner somehow felt reassured of the
payment. When we had finished selecting a ring for my
husband, the bill amounted to twelve thousand five
hundred Rupees! We paid the five thousand Rupees that
we had, and promised to pay the balance in the following
months.
As we were driving to our home in Alaknanda, I told my
husband to go via Nirulas in Defence Colony, so that I
could buy a cake for him, because 29th April happened to
be my husband’s birthday. While getting out of the car in
front of Nirulas I completely forgot about the pouch
holding the two rings kept in my lap. I remembered it
while at the bakery and rushed to the car praying that the
pouch would be lying in the car. It was not there! I do not
have to explain how miserable I felt! Friends told my
husband that no useful purpose would be served in
making a police complaint. KK Jewellers too were of the
same opinion; their view was based on personal
experience. My colleagues from Don Bosco School
consoled me in their own ways. One said that diamond
jewellery should be bought after consulting an astrologer
who will offer appropriate advice based on the buyer’s
birth sign/horoscope etc. The wrong selection could bring
bad luck and ill health! Another friend said that perhaps a
major tragedy had been averted through the loss of the
diamond rings, so not to worry. And yet another friend
who is god-fearing and not superstitious told me that I
may get it back and to pray for the same, because there
is nothing impossible for the Almighty.
Two days after the incident, on the 1st of May, a lady rang
me up at home and enquired if I had lost two diamond
rings. I said yes. Then she narrated how she had traced
me. She said that she was the wife of ACP Baxi from the
Delhi Police living in Lodhi colony. On 29th April, her
servant boy along with another servant boy of a
bureaucrat living close by had gone to buy liquor at the
outlet next to Nirulas when they found the pouch lying on
the road. The next day the servant boys had an argument
over sharing the rings. Mrs Baxi came to know about it
and intervened. She made her servant boy file an FIR at
the Lodhi colony Police Station and the police took
custody of the pouch. Mrs Baxi had noticed the stamp of
KK Jewellers on the pouch. She then located the
jewellers’ telephone number from the directory. She got
our telephone number from KK Jewellers. I was advised
to visit the police station to claim the pouch. We visited
the police station and filed an FIR. The Sub Inspector
advised the SHO about the formalities to be completed
prior to handing over the rings. The SHO realized the
status and creditworthiness of my husband from the
uniform he was wearing. He was magnanimous to
overrule the formalities, handed over the rings and saw
us off with a salute. All thanks to the Navy uniform!
On 4th May, we celebrated our 25th wedding
anniversary with added gusto and revelry in the
company of my colleagues from Don Bosco and my
husband’s friends from his Directorate. My principal
Father Paul blessed the rings before we exchanged
them. We visited the ACP and thanked his wife
123
“Aisa Bhi Hota Hai”Mrs Grace George
profusely for the trouble she had taken in locating us.
We compensated the servant boy adequately. The ACP
and his wife joined us for our wedding anniversary
celebration. God is great and the Navy too!
124
As we sat ensconced in our chairs, the music of Mozart’s
“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” wafted out from the stage where
the young men in their smart black and gold uniforms
played on their polished and shining instruments. Yes, it
was the Naval Symphonic Orchestra. An invitation to it is
one of the continuous perks we enjoy as members of the
naval fraternity. It was an hour and half of sheer joy. The
introduction and commentary by Komal GB Singh, an Air
Force officer’s daughter herself displayed not just
professionalism but also the warmth that came of her bond
with the armed forces.
The Naval Central Band, the premier band of the Indian
Navy was commissioned in 1945 with a strength of 50
musicians. Today it has grown to a 125 piece symphonic
orchestra. The naval musicians have spread harmony all
over the country and around the globe, during overseas
deployment of the naval ships. They have done us proud
at prestigious international events, at the same time they
have regaled us at many functions, forming a melodious
backdrop to various gatherings. The vastness of their
repertoire is amazing. Besides the invigorating marches
and the martial music, there are arrangements of
symphonies, overtures, solos, duets and other forms of
music, including Indian classical and Western pop music.
Last year we saw the latest addition to the ensemble- the
santoor and we heard the compositions based on the
musicians, improvisation on Hindustani classical and
Carnatic ragas. The “Raag Fusion” Maha Ganapati in Nala’
was especially awesome. The perky xylophone duet, the
vocal “Living next door to Alice”, the sax solo “Havana”
piled delight on delight. This year we had pure raag titled
Raag Kodana Kuthoonalam and raag fusion titled Glory of
Kunjali Marakkar. The English vocal this year was “one
more day”. Specially delightful was the medley of old Hindi
film tunes which took us on a trip down memory lane, as
did the Big Band composition Footsteps, with its rock n’ roll
tunes. The sax solo GBop was a refreshing new item too.
Both the years the Band has been performing under the
baton of Lt Cdr Satish Champion, son of an old friend
Commodore T M J Champion (Retd), himself an avid
musician. Satish has formally learnt and passed Piano
examinations under the aegis of the Royal College of
Music, London. At an early age he performed at the Teen
Murti Auditorium during the Bicentenary celebrations of the
famous Austrian composer Mozart. He is also formally
trained on the trumpet and proficient in a number of other
instruments. He was commissioned into the Musician
cadre of the Indian Navy in 2001, becoming, as his father
remarked, “one of those lucky ones whose passion has
become his job”. This year Satish had the distinction of
conducting the Beating Retreat-the annual performance of
the military bands of the three armed forces.
The concert always ends with the patriotic “Desh
Rakshak”, accompanied by visuals of our armed forces - a
morale booster to be sure, because after all isn’t that the
“raison d’être” of all military bands? To lift the spirits, soothe
the mind and body frayed by the dangers and the exertions
of a war. So as we left the auditorium, ready to take on the
snarl of the Delhi traffic, “the music in (our) hearts we bore
long after it was heard no more”.
Navy’s Musical AvatarMrs Jhilmil Sengupta
It was my second sea voyage with my husband. It
commenced from Mumbai and reached Wilmington
capital seaport of North Carolina, USA touching Suez,
Port Said, Malta, Algiers and Antwerp enroute. The sea
became rough as we crossed English Channel and
headed straight towards North Carolina. Before
disembarking the Chinese looking pilot with slit eyes
cautioned us against likelihood of increased stormy
weather with wind force eight in mid Atlantic. Luckily our
Captain P.C. Batra having been officer in charge of
navigational charts office of Indian Navy was an
experienced navigator and managed things well by
rerouting our ship.
Mrs. Savitri Batra, Captain’s wife joined me in
performing pooja with breaking of a coconut and praying
to lord Varuna while our ship tossed like a leaf amidst
cruel sea waves. On sixth day, fury subsided and sight
of sea gulls brought immense relief to all on board.
During our two months stay at Wilmington, we had an
American family as good friends. We had met them
during a Rotary meet there. Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cooper
exchanged visits and dinners with us several times. He
had earlier served in the USA embassy in New Delhi for
three years, relished Indian cuisine and admired Indian
culture. Mrs. Cooper was a widely read and travelled
lady.
During the farewell dinner, we presented them on board
their yacht a brass replica of dance deity Natraj. They
also owned a cosmetics showroom located close to their
spacious seaside bunglow close to the harbour. In
return, Mrs Cooper presented me a set of ladies wig of
matching colour and size. To ensure suitability of size
she deftly adjusted the same on my head making it a
perfect fit. Mrs. Cooper had served in a cosmetics
institute of international repute for three years when in
New Delhi. She insisted that I keep the wig on while
returning to my ship. I hesitated but on her insistence I
agreed. No doubt now I looked different and certainly
several years younger. I headed for my ship which was
about two kilometers away along the jetty.
It was about 11’o clock in the night with a clear sky. As
we alighted from car, we saw the ship’s agent engaged
in an animated discussion with the Captain near the
jetty. The Captain asked my husband to join the
discussions while keeping me free to board the ship.
The Captain was about 30 meters away from us and
was too busy to come near and greet me. I was not at
all conscious about the change in my appearance and
climbed up the ships gangway. The ship’s sentry on
duty, surprised and a bit confused, stopped me and
enquired about my identity. At that time there was no
one else near the gangway while the argument was
going on. Just then the ship’s Captain and my husband
also joined in near the gangway. The Captain was
confused to see a young lady trying to board his ship
while arguing with ship’s sentry on duty. By now all had
closed in and the Captain asked to introduce me to him.
He was immensely amused and relieved to learn that
the young lady facing him was no one else but his Chief
Engineer’s wife whom he had known so well. It was
decided to have a photograph taken of all those present
on the scene at that occasion.
The Captain and my husband suggested me to continue
using the wig during the rest of the voyage. Later too,
during random parties I continued to use the wig and
this helped me to spring more surprises! I feel gratified
to mention that Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cooper again toured
India with their children. A few years later they visited
Tirupati and the Taj. I accompanied them during this visit
while they made sure that I used the wig throughout.
2445, Phase-10, Mohali. Tel: 0172 2233445
125
Gift of a Matching WigMrs Veryam Kaur Trewn
Following the recommendations of the Sixth Pay
Commission and the Government’s decisions thereon,
there are still many issues regarding pensions of pre 1 Jan
2006 retirees, which remain to be resolved. For instance,
the long standing demand for ‘One rank, one pension’ is
uppermost on our agenda. These issues are being
followed up by the services headquarters and ex-
servicemen organisations and hopefully, will be resolved
one by one! In this article I wish to focus on ‘family pension.’
Notwithstanding several anomalies and deficiencies, there
have been improvements in the system as well as the
entitlements of pensions which have brought much relief
and satisfaction. If we were to do a comparative evaluation
of the improvements that have been instituted by the Fifth
and Sixth Pay Commissions, Family Pension certainly
comes high on the scale.
Senior veterans will recall that till implementation of the
Fifth Pay Commission recommendations, the amounts of
family pensions for both officers’ and sailors’ widows were
abysmally low. After many representations it was in the
1980s that the Government appointed a ‘high level
committee’ chaired by the then RRM, Mr KP Singh Deo.
On recommendation by this committee, it was decided that
no pension should be less than Rs 375 per month. Most
family pensioners were covered by that ‘enhancement’ and
were drawing that amount albeit with DA when the Fifth
Pay Commission was constituted.
The big change came after the Fifth Pay Commission
recommendations were accepted. Entitlement of family
pension was fixed at 30% of the minimum basic pay of the
rank or 60% of the pension admissible to the officer/sailor.
Further, there is no reduction on account of any shortfall in
the length of service or period served in the rank. This
came as a welcome relief in the lives of widows and gave
them a life of dignity in their old age. Many found it hard to
believe that they would draw so much higher pension. It
was in 1998, Mrs Soman, when informed that her pension
had been enhanced to Rs 9000 pm is said to have
remarked “Really, I have managed in so little all these
years. It is such a relief.........”
Certainly, many inputs must have contributed to this
development. Services Headquarters and Civil Services
had been projecting family pension as a priority area.
Independent of the official projections to the Pay
Commission, the detailed and protracted discussions and
negotiations at various levels, however, I attended a
meeting which significantly influenced the opinion of the
Chairman of the Fifth Pay Commission.
I knew Mr Justice SR Pandian socially when he was
serving as a judge in the Supreme Court. He had been
informed about his forthcoming appointment as the
Chairman of the fifth Pay Commission, when we met at a
friend’s place in early 94. When he learned that I had
retired, he asked me to help him in his new job informally.
He said he did not know much about the armed forces and
wanted to learn about the men in uniform. I welcomed this
suggestion and saw it as a useful informal channel to
project the services’ point of view direct to the Chairman.
During one of our meetings, the Chairman’s Private
Secretary informed that senior representatives/
spokesmen of JCMs of fourteen major sectors of central
Govt. employees had come to present a joint
memorandum to the Chairman for his personal
consideration. Justice Pandian requested me to assist him
in this unscheduled meeting and asked his PS to usher in
the representatives. Once seated, each one introduced
himself and emphasized the (large) number of employees
that he represented. For instance, “Sir, I am A, the staff side
rep of the All India Railway Men’s Federation with a
membership of 15 lakhs”; “Sir, I am B, the staff side rep of
126
Family PensionV Adm AC Bhatia (Retd)
All India Defence Workers Federation with a membership
of 5 lakhs”; and so on with reps of Telecom, Health and
CPWD etc. Then the memorandum was ceremoniously
handed over to the Chairman.
Holding the bulky document, Justice Pandian said that
being a judge, he will go through it word by word before
forming an opinion but asked them to highlight some
salient issues which he should keep in mind.
Spontaneously, the one of the reps said, “Your honour,
please look into the plight of the widows. There have been
several reviews of pay and pensions in the past but
widows’ pensions have been neglected. As a result, they
remain dependent on their children and have a hard time
in the evening of their life. Sir, the widows have no
collective power of representation and have to suffer in
silence”. May we urge you to take it up personally and if
you can improve their lot, every other issue will take care of
itself.”
Justice Pandian was moved and asked me if the widows of
men in uniform were facing similar hardship. I could only
confirm, mentioning the paltry figures of family pension of
many cases that I could remember off-hand. Justice
Pandian stated that the situation was not that bad in the
case of judicial services and then addressed the reps, “I
accept that this is an issue of high priority but why do you
think it has not received due consideration for all these
years?”
Pat came the answer, “Sir, if you will forgive the
impertinence, it is obvious that none of your predecessors
could visualize his own wife as a widow.”
The reps then left visibly satisfied and Justice Pandian said
to me, “Well, let me assure you, I shall take up this subject
as best as I can with the Govt.”
127
Tell me all, what u have done….?
‘tis been quite a while since u’ve been gone.
Asketh my spouse, darling how have u been?
How many pirates, hath thou seen?
Fumbling with words, i ponder, shall i prattle the fact,
Lo behold am wary about the official secrets act.
Alas, every email reply goes similar, dreary and akin,
“all ok, miss you and love you in a million”.
Midst of the “arabian sea, with all élan and refulgence,
The tenacious torrent asseverates its resolve and ebullience.
Determined to its task, proclaims foxtrot thirty nine
Will establish its presence, proudly showcasing our ensign!
Minds quandary, thoughts surmising our return
Destiny impasse, yet our screws ad infinitum churn.
Stalwartly shepherding merchant ships in station
Regular otrs palliate our privation.
Patrolling somewhere in the arabian sea,
Safely policing ships from point a to b!
Work, feast, slumber and the morning run
Are things we do, which is a lot of fun!
Never does our mettle and fortitude become saturnine
Salubrious and scrumptious meals keeps us fit and fine.
Awaiting the advent of harbinger so eagerly,
Betwa amasses accolades for the sword arm of the navy.
‘tis our onerous task, which we proudly serve,
Charged and armed with josh, spirit and verve.
Worry not dearie, ‘cos safely shall returneth thy,
Make you proud and keep our flag always flying high.
GoA Here We ComeCdr Vikram Arab
The establishment of a Naval Academy at Ezhimala
in Kerala seems to have kindled a fire, or rather, set
ablaze a long-smouldering issue.
For years, naval officers have
battled with this terrible
weapon that Malayalis
and Tamilians have
unleashed against
the North Indian.
This consists of
the consonant -
u s u a l l y
represented in
English by the
letters ‘Zh’ -
inserted in words
and place-names
by Keralaites,
as in Allapuzha,
Kozhikode and,
for that matter,
Ezhimala. As
for Tamilians,
they haven’t
stopped at
towns and
villages. They
have gone the whole
hog. Their State, truth be told, is not
Tamil Nadu, it is Tamizh Nadu.
The Navy has somehow managed to live so far with
atrocious pronunciations of Indian Naval Ship
Kozhikode - like Cosy-Code and Kojhikode. Not too
many guys noticed or bothered. After all it was only
a lowly Minesweeper we were referring to. But with
Ezhimala being raised as a cradle for future
generations of Naval Officers, the sooner we get to
grips with this problem, the better it would be. Think
of all those who would have
to give pep talks and
passing-out parade
speeches!
Many ruses have been
tried out to cope with
this problem. Some
officers have
completely avoided
passing through
towns with names like
Moovattupuzha and
Ambalapuzha, during
their tenures at Kochi,
to save themselves the
torment. They stuck to
places like Munnar.
The British, though,
were smart.
When they got to
Allapuzha, they
dealt with this
gordian knot on
their tongues with
m a c e d o n i a n
decisiveness.
“…… Alla-prhrr-what? In the name of the King-
Emperor, we hereby replace those monstrous
syllables by the letter ‘P’, and rename the place
Alleppey !”
But then, they could get away with such imperial
brashness. They had political authority.
128
Coping with ‘Zh’ in God’s Own CountryVice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan
Kozhikode got sorted out fairly early in history.
Somewhere down the line an overseas explorer like
Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta, or Afanasy Nikitin just
dubbed it Calicut!
However, once India became Independent, such
alien influences and legacies of colonialism had to
be thrown-out forthwith. Malayalees proudly restored
the names Allapuzha and Kozhikode, and to add
insult to injury, they labelled the entire place ‘God’s
Own Country’!
Tamilians, notwithstanding their known positions on
Hindi, took a milder line. Dialectal diversities within
Madras State allowed them to dilute the ‘Zh’ to ‘L’.
‘Tamil Nadu’ will do instead of ‘Tamizh Nadu’. Even
the dreaded LTTE had to give up their battle cry for
Eezham, and settle for Eelam instead.
To be fair, there are naval officers from the rest of the
sub-continent who have tried to cope bravely by
twisting their tongues first this way, then folding it the
other way furling it and unfurling it in smooth
sequence, but it simply won’t come right. Finally
most officers settle on terrible variations ranging
from Easy-mala to Ejheemala. The smarter ones by-
pass the problem completely by calling it INA or
Zamorin.
It is difficult to understand why this has become such
a vexed problem. The solution has been there on
your tongues all the while! Most officers, especially
those who are familiar with or profess American
English actually use this sound every day. Let me
explain.
Englishmen (or non-rhotic english speakers) allow
the letter ‘r ’ to vanish altogether, especially when
found at the end of a word or syllable,- as in
‘father’ and ‘mother’ - or if you are familiar with
the International Phonetic Alphabet - ‘fa:ðə and
‘mʌðə.
The Americans decided to put the Brits in their
places, and figured out a way to fondle their ‘R’s
‘lovingly, to give it that velvety texture that is
represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet
by the symbol ɻ, called the retroflex approximant. Try
and pronounce the following in the manner of
George Bush or Steve Martin:-
Row, row, row y’r boat gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.
This is exactly the sound that Malayalis and
Tamilians invented centuries before them! (A fit case
for an International IPR conflict!)
Even Hindi speakers have unconsciously affected
this sound for years - just try singing “…… Magar ai
haseen….” exactly the way Shailender sang it in
‘Bobby’. It is available on Youtube.
So don’t lose heart! Just stand in front of the mirror
every morning and practice “Thodupuzha’,
‘Vizhinjam’ and ‘Vazhai pazham’ (banana or plantain
in Tamil) five times a day and you will be on your
way to eradicating this threat to national unity once
for all. Seamanship is, after all, about mastering
knots, bends and hitches - including those on your
tongue!
And in the worst case, just remember, if you
pronounce the ‘zh’ like in ‘Doctor Zhivago’, or like the
letter ‘s’ in ‘Pleasure’, you will be almost there, or as
Jawaharlal Nehru would have put it - not in full
measure, but substantially so.
Now you can walk about Moovattupuzha with your
head held high. After this, Ezhimala ought to be a
push over!
129
Stepping on board the Mysore as a Cadet, it was not
long before I realized that the Navy had a language of
its own, with one of it dialects being Three Letter
Initialisms (TLIs). It was actually possible to conduct
an intelligible conversation with just TLIs, even though
mariners are known to use four letter words with great
alacrity.
To begin with was the CTC (Cadets’ Training Cruiser),
and the person who gruffly welcomed me on the
gangway was the OOD (Officer of the Day). Very soon
the CDO (Cadets’ Divisional Officer) had read out the
Riot Act to what he considered the lowest form of
marine life, and the DPO (Divisional Petty Officer)
wasted no time in stressing his own importance in our
moving up the evolutionary ladder.
There was such a confusing cornucopia of TLIs in
appointments and ratings - EXO, SEO, DLO, ASO,
AEO, SCO, EWO, ALO, EMR, PRI, CBM, EAP, RPO,
and ERA to name a few. Also perplexing was a myriad
of strange sounding compartments on board - ASP,
ECP, GDP, GDR, ADR, AER, MCR, EMR, TCR, ABR,
FBR, PCR, MCO, etc. I will not labour to expand these
TLIs so as to save key strokes as also to lessen the
agony of the uninitiated trying to navigate through this
article.
My head swimming in the sea of TLIs, I was convinced
that Scotty had beamed me onto a different planet, and
it was several weeks before they actually started to
make sense. Once I had got my sea legs, I wondered
why anyone would ever want to refer to these TLIs in
any other manner! Shakespeare’s discourse on a rose
smelling just as sweet by any other name certainly did
not apply to TLIs! After all, a brief announcement on
the Main Broadcast: “SEO - ASP” was not just a
complete sentence in itself, but a whole paragraph. It
not only meant that the Senior Engineer Officer must
rush to the Aft Steering Position, but also implied that
the technical problem in the ASP could not be
managed by the team working there, and they needed
the senior’s expertise.
Going out to sea was again in the company of TLIs -
FXP (Fleet Exercise Programme), RAS
(Replenishment at Sea), TFX (Torpedo Firing
Exercise), NEX (Night Encounter Exercise), SAR
(Search and Rescue), FPM (Force Protection
Measures), ADX (Air Defence Exercise), AMD (Anti
Missile Defence), WDZ (Weapon Danger Zone), OOW
(Officer of the Watch), DLP (Deck Landing Practice),
CQM (Chief Quarter Master), COT (Captain of the
Turret), PNM (Pipe Noise Maker) and a host of others.
While it is well known that names of warships are
prefixed with INS (Indian Naval Ship), for tactical
expediency their names too are compressed into
threes - VBT (Vibhuti), KHK (Khukri), TSL (Trishul),
MYS (Mysore), SHL (Shalki) and so on. Even the
pennant numbers of ships and submarines come in an
alphanumeric of three - D60, F20, K45, P49, R22, S22
etc. Mighty weapons on board ships, submarines and
aircraft too fall in line - missiles are categorised as
SSM, SAM & ASM, electric torpedoes as SET, and
anti-submarine rockets as RBU. Gun nomenclatures
take on a different hew, with numbers replacing the
three letters, and being referred to as 230, 630, 190,
726, 176 etc.
The TLI always welcomed is RPC (Request the
Pleasure of your Company), which means that the
originator of the message would be hosting you in true
naval fashion. Acceptance is signalled as WMP (With
Much Pleasure), and inability to attend as MRU (Much
Regret Unable). After having partaken of decent wine
130
TLIs Ahoy!Captain Sunil David (Retd)
and cuisine, it is customary to send the host a VMT
(Very Many Thanks). In fact, the use of VMT extends
widely to every situation imaginable. It often saved me
the need to muster up eloquence of speech and
brilliance of metaphor to give appropriate thanks.
In command of ships, I sought calls on senior
commanders with the traditional RTC (Request Time
Convenient) signal. The senior signalled back WDS
(Would be Delighted to See) suffixed with a DTG (Date
Time Group). Always dreaded was the UCM (You See
Me) signal from the Admiral indicating that you had
incurred his displeasure for no minor misdemeanour.
Such is the Navy’s penchant for TLIs that there is an
NO’S’ (Navy Order ‘Signal’) cataloguing hundreds of
TLIs to cover almost every conceivable scenario that
one may come across.
The Navy would not be the same without PLD (Pre
Lunch Drinks). Most will agree that this practice,
though dying in significance, has cemented the bonds
of camaraderie in many a wardroom. I remember an
electrical officer under training joining my ship as we
were getting ready for a PMF (Practice Missile Firing).
When quizzed about PLD, he could only reply, “Pre
Launch Drills”. It was only after a copious amount of
the golden liquid had made passage southwards
through his gullet that his education in this regard was
complete.
In wardrooms it is not uncommon to find TLIs on the
bill of fare. Breakfast wouldn’t be the same without
BBJ (Bread, Butter, and Jam). Neither would the
decision-making skills of officers remain finely honed
without the stewards taking their ETO (Eggs to Order).
Then there is the ubiquitous PPK (Papad, Pickle, and
Kuchumber) to spice up lunch. And finally, after a hard
day’s work one can always restore the tissues with a
W&S (Whisky and Soda) or a G&T (Gin and Tonic).
As a young officer, I was fortunate to serve under a fine
Captain (later retired as Vice Admiral), who was well
known in the Navy for his gentlemanliness. He would
often compliment a task accomplished with Very Nice,
Excellent! It did not take very long for the JOM (Junior
Officers’ Mess) to abbreviate it to VNE. Indeed, VNE
even became the Captain’s sobriquet, and I hope he is
not reading this!!! Otherwise, I’ll have to vanish OTH
(Over the Horizon) whenever he sees me next!
Even families are not spared when it comes to TLIs.
One smart and dynamic lady known to be the
repository of all the latest happenings in the Navy was
christened ZBC (Z Broadcasting Corporation), where Z
is the stand-in for her name, which I dare not divulge!
A quarter century later she still carries the TLI
affectionately. Then there is the breed of NOBs (Naval
Officers’ Brats) who proudly take that TLI into their
adult lives.
My friends insist that I must plead guilty to coining
EMK (Ek Masala Kam), a TLI often used to pull the
hostess’ leg after what was otherwise a
gastronomically delightful evening. For those not
inclined to take this attempt at humour sportingly, I
learnt to change it quickly to the more diplomatic
Excellently Made Khana. Oftentimes, my instinct for
self preservation would tell me to stick to the safer
VMT, especially when I came close to being struck off
the honour’s list.
When I decided to swallow the anchor, I thought that I
was bidding adieu to the world of TLIs. The feeling was
short lived as I was handed over my PPO (Pension
Payment Order) and informed that I was now an ESM
(Ex Service Man), which has now been rechristened to
AFV (Armed Forces Veteran).
The treatise on TLIs could go on, with the resulting tome
sufficiently voluminous to be a PHD (Doctor of Philosophy)
thesis. However, I am constrained by the word limit
imposed upon me by EQD (Editor Quarter Deck) - after all
it was her extreme coaxing that galvanized me into putting
finger to keyboard in the first place.
131
Here are some reflections on marriage, culled from
many years in the institution.
Marriage is like a soup. You must put in the right
ingredients to make it truly delicious. Too much pepper
will bring tears to your eyes. Just enough salt will make
it tasty. Always serve it hot. For when it cools you may
not be able to stomach it. Remember to keep stirring all
the time.
It is often compared to a game of cricket. The teams
must be equally matched. However no prior practice is
necessary or advised. Generally considered a
gentleman’s game, it often degenerates into violence
and abuse. Beginning with two primary members, the
teams expand to include friends, relatives and even
acquaintances. The umpire is usually related to the
teams. All attacks on caste and class must be severely
penalized. Take as many runs as you can. Don’t always
expect to make sixes. Try not to get bowled out. If you
do, remain firmly on the pitch.
Marriage has often been compared to a new gadget
usually beyond one’s means. It brings much joy and
excitement. Soon however it doesn’t work. It is
advisable to read the instruction manual before use.
Find out from other users all aspects of the gadget.
Don’t attempt to use it during a temper tantrum. Most
gadgets are fragile.
The marriage union can be compared to a book, often
like a mystery thriller. New characters enter and depart.
The plot thickens; you may have to consult a dictionary
for the correct meaning of some of the words hurled.
Give priority to the main characters. Watch out for the
villain of the piece. Avoid reading the last chapter in
advance. Treat the book respectfully and reverently.
Finally, wedlock is like a long land-locked voyage into
the unknown, a cruise on turquoise waters. There are
formal dinners and deck dances. New customs and
traditions will be assimilated. Different attitudes and
friendships will change you. Watch out for sudden
storms and seaquakes. You may have to retire to your
cabin, skip meals and rest quietly till the sound and fury
abate. The food that was so delicious in the early days
gradually loses its taste. Shark fins and oysters no
longer tickle your taste buds. The summer wine wanes.
The laughter and games may weary you. Keep a look
out for pirates. Finally when the ship docks and you
come ashore you will yearn for sublime solitude and
single blessedness!
132
The land-locked VoyageMrs Dulcie Suresh
As long as there is salt water still flowing in the veins,
TLIs will remain an integral part of a naval officer’s
lexicon as they break down many a communication
barrier. One cannot escape TLIs no matter where you
go - you start your commissioned service as a SLT
(Sub Lieutenant) and when you reach the masthead
you become CNS (Chief of the Naval Staff). The only
ones uncomfortable with TLIs are those who delight
in using eight syllable words, and having lesser
mortals scurrying for an Oxford Dictionary. But if you
are a TNO (Typical Naval Officer) like me and know
that good things always come in threes, it’s TLIs
Ahoy!!!!
author: adrian Levy & Catherine scott-Clark
Here is another reason why weapons of mass
destruction or their technology must not fall into the
wrong hands. Deception is nothing less than a
‘detective pot boiler’. We may have heard of Black
Marketeers of ration and liquor but in the present times
there seems to be a new dimension of ‘Black
Marketeers of nuclear weapons technology.
The book rendered by the two world renowned and award
winning investigative journalists, Adrian Levy and
Catherine Scott-Clark, is a staggering revelation of how
AQ Khan set up Pakistan’s nuclear program with the tacit
support of USA. The book was drawn together with the
help of a trove of official documents, but it was also based
on hundreds of interviews in the United States, Pakistan,
India, Israel, Europe and SE Asia. It is a compelling and
complete story of Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear program.
The investigation follows the trail of one man, Mr AQ
Khan, who because of the loop holes of international laws
and chronicle of moral lapses, failures and oversight on
the part of consecutive US Governments spread his vast
tentacles involving over nine countries. The book traces
AQ Khan’s humble beginnings to being the ‘Father of the
Bomb’ and his ultimate fall from grace being made a
scapegoat. What is startling is that under the garb of
making a butter factory and with a little espionage, AQ
Khan could set up the fledging nuclear infrastructure for
Pakistan. The fact that the entire government machinery
backed him at every stage was even more worrisome.
Over three decades despite being aware of the covert
nuclear program of Pakistan, USA, Britain and some
European nations had colluded to cover up this entire
operation for their key ally of ‘America’s war on terror’.
The author’s over twenty chapters interspaced with
photographs have brought out with precise intelligence
sources the growth of Pakistan as an epicenter of global
instability which raised capital and political influence by
selling weapons of mass destruction to even countries
like Libya, Iran and Iraq while giving shelter to resurgent
Taliban and Al-Qaeda. I quote a paragraph from the book
to highlight their level of investigation done, while writing
this book. ‘The US’s private fears of a nuclear-terrorist
plot, with Pakistan at its epicenter, heightened when the
US-backed forces of Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance
marched into Kabul on 13 November 2001, putting the
Taliban to flight. Western intelligence agencies and
journalists discovered trove of information on Al-Qaeda’s
nuclear ambitions from offices previously used as Taliban
ministries and safe houses. Most had been located in
Kabul’s up market Wazir Arkvar Khan neighbourhood,
where the Taliban had been in such a hurry to leave,
surprised by the speed and force of the US-inspired
invasion, that they had got no further than stuffing
incriminating paperwork into black plastic bin bags, which
had been abandoned in-situ. As soldiers and journalists
combed the rubbish, they discovered that here had been
a virtual campus, a terrorist university, much of it hiding
behind official fronts, like a Saudi-financed orphanage
that doubled as an Al-Qaeda explosives training
department, where among the children’s books and ID
documents were trip wires, explosives, grenades, a
rocket and bomb-maker’s manuals.’
The book is thought provoking and tells countries to
awaken to this illegal nuclear black market by
strengthening our nuclear regulatory bodies and
plugging loop holes of international nuclear trade.
Though disarmament sounds like a distant dream, the
fact that this ‘deception’ began with an ambitious young
man who could not get a job should get our
Governments thinking seriously in this direction.
133
DECEPTION: Pakistan, The United States And The Global
Nuclear Weapons Conspiracy
Reviewed by Cdr V Viswanath
author: Douglas Wallace
For the millions of Americans who are born into poverty
each year, nation bleeds a darker red, white and blue than
the rest. The social constructs that push a human from
baby to student to graduate to career are disintegrated like
sandcastles on a beach by the tide.
Impoverished children don’t see a world of possibility and
grandeur, but a barren journey of struggle, where at any
moment the rage of an alcoholic father, the threat of
starvation, or whims of misfortune may pluck them off like
vultures before they make it seven siblings who also
clamoured towards adulthood under the threats of poverty.
In his heartbreaking memoir, “Everything Will Be Alright”,
he describes the journey that took him from a family who
sometimes squatted in abandoned homes to now owning
a twenty-acre ranch and being the head of a successful
law firm. His book relates the dual face of the American
dream, which is as bright and shining as it is dark and
treacherous.
Wallace was born into a cycle of poverty that his parents
were both from, and at first it’s the kind of poverty that no
one can be content in. His mother collected government
cheques from her previous husband who died in World
War II and his father worked odd jobs. But, as their father
descends into alcoholism the structure of his family soon
collapses. Jobs become scarcer and the Wallace children
begin to realize that their father is a violent monster who
daily terrorizes their mother and refuses to feed his
children.
“Everything Will Be Alright” is the kind of breathtaking
achievement that comes from watching a survivor cling to
the smallest hope in a world awash with decay, and to
have that hope rewarded. It is a remarkable and stunning
memoir that demonstrates everything that’s right with the
world and everything that’s wrong.
134
Everything Will Be AlrightReviewed by Lt T Jayanth Kumar
author: malcolm gladwell
During discussions with a relative of mine who is a book
worm like me, I discovered this ‘Gem’ covered in pristine
white. The title made me wary as I thought it was one of
those ‘Become rich in 100 days’ type of management
books but I was proven wrong. Outliers meaning
something that is situated away or classed differently
from a main or related body is written by Malcolm
Gladwell who is also the author of the bestsellers ‘The
Tipping Point’ and ‘Blink’. He is at present the Staff writer
for New Yorker.
The book over nine chapters examines people from
different walks of life from business magnates to sports
stars to scientists and reveals what they have in
common that has brought them so much success. He,
in this provocative book brings out that success is
surprisingly simple and hinges on certain milestones
which has a lot to do with their culture and how they
have spent time growing up.
He, analyses what is actually behind hugely successful
personalities moving from Italy to Jamaica. The author
is logical, convincing and has a lucid style of writing. The
book is very well packaged and makes an interesting
read which could change the perception to life.
OUTLIERS: The Story Of SuccessReviewed by Mrs Lakshmi Viswanath
The passing away of Mrs Meera Batra and Mrs Sheela
Bindra brought back memories of some old days in the
Service when sports were quite predominant among our
lady wives too. Both these wonderful ladies played
tennis as well as golf. The former was quite prominent
on tennis courts because Admiral Batra played too.
Admiral Bindra didn’t. I particularly recall Cochin in 1960
when the Kerala Hard Court Championships were
played in Ernakulam. Mrs Batra and Cdr Tralok Bakshi
(a uniquely gifted ambi-dextrous player) won the Cup,
Mrs Bindra and I had lost in the mixed doubles semi-
final to a Malyali pair mainly because the male player
just instructed his partner to stay out of the way as far as
possible while he tried to score all the points! We
adopted no such cunning strategy and lost fairly.
In later times in Delhi we all played golf at the DGC. A
few years ago Mrs Bindra had an unfortunate mishap
with her car in the driveway of her Defence Colony
house. Her gutsy response was to not give up and so
still tried to play as best as she could and enjoyed it until
recently. Then ill health overtook her as it does to most
ageing people. My wife and I played tennis regularly
with the Batras often, but Mrs Batra gave up tennis after
her partner, the Admiral, passed away. She, however,
continued with her Bridge, having learnt it quite recently
as did Mrs Bindra - I was a fairly regular addition to
Meera Batra’s foursome but I recall playing with Sheela
Bindra only once and remember her Bridge skills.
So a fond farewell, you wonderful ladies! May your souls
rest in Peace.
135
Remembering two wonderful ‘Fair and Lovelys’
Cmde MB Kunte (Retd)
One could often see a blue high roof Maruti Omni with a
sticker Kovai Padur Express in Coimbatore. Free lift was
available to one and all between Kovai Padur and
Coimbatore! The owner and driver being an elegant
elderly gentleman with a hearing aid. It was none other
then late R Adm Venkateswaran.
My association with the R Adm and his wife started
when I joined INS Agrani. He was then the President
of the Nilgiri Charter of Navy Foundation and always
had the good of the navy at heart. He helped Agrani
with regards to the arrangements for the Navy Day
celebrations and was single handedly instrumental in
getting a large number of advertisements for the
Navy Day Brochure. He also helped the
establishment in the arrangements for the first ever
Naval Band public performance and concert at
Coimbatore.
The Admiral used to collect old/condemned sports
equipment and get it repaired from his own pocket. The
same was kept in his house and was available to all the
street boys for use in the field near his house. The only
stipulation being that they should have some foot wear.
He probably saw a budding sports man in these boys
and felt that engagement in games will keep them busy
and out of harm’s way. An ace tennis player himself who
regularly played doubles.
May his soul rest in peace!
Kovai Padur ExpressCmde RK Dass (Retd)
“Nor law nor duty bade me fight
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds
A lonely impulse of delight drove to this tumult in the skies
I balanced all- brought all to mind
The years to come seemed waste of time
The years behind a waste of breath
In balance with this life-this death.”
-WB YEATS
Many of you would have known our brother Simon (Mon
to the family) some well, some maybe for a few meetings
or maybe even a single meeting. So, here goes - a
tribute to Simon George, as I knew him pilot, diver,
horseman athlete, man of honour. I had found the above
poem written in his hand, in a diary.
Our father, (late) Air Marshal PS George, a fighter pilot,
was stationed in Cairo from 1959 to 1961 as a Flying
Instructor as the Indian Air Force was training the
Egyptian Air Force at the time. Interestingly, his
colleague, an Egyptian instructor called Hosni Mubarak
has risen to great heights. Mon was born in Cairo on 23
Jul 1959, which is the ‘Revolution Day’ in Egypt. This
marks the day the Monarchy was overthrown in 1952.
Excited Egyptian colleagues asked that he be named
‘Gamal’, after Nasser! On that day, our Dad was leading
a 50 aircraft formation in the shape of a Champagne
glass over the Nile Corniche (the equivalent of our
‘marine drive’) as part of their parade. That night the
whole city was lit up as if to usher in this really special
baby into the world! Little did we know that he would stay
on the planet for a fleeting period of just under 26 years
during which he would LIVE each second of his life to the
fullest!
I am privileged to wear the same uniform/wings that my
brother did and hence have encountered officers and
sailors who served with him on his ships/Squadrons. A
surname like ours is difficult to remember and harder to
forget! Hence it doesn’t surprise me any longer for a
total stranger to approach me and ask whether I was
related to SIMON GEORGE and to recount some
special interaction he had with him. They were
unanimous on his amazing spirit, grit, decency,
professionalism and never say die attitude. His NDA
year book of 1979 said it all -’galloped through to his
tabs with decency as his stallion’.
With Mon everything was in fast forward-his speech,
mannerisms, the way he rode his
bike/drove/played/swam. Almost as though he knew all
along that he had a finite amount of time and so many
things to do. He excelled in almost every sphere-having
been at the top of his class at Lovedale and the top 3 of
his course in the Navy. Mon spent five exhilarating years
in the Navy he loved being a Qualified Pilot and Deep
Sea Diver he flew, dived, fired his ship’s 76 mm guns,
rode horses, commanded parades, played all games, in
short he LIVED.
‘What matters is not the years in your life but the LIFE in
your years.’ ‘Life is not about the breaths you take but the
moments that take your breath away.’...are two maxims
that he obviously took very seriously.
Mon suffered from asthma attacks of varying severity.
Far from deter him from physical pursuits it spurred him
on to prove (to himself) that there was nothing he
couldn’t do. He was a natural at everything-he picked up
any sport in a jiffy. He never drank or smoked or shopped
or watched movies unless he was dragged to a theatre.
Mon loved his books (always had a book with him), his
music and his outdoor pursuits. On a typical day he
would play, swim, sail for hours after which he would
consume some five bottles of a vile tasting flavoured milk
called Energee!
136
Lt (P) Simon George PynumootilCaptain GP Philipose
He lived in an ideal world and an ideal Navy and he
shared every bit of information with me down to the
smallest detail at each stage of his training/career.
Hence when I followed him to the NDA/Navy after five
years each stage was with a feeling of déjà vu. For
instance he told me how it was so great to go out there
on the parade ground and command 700 men - or to
command an Honour Guard. Or, the thrill of standing a
watch at sea or jumping off a bridge and swimming down
the channel against the tide, to fire a huge ship’s gun,
handle a boat or to wear a brand new uniform each day
and feel proud as though it were the first time you were
wearing these shining whites. So there I was all starry
eyed when I stepped into this great service.... just after
he died (I was writing my exams on completion of my sea
training soon after he crashed.)
I realised, that reality was different from the way he
perceived things to be. Everyone dreaded all of the
above things...no one volunteers to command parades
or do any of the things he so readily took on. Was he a
kind of modern Don Quixote fighting windmills in an
imaginary world?? NO - I actually pity the rest of the
world for not seeing things the way he did - for bringing
honour, integrity and FUN with an almost childlike
exuberance into everything that was considered
mundane or passé.
Flying was everything to him. He could draw or identify
every known fighter aircraft when he was in Class 4. When
he joined the Navy he could rattle off the entire check lists
of the MIG 21 fighter (over 300 lines) which he had
memorised from our father’s Flight reference cards. He
had been selected for the Air Force but our Dad convinced
him to switch to the Navy in the unspoken hope that he
would not fly. Being a fighter pilot who had flown 45
different types of fighters he knew the risks involved. As
fate would have it, Mon flew in the Navy anyway.
On the night of 17 May 1985 he crashed into the ghats
during a night flying sortie from Kochi after encountering
severe turbulence. The R/T transcripts have his icy cool
voice say ‘(call sign) 134 experiencing severe turbulence
in this area...’ God knows he would have done all he
could to save the aircraft with all his will/skill.....
sometimes you cannot win against the awesome and
unforgiving might of nature. Our memories are
unblemished - he will always be the dashing, boyishly
handsome, super fit guy we knew. Our parents faced
their loss with stoic dignity. My father, brother-in-law and
I stood in our ceremonial Air Force, Army and Naval
uniforms and saluted at Mon’s funeral which was with full
military honours, to the lilting notes of the ‘Last Post’
played by the bugler.
As a Sea Cadet I stood there unflinching, saluting the
way he taught me, fighting back the tears - eager to
make sure he was proud of me, his kid brother.
I have often thought of the utter waste of an exceptional
life all the years of school NDA-training to ride, dive, fly...
all to nought? You first get very angry at the unfairness of
it all. You curse the world for not standing still. You curse
the people for laughing and playing and going on with
their lives. You go into the ‘why me’ mode. All religions talk
of each person coming to the world with a purpose. An
elder once told me about how a foetus that dies in the
womb also has a purpose......Then you treasure what you
had. The countless lives he touched with his almost
surreal aura make his 25 years worthwhile...
In 1959 my Dad and Mom sailed into Alexandria on
board the P&O liner ‘Strathenaver’. Fifty years later, on
19 Jul 2009 I entered the same harbour in command of
330 men on a Missile Frigate flying the tri-colour with
pride - laying a wreath on the memorial to the ‘Unknown
Soldier’ - calling on the Governor of Alexandria - hosting
our Ambassador on board.... I sailed out on 22 Jul 2009,
exactly 50 years to the day that my brother was born in
Cairo. (23 Jul 1959).
Thank you God......
137
The Sea. Since it literally ran in his veins, it was what he
constantly wanted to talk about, reminiscence and
cherish. And understandably so, for nearly half of his life of
80 years, was spent in active service of the Indian Navy.
Vice Admiral (Retd) Surinder Mohan Gadihoke, PVSM
expired on 18 Nov 2010, after a short hospitalization at
R&R Hospital, New Delhi. He is survived by his wife Mrs
Shashi Gadihoke and his four children: Sabeena,
Sanjeev, Seema and Sunil. He was preceded in death
by his younger brother, Subhash, my father.
My earliest memories of Tayaji date back to the early
eighties, perhaps the first one being an evening spent
huddled around the radio. He was the commissioning
CO of Taragiri, and on the eve of the commissioning
ceremony, his interview was broadcast on AIR. The
excitement in our house was palpable, as in those pre-
liberalization days, for a family member to appear on the
Government owned Doordarshan or AIR, was a matter
of great pride.
During my formative years, I distinctly remember the
family get-togethers at his well-appointed residences at
New Delhi, first as a Rear Admiral at the NDC and then
as a Vice Admiral in the capacity of Chief of Personnel.
As a pensive adolescent, I was fascinated by his life-
style that I found charming, to say the least. But in equal
measure, I was intrigued by the man’s humility and
unassuming nature. Despite the perks that his high
status in service accorded him, Tayaji remained the
quintessentially modest officer. I was however, at that
stage of my life, more inclined to noticing the
‘razzmatazz of rank’. From a teenager’s point of view,
especially one who had grown up in a civilian set-up,
leading the life with all the trappings that come with
being a Flag Officer was a ‘big deal’ - with those
resplendent bungalows, cars with flags and stars,
dashing uniforms with shining medals, the polished
expression, stylish company and all those lackeys
fussing over you. This, in major part, inspired me to opt
for the Navy, and I joined the NDA in 1986 as a
seventeen year old. It was much later that I would come
to comprehend that it takes more than three decades of
unremitting hard work to make good on those
aspirations!
Admiral Gadihoke retired in 1988 - a good two years
before I was commissioned - with his last posting being
a long innings as the Chief of Personnel. However, the
family surname (rare and conspicuous as it is), ensured
that I got identified as his nephew at every possible twist
and turn of my career. At every step I would hear
abounding praise from senior officers, on “Gadi’s”
qualities of compassion, immense composure and
extreme candour and sincerity. The knowledge that I had
to live up to his reputation was a daunting proposition.
I also came to know of his nickname “Sutta Gadihoke”,
bestowed reverentially by his ship-mates, in recognition
of his legendary nicotine consumption. At those
moments, memories would wind back to my childhood,
to his visits to our residence in Janak Puri, and how on
completion of his visit of even a few hours, we would
count the disproportionate number of cigarette butts in
the ashtray and report to our father on how his elder
brother was a “bigger” chain smoker than him. Combine
this with his perennial fondness for the evening drink,
and you are ready to debunk the theory that smoking
and drinking cut down one’s lifespan. That tayaji lived up
to the ripe old age of eighty, is a ringing vindication of
the time-honoured aphorism of living in the moment and
leaving the rest to fate.
His visit to Kochi as the Captain Commandant of the
Executive branch, a few years after his retirement, was
138
Late V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd)Cdr Neil Gadihoke
a memorable moment for me. I was undergoing the Sub
Lieutenants’ training at Kochi, and was part of the
audience that he addressed at his alma mater, the ASW
School. Professionalism and dedication, without
concern for career progression, were the virtues he
urged the young officers to imbibe, quoting his own
example. In the same lecture, I clearly remember the
Admiral narrating wistfully his tale of nostalgia, trigerred
by a drive earlier in the day, past Kochi’s ‘Harbour
Terminus’ Railway station. It was on a sultry afternoon in
1948, as a tired, nervous but enthusiastic eighteen
years old, when he first stepped onto this station, after a
long journey from the north, where the country was still
recovering from the trauma of partition. For him, getting
selected in the Navy was a feeling of pure exhilaration
and a moment of pride. Being the eldest child of a family
of modest means, he recalled, there was additional
pressure of having to quickly establish himself. As he
reported to the Naval Base at Kochi for the induction
formalities, he reminisced, how awestruck he was,
watching the sea for the very first time: a sight that he
would then get bound to and behold for the rest of his
life. “Even in my most outlandish dreams”, he said “I
could not have imagined that I would rise to the rank of
a Vice Admiral one day”. But as the ensuing years
melted into decades, he worked ever harder, also
enjoying to the fullest the moments of fun and
enjoyment that Navy life afforded him. What perhaps did
it for him was, in his words “the avoidance of one-
upmanship; and freedom to let destiny play itself out”.
In hindsight, I see the profoundness of his words when
in 2004, as I was selected to undergo the overseas staff
college in the United States, his message to me was
crisp: “You have made me proud, but do not rest on your
laurels, keep up the grind and enjoy the ‘journey’ without
bothering about the ‘milestones’. As life speeds by, the
accomplishments will happen on its own.”
In the subsequent years, he would keep checking on my
progress and would always have a word of advice on
how to function at the Naval Headquarters. As I write
this tribute, I am only too aware, that this is also the
period in which I was guilty of not meeting him as often
as I would have liked. It is profoundly ironical for one to
remain engulfed in the rut of daily life and dousing one’s
own fires with little time for those near and dear. And
then to express grief and sorrow in tributes written after
their departure!
Vice Admiral S M Gadihoke led a simple and fulfilling life.
My personal experience states that those who knew him
always held him in the highest regard and esteem, both
for his human qualities and his professional dedication,
and articulated his virtues, long after his retirement. I
have no doubt that I speak for the entire naval fraternity
when I say: ‘We will miss him!’ But the loss to his
bereaved family will be immense and their sorrow
irreparable. I pray to the Almighty to grant eternal peace
to the departed soul and give strength to the family.
As we attempt to come to terms with his departure, we
cannot but help wonder about his next journey. To this
end, a maritime analogy comes to mind: “A ship sails
and I stand watching till she fades on the horizon.
And someone at my side says: She is gone. Gone
where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as
large now as when I last saw her. Her diminished size
and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her.
And just at that moment, when someone at my side
says she is gone, there are others who are watching her
coming over their horizon and other voices take up a
glad shout -There she comes!
That is what dying is. A horizon and just the limit of our
sight! Lift us up O Lord, that we may see further”
As the almighty plans his next innings, it will probably be
in the vicinity of the place that was closest to his heart -
his ‘adopted home’: The Sea.
139
Hydrographers are the professional ‘pathfinders’ of our
Navy and many a navigator will confess harbouring a
silent admiration for the surveyors at sea who frequently
venture in forlorn and uncharted waters to take
meticulous ‘soundings’ and observations that finally
appear as detailed charts onboard ships and
submarines. The perseverance and grit displayed by the
hitch-hiking surveyors and their boats often goes
unnoticed and unseen because they work out of sight
and occasionally venture where no man has been
before. In many cases this effort is not without danger as
the weather and sea could make things perilous for the
surveyors who often operate in detached survey boats
away from their ships, close to shoals, reefs and rocks.
This piece is a tribute to one such brave surveyor,
Amrendra Kumar Sharma, Leading Seaman, Survey
Recorder of INS Investigator, who lost his life accidently
in a far corner of the Indian Ocean, near a reef in
Cargados Carajos shoals of Mauritius, while engaged in
surveying duty as a part of Indo-Mauritian cooperation in
the field of Hydrography.
Cargados Carajos Shoals (also known as the Saint
Brandon islands) are a group of about 16 small islands
and islets on an extended reef in the Indian Ocean located
about 250 nautical miles northeast of Mauritius. In March
2008, INS Investigator was engaged in a survey task of
these islands which were last surveyed by the Royal Navy
in the early nineteenth century. As is characteristic of the
tropics in the Southern Hemisphere between November
and April, a tropical depression was looming in the region,
resulting in choppy seas and an ominous weather lookout.
Amrendra was a crew of a Survey Motor Boat ‘SIMHA’
deployed by Investigator to survey the reefs of St Brandon
Islands. The SIMHA was operating off the east coast of the
shoals, an area which had remained uncharted even
during the Royal Navy survey of 1846, the special note on
which proclaims “This eastern coast was sketched by
Lieutenant Mudge in 1825 by boats which penetrated from
the western side among the reefs, as no vessel could
venture to approach its seaward face”, indicative of the
onerous responsibility which SIMHA and its crew were
entrusted with. On 11 Mar 2008, at about 1645h,
undeterred by the perilous weather conditions prevailing,
Amrendra was engaged in taking a hand lead line
sounding, when a large wave came and crashed against
the boat, momentarily rocking SIMHA violently and nearly
toppling everyone overboard. The next moment Amrendra
was gone. Even as his mates onboard gathered their wits,
the Coxswain ordered a lifebuoy and a lifejacket to be
thrown for Amrendra. The SIMHA had by then moved
away from the spot where Amrendra had fallen overboard
and when she turned back, there was no sign of
Amrendra. A frantic search ensued, with other survey
motor boats and the ship’s Chetak helicopter joining in at
a scramble. In good time the Maritime Reconnaissance
aircraft of the National Coast Guard of Mauritius were also
dispatched from the main island to join the search. The
boats of the local NCG post at St Brandon also pitched in.
An intense search went on for almost seven days till an
approaching cyclone forced the ship to clear the area and
also kept the aircraft away. A lifejacket and a tattered
uniform shirt were recovered during the search but there
was no trace of Amrendra. The sharp coral reefs of
Brandon are home to deadly sharks and barracuda.
Amrendra was gone forever.
Amrendra’s sacrifice did not go in vain. His ship
successfully completed the survey task of an area which
had remained unsurveyed for almost two centuries. Naval
sailors frequently serve as the foot soldiers of India’s
foreign policy, undertaking missions and tasks that leave
indelible impressions on the beneficiaries. The Indian
Naval ships that rushed to the relief and succour of
countries affected by the 2005 Boxing Day Tsunami are
still remembered fondly by the distraught communities
140
A Sounding For AmrendraLt Cdr Yogesh Athawale
which received timely assistance. Amrendra was only
continuing the legacy of his compatriots and comrades-in-
arm who have shaped a positive image of the Service and
the country through their benevolent efforts. A Memorial
for Amrendra at St Brandon built by the crew of INS
Investigator
After the incident, Amrendra’s ship left behind a detached
survey team at Raphael Island, the only inhabited island of
Cargados Carajos Shoals. His shipmates built a small
memorial for him near the Coast Guard post on the island.
The modest ‘Amrendra Smarak’ stands as a testimony to
the supreme sacrifice made by a naval sailor on a distant
shore, while serving his nation’s cause of friendship and
cooperation. Every mariner who goes to Raphael Island
visits this memorial and bows his head in the memory of
Amrendra who gave some best moments of his youth to
their safety. It will be befitting the tradition of naval
hydrographers if a shoal, a reef or an islet in the new chart
of St Brandon Islands is named in the memory of
Amrendra. Those who habitually go out on the high seas
will agree that an Amrendra Reef on the chart would be a
great honour and a lasting tribute to the departed surveyor
who represented the boldest of India’s pathfinders.
141
Commodore Bishambar Nath Thapar would have
celebrated his ninetieth birthday on 1st January 2011,
but that was not to be. He was contemporary of Admiral
Ronald Lyndale Pereira, our erstwhile Naval Chief
among others such as Admirals EC Kuruvilla, SH
Sarma, RKS Ghandhi, Kirpal Singh, Swaraj Prakash
and Commodore Satinder Singh Sodhi, all part of the
Royal Indian Navy then.
By naming these officers, I wish to highlight the creme-
de-la creme, list of our ancestors in the Navy who were
the illustrious staff officers who provided full back-up to
the more senior flag officers who led the Navy post
Independence.
It is time that we carry out soul searching what officers
like Bishambar became a part of our glorious history.
We must recall the contributions by him and his
colleagues towards development and consolidation of
the depleted Royal Indian Navy. Officers of this era were
the work horses when the more senior officers needed
their assistance in planning for the future. The Navy that
we have inherited owes in no short measure to the hard
work put in by them. The naval fraternity of today basks
in the glory set up by them. We need to dedicate our
appreciation in their honour.
Bishambar was great communicator in the real sense of
the word and this he did with great aplomb at all levels.
On a personal note, I was his student at the Defence
Services Staff College, Wellington in 1963. I learnt a
great deal of staff work from him. It was being constantly
hammered into us that the solution to be produced by us
must be workable and practical. I can never forget his
telling us that the "Best" is the enemy of 'Good Enough'.
I had the fortune of again serving under him as the Fleet
Administration Officer; with him being the Fleet
Operations Officer in 1965.
Thapars are a great and well knit family. Unfortunately
Savitri, his wife passed away earlier. I hope Manju,
Sushil, Mala and other members of the family follow the
high ideals that Bishambar has set for them. He was a
great human being. May his soul rest in peace. Adieu!
Tribute - Cmde BN ThaparVice Admiral IJS Khurana
= 75223-K Surg RAdmNN Katariya Smt Swatantra Katariya 01 Dec 09 D-990, New Friends ColonyNew Delhi - 110065
= 00410-F Cdr Trevor H Chowfin Smt Christine H Chowfin 12 Dec 09 264, Sunrise Colony JairamNagar (Behind NSD) AP DabolimPO Goa - 401801
= 01790-T Cdr KJ Singh Smt Sangeeta Singh 22 Dec 09 6, Mehrabad 1/594, BhulabhaiDesai Road Mumbai – 400026
= 50004-W Cmde PK Sinha Shri Prasanna Sinha 25 Dee 09 A-93, Chittaranjan ParkNew Delhi
= Cdr M Eswar Rao Smt M Toyaja Rao 05 Jan 10 B-242, Sainik Puri Sainik Puri POSecunderabad – 500094
= 00101-B Cmde BB Yadav , MVC Shri Narendra Yadav 23 Jan 10 G-40, Sector 39,NOIDA – 201301, Uttar Pradesh
= 00629-B Cdr VK Mehra Smt Rachna Mehra 09 Feb 10 D-161, New Rajinder NagarNew Delhi – 110060
= Cdr Sohan Singh Sandhu Smt Gurbachan Sandhu 15 Feb 10 C/o Brig HS SandhuEagle Hunter Solution Ltd B-211,Okhla Phase-I New Delhi - 20
= 01364-Z Cdr HS Ahluwalia Smt Jyoti Ahluwalia 15 Feb 10 139, Phase III, SAS NagarMohali (Punjab)
= 86804-T Lt Cdr Smt Kochu Balan Nair 16 Feb 10 Sathya Sadam, Akalur POOttapalam Taluk, Kerala – 679302
= Surg VAdm G Kuppuswamy Smt Janaki 21 Mar 10 27B , Defence Colony IndiraNagar, 2nd Stage Near Axis BankBangalore – 560038
= 75058-K Surg Cdr Amritamoy Mookerji Smt Mandira Mookerji 27 Apr 10 146, Kankulia Road Near GolPark Kolkata – 700029
= 75121-B Cdr PS Hulyakar Smt Suprabhat Hulyakar 05 May 10 46, LILAC, Godrej Sky Garden,Takka, Panvel – 410206
= 00335-K Capt Ravi Khanna Smt Amarjit Khanna 12 May 10 N 45A, Panchsheel ParkNew Delhi -110017
= R6001-H Capt Ram Pratap Smt Kailash Pratap 23 May 10 2-C, Lohatse Building Ruia Park,Mahatre Marg Juhu, Mumbai - 49
= 75081-N Cdr Virendra Nath Sharma Smt Shailja Sharma 24 May 10 91, Prakash Nagar, Navlakha,Indore Pin – 452001
= 41225-K Cdr N Raghuram Smt Shamla Raghuram 14 Jun 10 Flat No. 15, Plot No.4, Royal VillaApartments 4th Main Road,Kottur Garden, Kotturpuram,Chennai – 600085
142
ObituariesThe Navy Foundation deeply regrets the demise of the following retired naval officers and wives and extends
heartfelt condolences to their family members:-
= 40119-B Cdr SK Singh Smt Vijay SK Singh 15 Jun 10 B-381, Indira Nagar Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh
= 60076-K Lt Cdr MM Krishnan Smt Sumithra Krishnan 17 Jun 10 C/o Col Ravi Shanmugam145, 4th main, Defence ColonyIndira Nagar Bangalore – 560038
= 50067-N Cdr SR Deshpande Smt Pushpa Deshpande 17 Jul 10 Pushpa Vihar Housing SocietyBldg No. 2, Flat No. 2 NearColaba PO, Mumbai – 400005
= 00737-Z Capt David J Guido Mrs Shirley Guido 12 Aug 10 C/o Mrs RM Peris,301, Atur Terraces Cuff Parade,Colaba Mumbai - 400 005
= 40151-A Cmde Manohar K Banger Smt Shreelatha Banger 10 Sep 10 11 Seagull, 21st Road Khar (West)Mumbai – 400 052
= 00219-Y Cdr MD Sethuraman Smt Lalitha Sethuraman 16 Sep 10 24, Temple Road, Jawahar NagarChennai – 600 082
= 00057-B Cdr BS Rekhi Smt Kulbir Rekhi 18 Sep 10 C-16, Nizamuddin EastNew Delhi - 110 013
= 00030-T Cmde BN Thapar Capt Sushil Kumar Thapar23 Sep 10 C/o Dr Anil Jolly B-120, SFS FlatsSheikh Sarai, Phase-I, N. Delhi -17
= 50205-A Cmde RU Nair Smt Prabha Nair 23 Sep 10 BHUVANESH, TC 13/200PRA 115, PV Lane, MunnumukkuPattor Pettah Trivandrum -695 024
= 75051-W Surg Capt Jagjit Singh Smt Jagjit Kaur 14 Oct 10 C-559, New Friends ColonyNew Delhi -110 065
= 75072-T Surg Cmde Suranjan Mukherjee Smt Jayasri Mukherjee 26 Oct 10 A7, ALKA, IInd Floor 59/2B,Pratapaditya Road Kolkata-700026
= 60073-B Cdr SP Dutt Smt Roma Dutt 08 Nov 10 B-108, Chittaranjan ParkNew Delhi
= R 83929Y Lt Cdr Suresh Chandra Smt Saroj Chandra 11 Nov 10 403, Karlton Housing SocietyHiranandani Estate Ghod BunderRoad Thane (W) Maharashtra -400 607
= 000342-A Cdr Dilip Chaudhuri, NM Smt Ashoka Chaudhuri 19 Nov 10 1-B, Kumudini Apartments 1stFloor, 1/1 Dover LaneKolkata – 700 029
= R 0187F Cdr Prakash Vasudeva Smt Sarojini Vasudeva 25 Nov 10 D-224, Defence ColonyNew Delhi – 110024
143
INTRODUCTION
An African elephant looming large framed against the
spectacular snow-draped mantle of the majestic Mt.
Kilimanjaro describes Amboseli best. Amboseli, which
literally means dustbowl, is the second most popular
wildlife safari destination in Kenya after the world-famous
Maasai Mara. Much smaller than most national parks in
Kenya, Amboseli boasts of the Big Five and offers better
sightings, precisely due to its manageable size. The book,
“Elephant Memories”, which is considered a landmark in
elephant research, today, came about as a distillation of
author, Cynthia Moss’ 13-year-long work in this park.
Bustling zebra and wildebeest traffic and the sight of lions
sleeping soundly lost to the world of gawking tourists are
among the numerous firsts I witnessed in Amboseli
National Park, but the scene that will stay with me forever
is something else: a long-shot of lumbering herd of
elephants with young ones in tow cutting through the
simmering heat of the dustbowl in search of water. These
elephants would have to walk for miles to get to the
receding water sources and they would have to do it as
fast as the pace of the youngest calf. We, who simply
reach out for bottled water to soothe our parched throats
or a can of coke to wet our lips in the middle of nowhere,
cannot even begin to imagine the elephants’ predicament.
The poignancy of the scene lay in the realization of that
harsh reality of life in the wild.
As the herd approached our vehicle the calf buckled under
sheer exhaustion and lay down to rest: the clan simply
stayed put in some sort of protective formation. They
stood still and we waited with bated breath (our cameras
whirring), for what seemed like an eternity, to see what
would happen next. As my son interpreted the scenario,
the calf that was resting was the unlikely king, and the
family of adults, the servile subjects who had to wait it out.
It seemed as though the earth had stopped spinning and
that instant was IT… for the elephants there was no past,
no future; the essence of existence was the present
moment.
The elephant herd would pause for as long as it would
take the calf to regain its energy before resuming their long
march. We, however, had to move on so as not to cause
a traffic jam on the narrow dirt track and had no way of
knowing the fate of the calf or of the herd. But, possibly,
the entire family would have had to go without water for
longer than their tolerance threshold; or perhaps I am
underestimating their patience and endurance.
The sight of an imposing lone tusker is worth more than a
pride of lions and we were lucky to see one at a distance
near the Olokenya swamp. The hulk, his tusks tending to
ground, emerged out of a thicket like a chimera. Surprised
or simply gauging our mood as we were trying to sense
this he stood there looking directly at us. From that
distance we could feel his brute presence, a colossus
striding the earth like royalty. Suddenly, contrary to its
nature, it darted into nearby bushes and simply vanished
before our eyes. It was as though the mask had fallen off
his face and the blinkers off mine as I realized how
vulnerable that lone ranger was. No companion, no family,
147
The Dustbowl Called AMBOSELIMrs Padmaja Parulkar-Kesnur
no herd - a persona non grata eking it out in an unfriendly
world.
Despite the underpinning action of the predator and the
prey, the Savanna, paradoxically, is a quiet place. At the
very outset, as you enter any park or the outskirts you see
little action or even little life making you impatient that you
may not see any game at all. All you are greeted with is
the dusty track, dry wispy grass, stones and bones littered
about, the latter suggesting furtive and furious activity, but
no sign of life - and no sound or sounds, whatsoever. ‘The
dry Savanna of summer resembling a desert is deserted’,
you may be forgiven for thinking. And then… you see
some game, a few zebras here, a few wildebeests there,
and as your eyes get trained to pick up the tangible
shapes you find them in ever-increasing density and in
profusion as far as eye can reach. As the afternoon sun
winds down towards day close you come face to face with
a legion of wildlife, stretched end to end of the sprawling
landscape. There are elephant herds mingling with
browsing zebras and wild buffaloes with the hitch-hiking
oxpeckers and cattle egrets. It is a mela without an
accompanying background score. That is the thing that
hits you hard about the Savannas. Though bursting with
life there is no murmur or a whisper. Two juvenile
Thomson’s gazelles indulge in play fighting, locking horns,
in silent mode. Elsewhere, a wildebeest baby is ambling
along trying to keep pace with the mother without a whine
or whimper. Even when alarmed, the animals simply tend
to buck and run but no frightened noises; there is dignity
in every action and emotion.
Something brownish-grey moves in the grass of similar
hue; someone says it’s a lion and everyone hopes that it
is. Binoculars come out and even the telephoto of the
camera is tweaked to ascertain the identity of the animal.
As the tourist van pulls up closer three plump warthogs
take to heels with their tiny tails upright in air! The scene
provides comic relief and humbles all tourists whose
single most aspiration is to spot the lions. You may see
hyenas and an odd fox or jackal but it is the ‘biggest’ of the
big five that you are seeking.
Our first two trips - one to Tsavo, the biggest park in the
whole of Africa, and the second one to Nakuru - drew a
blank where lions were concerned, but luck favoured us at
Amboseli, most unexpectedly. After the morning’s safari of
spotting all sorts of animals and birds, wildlife fatigue was
setting in. To add to the plight we were lulled into lethargy
as there was no sign of life for a stretch and if it were not
for a friend’s keen eye, we would have missed the two
supine figures camouflaged in the dry grass, completely.
Napping by the side of the tour track lay two full-bodied
male lions dead to the world. We waited willing them to
wake up and raise their head to get that perfect portrait,
but they did not budge. The only movement was the gentle
heaving of their breathing bodies and twitching of noses.
The driver-guide got onto his walkie-talkie to convey the
coordinates of the lion to others of his ilk as was the
procedure in the parks and soon traffic began to build up
and our turn was up.
Of the Big five, we have seen four by now, lions, buffaloes,
elephants, and rhinos, but the leopards eluded us.
Leopards are the trickiest to spot for they camouflage very
well and are quite shy. Of the Big Five, the African wild
buffaloes are the easiest to spot as these animals roam in
herds and mixed groups or singly. I found myself willy nilly
comparing the wildlife here with that in India, as India is
perhaps the only other country that can boast of such rich
and varied wildlife, and a curious thought struck me. In
India, over a century now, the elephant and the wild
148
buffalo have been tamed and domesticated; not so in
Africa. I am told that unlike the Asian water buffalo, the
African variety is not docile, and is often unpredictable. It
is one of the most dangerous animals of the Savanna.
The Savannas revealed another unique facet in the birds
it sustains. For the first time, I saw birds - the size of small
mammals - walking tall on the ground even as we saw the
usual arboreal ones such as the starlings and eagles.
From afar, the ostrich presents itself as a surreal vision of
a charcoal black chunk wading in mid-air. The Maasai
ostrich, called thus for its tall lean-mean look, is truly
gigantic and can be spotted from a distance. Every child is
familiar with the ostrich and its features but to see it in the
wild is something else altogether. The
“lifer” moment came when we spotted
the Secretary bird. I learnt that this
blue-grey bird with its unique head
plumes, which look like “quill pens
behind a secretary’s ear” (hence the
name!), can fly but prefers to keep its
feet on the ground.
My day was made when I got the
perfect photo opportunity as a crane
couple (the grey-crowned one)
walking in step suddenly halted, faced
each other and gave a beak-to-beak
peck. I had heard of the cranes’
monogamous nature, but here I got to
see a “couple very much in love”. The
grey-crowned cranes are very colourful and elegant
creatures, indeed.
The icing on the cake, literally and figuratively, of this visit
to Amboseli was the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro with its famed
snow-capped mantle. For most part of the year, the peak
remains mysteriously hidden behind a shroud of clouds
and you have to be really lucky to get your eyeful of it. On
the second day of our visit, as we set out of the lodge to
embark on our safari, we saw the Kilimanjaro’s flat-topped
crater dripping rivulets of snow much like the creamy icing
on a cake. Ernest Hemingway enshrined the legendary
mountain through his work, the anthology of stories titled:
“The snows of Kilimanjaro”. Much before that the early
explorers were ridiculed when they simply suggested of
snow on mountains in the African country straddling the
equator! It is fascinating to note that Johann Rebmann, the
first European missionary and explorer who saw
Kilimanjaro with its snow cap and documented it, found
himself ridiculed and abused by scholars and scientists of
the day! A hot air balloon scouring the topographic
etchings and terrestrial life off Kilimanjaro would be an
ideal safari indeed! Some day…
149
We picked Scandinavia as our holiday destination this
time. Strangely I have had people in several parts of the
world ask me where Scandinavia is. Firstly Scandinavia is
NOT one country…… it’s a both historical and
geographical region centered around the Scandinavian
Peninsula in Northern Europe. Yes, it’s that part of Europe
that does not figure in the regular tour destinations often
offered by Thomas Cook or SOTC. We were lucky enough
to track (on the internet) an excellent tour planner, an
Indian, Rajiv Oberoi based in Stockholm who gave us the
best deal and the most enjoyable itinerary to help us see
what was most interesting in the region in about 12 days.
To cover the details of a trip to four countries in a short
article will not allow me to do justice to all….so here I will
choose to speak about just the capitals of Finland and
Sweden.
Helsinki is one of the world’s northernmost capitals and
has a lengthy winter from Oct to April. We flew into
Helsinki on a bleak autumn afternoon in September…… it
was windy and chill but we were charged and ready to see
what the city offered. At the Scandic Grand Marina Hotel,
we picked up our Helsinki Cards (explained at the end)
and set out. A twenty minute ferry ride from the Market
Square took us to a sea fortress at Soumenlina (Castle of
Finland). It’s a 250 year old Fortress built during the
Swedish era as a maritime fortress and a base for the
Archipelago Fleet. It is built on a cluster of rocks and
consists of an irregular network of bastions. Later in the
Russian Era, it was a lively garrison town and during the
First World War it was extended further into the sea. This
fortress is now included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
Soumenlina comprises six islands and covers about 80
hectares of land and also houses Finland’s open prison, in
fact the repairs of ramparts, walls and buildings is carried
out by the convicts. The Naval Academy is situated on one
of the islands.
The next morning we took a sight seeing tour ride around
the city. Helsinki’s symbol is the Lutheran Cathedral
(Tuomiokirkko) painted white with a large green dome and
four smaller domes. This church stands in the heart of the
city and was originally built as a tribute to Nicholas I, Tsar
of Russia and during the Russian regime was known as St
Nicholas Church. The painting at the altar which originally
was a colourful one of Christ with children was replaced
with the present one which is a dark and rather gloomy
one showing Christ being lowered from the cross. Though
a popular tourist attraction, the church is still used for
regular worship services and weddings.
One can see a lot of Russian influence in the architecture
of most ancient buildings in Helsinki. Not far from the
Lutheran Cathedral is the Uspenski Cathedral. Also built
during the Russian rule and designed by a Russian
architect, the church stands on a hillock and catches the
150
A Journey into ScandinaviaMrs Yamuna Govindan
eye with its large central green steeple and gold onion
shaped dome that is supported by four granite pillars. The
church has 13 smaller golden onion domes to represent
Christ and his apostles. As the largest Orthodox Church in
North-western Europe, it impresses one with its deep red
brick walls and many domes.
At the Sibelius Park & Monument one comes across an
unusual monument. When it was decided that the famous
Finnish Composer Sibelius should be commemorated
with a monument, several sculptors came up with ideas.
After much debate and deliberation Eila Hiltunen was
chosen to put her idea into form. Her work consists of
about six hundred metal tubes, welded to superficially
resemble an oversized organ (though Sibelius never
composed organ music). The Monument weighs about 30
tons and stands about 8.5 metres tall. Installed in 1967,
ten years after Sibelius’s death, the monument shows no
sign of aging or corrosion. Its silvery pipes reflect the
change of season and light, echoing bird songs in the park
and resonating furiously during a snow storm. People walk
below it and touch the pipes and pose for pictures in front
of it. Few critical locals feel this is just a gimmick to draw
tourists and actually has nothing to do with Sibelius who
was better known for the music he composed specially the
Finnlandia hymn. However the Monument stands as a
symbol of a genius musician and the efforts of a talented,
creative sculptor who added another piece to the park
known as the Face of Jean Sibelius also cast in stainless
steel. The Sibelius Park is the venue of many events and
one of the green lungs of Helsinki city.
Our next stop was the famous Temppeliaukio Church also
known as Rock Church because it is built inside a block of
massive granite. Natural light brightens the interior
through a glazed dome. Because of its superb acoustics,
the church is often used as a concert hall. The rough,
virtually unworked, rock surfaces of the walls within the
church is the reason for the excellent acoustics.
The Audio city tour is really worth it and covers the
Presidential Palace which is located close to the harbour
and overlooks the market place. In the early 19th century,
a salt storehouse stood in the place of this building which
is now the official residence of the President of Finland
and also houses the offices of various government
agencies. The City Hall with its pale blue façade
dominates much of the market square and was once used
as a hotel in the early 1800s and later as a hospital during
the First World War. The Parliament building or the
Eduskuntatalo almost resembles a classical Greek
temple, due to its many grand columns and steps. The
Opera House in Helsinki is a modern state-of- the-art
building designed to seat about 1300 people. Operas
have been staged in Helsinki for over 120 years and the
tradition continues in the beautiful and modern Helsinki
Opera House. One can book tickets online from most
countries around the world ensuring your seat for a show
well before you land in Helsinki!
Our Finnish friend Virva Haltsonen insisted on showing us
around a bit too. The biggest department store among the
Nordic countries, Stockmann, established in 1862 is
something the Finns like to show off. Also enjoyable are
the tram and bus rides around the city because what one
can enjoy the most apart from the view, is the absolute
absence of crowds and the ease with which you can find
yourself a window seat!
From Helsinki we got on one of the Viking Line cruise
ships that took us on an overnight journey to Stockholm,
151
Sweden. We were so engrossed in sampling the fabulous
on board entertainment, that we hardly got a chance to
luxuriate in the lovely upper deck cabin before the cruise
ship entered Stockholm harbour. The approach to
Stockholm harbour is breathtakingly beautiful. It is well
worth getting a good seat in one of the viewing lounges to
watch the archipelago go by during the few hours it takes
to reach the city after you leave the Baltic Sea.
Stockholm is the biggest city in an archipelago of more
than 24,000 islands, many of which are sparsely
populated. The capital city alone spans several islands. It
is one of the most visually appealing cities you will ever
find. It has the world’s highest concentration of museums,
including the Nobel Museum. It’s worth a walk through
medieval Gamla Stan. Literally translated, the “old city,”
dates back to the 13th century and has narrow
cobblestone streets and alleyways which are just about a
metre wide! The area also straddles three of 20 odd
islands that make up Stockholm. A large square in the
centre of Gamla Stan is the site of the infamous
‘Stockholm bloodbath’ when Swedish noblemen were
massacred by the Danish king, Christian II. The place also
boasts of a restaurant, the Golden Fleece which has been
in business since 1722 and according to the Guinness
book of Records, is the oldest restaurant in the world with
unaltered interiors! The Stockholm Stock Exchange
building which also houses the Nobel Museum and the
Nobel Library is located along the main square at Gamla
Stan. The Stockholm Palace is also located here. This
official residence of the monarch is said to have 1430
rooms and is the largest palace in the world still being
used by the head of state, King Carl XVI Gustav. The
Palace itself is built in four rows, eastern, western,
southern and northern. The four rows surround the inner
courtyard. Apart from the King’s and Queen’s suites these
buildings house, the weapons museum, exhibition Halls,
banquet halls and the Treasure Chamber where the
Swedish Crown jewels are kept. The changing of the
Guards ceremony like at most palaces, is a must watch.
The Swedish Royal family is said to be existent from as
early as the 10th Century A D.
Not far from the Royal Palace, on the island of
Riddarholmen, is the Riddarholmen Church or
Riddarholmskyrkan which is one of the oldest buildings in
Stockholm. Parts of it date back to the 13th century when
it was built as a greyfriars monastry. It has an imposing
cast iron spire built after the previous spire was destroyed
by lightening in 1835. The church is now used as the burial
church of the Swedish Monarchs. The congregation was
dissolved in 1807 and today the church is used only for
burial and commemorative purposes. Yet another church
in the vicinity is the Church of St Nicholas or The
Storkyrkan. The interior of the Storkyrkan contains some
interesting artifacts but the most famous is the huge
sculpture of St George & The Dragon, made from natural
material including oak and elk antlers.
From Gamla Stan we moved closer to central Stockholm
on to the green island of Djurgården, a calm oasis which
has been royal land since the fifteenth century. A big
portion of Djurgården consists of green areas offering
footpaths and water front promenades among old and
new upper class residences and old institutional buildings,
many of which are regarded as historical monuments of
national interest. It also is a home to several of the city’s
top museums like the unforgettable Vasa Museum where
one can see the recovered warship, Vasa, which sank in
Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage in 1628 and lay
preserved in the mud until she was recovered in 1961. We
also visited the oldest open-air museum in the world,
152
Skansen. It gave us a peek
into historic Sweden with its
traditional farms, dwellings,
a wooden eighteenth
century church and quaint
restaurants where one could
enjoy a smörgåsbord
(typical Swedish meal),
which will include a potato
casserole, crisp bread, small
meat balls, herring, smoked
salmon, salads and a rice
pudding.
The City Hall of Stockholm is
one of the most beautiful
and well known buildings in Stockholm. The Blue hall on
the western side is used for the yearly Nobel Banquet. The
organ in the Blue Hall with its 10,270 pipes the largest in
Scandinavia. Above the Blue Hall lies the Golden Hall
named after the decorative mosaics made of more than 18
million tiles. The mosaics make use of motifs from
Swedish history. The southeast corner of the building is
marked by a monumental tower crowned by the Three
crowns, an old national symbol for Sweden. The tower is
106 metres high and is accessible by an elevator or by a
stair of 365 steps. Since its creation, Sergels torg or
Sergel’s square, the most central square in Stockholm has
been much criticized for giving priority to cars at the cost
of pedestrians. However it remains the most popular
space in Stockholm for meeting friends, for political
gatherings, for a wide range of events, and for drug-
dealers! A drive around Sergel’s Square helped us catch a
glimpse of the most beautiful glass and steel obelisk and
a fountain around it in which people celebrate every major
victory by a Swedish sports team. A must while in
Stockholm, is a visit to Hötorget or Hay market. It is the
only everyday street market selling fruits, flowers, food in
small cafes and becomes a flea market on Sundays. Not
far from the Hay market is the famous Stockholm Concert
Hall, which is home to the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra and where the awarding ceremony for the
Nobel Prize is held annually, all the Prizes, except the
Peace Prize, which is given at Oslo.
That was about five days of our trip in a nutshell, the trees
were still green and gold and there was a chilly wind after
sunset, around 8pm. We couldn’t really step out without
our jackets and a scarf.
Except for the elderly folk, most people in both Finland and
Sweden speak English, so moving about town was not
really a problem. We also had the advantage of paying in
advance for City Cards, which are a great help……. The
card normally gives free public urban transport and
discounts in Museums, leisure activities, shops and
restaurants, for a duration 0f 24, 48 or 72 hours. People are
friendly, helpful and so very sincere. We had the
experience of asking a passerby about a bus stop to take
us to a friend’s place; he pointed to one in the vicinity and
walked on. A few minutes later the man came looking for
us to apologise and direct us to the correct stop which was
at another end of the road. Of course we were thankful and
amazed too at the trouble he took to retract and guide us!
An hour’s flight out of Stockholm took us to the Norwegian
town of Bergen…. the second largest town in the country
and the starting point of our journey into the fjords and
some bits of heaven on earth!!!
153
Month of June may fall way outside the tourist season, but
offers the best conditions for sighting tigers at any national
park, denuded of foliage. This was incentive enough for our
daughter, to surf the net to identify the best tigers’ reserve
for a quick weekend get away from NOIDA! Ranthambore
was identified for its best connectivity and the short
distance travel, besides reviving childhood nostalgia of our
last visit to Sawai Madhopur, way back in 1958!
Booking accommodation in Sawai Mansingh Lodge at
short notice was easy due to off-season. Stay at historic
Sawai Mansingh Lodge, the official hunting lodge,
established by His Highness Sawai Mansingh, Maharaja
of Jaipur, itself was fascinating. The heritage lodge and
the adjacent Circuit House are maintained in its pristine
glory by Tata’s Hospitality Division, the Taj Group on lease
from Jaipur Royalty. Old relics, furniture, tapestries,
shikaar trophies and hordes of historical photographs are
prominently on display, including that of the hunt
organised for Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburg,
Prince Phillip, during their last Royal visit to Jaipur as
personal guests of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Then HH
Sawai Mansingh and his elegant Queen, Maharani
Gayatri Devi, along with then Maharajkumars Bhawani
Singh and Jaisingh, were in the photo frame with the
British Royalty and their prized shoot.
Ranthambhore is renowned for its large tiger population.
Since its humble beginning in 1973 when meagre 60
square miles was allotted by the Goverenment of India, it
has expanded substantially and now re-designated as the
Ranthambhore National Park. Besides tigers, the reserve
has a thriving bird population with more than 270 different
species. Census of 2005 recorded presence of 26 tigers,
though this was significantly lower than the population of
44 tigers in 1982. Thereafter the population has increased
steadily and reportedly stood at 34 adult tigers in 2008.
As the legend goes, a tigress known as “lady of the lakes”
when very young was separated from her parents perhaps
due to poaching. This tigress was named ‘Macchli’ since
she has a mark resembling a fish on her skin. She grew up
with a resolve to be the ‘Queen of Ranthambore’. In due
course she mated and gave birth to three female cubs; one
of them was christened as ‘Macchli - the junior’. This story
is about Machhli -the junior, more of which later.
Subsequently, the elder Macchli found another male, called
Bumburam and again successfully mated to give birth to
two cubs. Now this Queen Mother is old, weak, shy and
has turned too docile to be sighted by the tourists.
On day one of our safari which started in the early hours,
we were allotted Zone 1 of the Park. As we entered the
National Park there was much excitement based on the
report of sighting of a tiger the previous evening. Our six-
seater, Maruti Gypsy was very cautiously being steered by
the driver and the guide highly attentive to catch the
warning call! Three hours of anxious loitering in the jungle,
bereft of foliage, on pebbled-dusty tracks turned futile,
except sighting of decomposed carcass of a big Sambhar,
which had fuelled the speculation of the presence of a tiger
in that Zone.
Second round commenced at 3pm and we were allotted
Zone 3. As we entered the National Park, disappointing
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Machhli-the Junior Walks the RampRear Admiral Sushil Ramsay (Retd)
news was received by us that a tigress was cooling off in
the water stream dividing two Zones but on the verge of
Zone 2. Possibility of crossing over to Zone 2 drastically
faded as the Forest Guard informed presence of some
senior officials and their families from Jaipur!! We decided
to roam around Zone 3, hoping against hope that a sighting
of a tiger would occur. But alas no such luck. By now
patience was running out. We returned to the entry point of
Zone 3 and tried to charm the Forest Guard to permit us
entry into Zone 2. He sounded helpless as before. We
decided to wait at the Gate with a hope that once the VIPs
from Jaipur vanish the Forest Guard would relent. That
decision turned out worth the wait, as after some time Shri
Gulab Singh (actual name withheld), Zonal Forest Officer
arrived at the spot. In sheer desperation, I decided to throw
my rank on him to allow entry into Zone 2. He deliberately
kept mum for a long time. In the meantime he was
receiving messages on his walkie-talkie on the progress of
VIP visit in Zone 2.
After a while he indicated to me that the tigress has left the
stream and was moving upwards, though the direction of
movement was not certain. Our guide turned out to be a
smart fellow. We turned the Gypsy around to drive fiercely
towards the stream from Zone 3 side. As we reached the
spot, lo and behold we were bewildered to witness what
was in front of our bewitched eyes! In true majestic grace
Machhli - the junior was walking up the ramp in a laid-back
style. After all she was the mistress of her territory. Our
driver continued to proceed, albeit with due caution, on the
same track towards Machhli - the junior, also code-named
T 13. Our sheer excitement of sighting the royal tigress at
such a close quarter, was at zenith. We were watching the
show-stopper, a real professional in showing off, a la
Naomi Campbell style!
She took notice of our presence, yet unfazed, made us
realise our status of intruders in her proud territory! She
was at the ramp setting it ablaze all the way. She continued
her march, giving ample opportunities to click her from all
angles. She stopped close to our Gypsy and bared her
pearly teeth to caution us not to over-step the grand-stand
hospitality doled-out to us! Now she moves off the track into
the rough and soon spots a full grown Sambhar. With
stealthy steps, she approaches the prey and stops about
50 meters short. We watch spell bound with bated breath,
as she poises to launch attack and gets into eye-ball to
eye-ball contact with Sambhar, which too had its tail up,
ready to bolt but frozen in steps. This posture was
maintained by the two for quite a while, as we waited for the
rarest of rare sight of a tigress going for the kill. Monkeys
were shrieking to high heavens, as the birds were raising
hell! Alas Machhli - the junior relents and moves away from
the launch pad.
She turns around and proceeds further into the jungle. Our
Guide is quick to comprehend her further intentions and asks
the Driver to move fast to watering hole which by detour was
about 2-3 kms away. He drives furiously and we reach the
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watering hole in advance to face approaching princess. She
recognises our presence and again readies herself for yet
another show. As she reaches the watering hole she stops,
turns around and enters into the water, hind
legs first. She ensures that she is visible,
bust upwards, making a majestic sight for
us. Cameras start whizzing again. She
drinks some water perhaps to give us
another pose to click. She lazes in that pose
for quite a while and then emerges out of the
pond to go back the same way she had
arrived. All this while ours was the sole
Gypsy to watch this exclusive one tigress
show! Having fully quenched of our appetite,
we decided to return to the entrance of Zone
3 to inform others of this sighting. Enroute
we found two 12-seater Trekkers and three
Maruti Gypsys. They all went on over-drive
to reach the spots of our sightings, later to
return heart-broken as Machhli-the junior by
then had disappeared from the scene.
The Last round of our Safari was early in
the morning the next day in Zone 4. This
Zone has long stretches of plains, but
nearer the brook, are very treacherous
tracks and steep slopes. On reaching the
top, we waited for the signal of sighting
from three groups already congregated at
the culvert of the stream. Finally, the signal
is received and we drive down the slope cautiously on this
most treacherous track. We are not disappointed. We
could see a pair of tigers lazing in the stream, enjoying
morning sun rays, but at quite a distance from the culvert.
Some pictures were taken where the tigers could barely be
seen. Nonetheless, we returned quite satisfied with
success rate of sightings of famous tigers of Ranthambore.
How I wish we had video-recorded our sightings, which
would certainly be an asset for the ongoing ‘Save Tigers’
campaign!! Adieu Machhli-the junior, may your kingdom
flourish to a glorious stature.
156
Anticipating a merciless summer punctuated with
regular power-cuts to aggravate the suffering, we had
planned to temporarily move to Mumbai to get a respite.
It was our first ride on the recently-introduced Howrah-
Mumbai Duronto Express. Mercifully, the journey was
shorter, comfortable and undoubtedly cleaner, thanks to
the Railways for introducing the innovative auto-janitor
like those in the aircraft.
At Mumbai, we joined our daughter’s family for a week’s
excursion to Kerala first at Thekkady and then at
Munnar. Air India flight from Mumbai to Madurai was
uneventful except for an unscheduled plane change at
Chennai airport. Driving partly on hilly road after
crossing Tamil Nadu border for 3 hours, we checked in
at Club Mahindra Tusker Trail, Thekkady. It was a great
relief from the simmering heat and we rushed to its
dining hall for the lavish buffet dinner after a short rest
and a quick freshening up. At 2700 ft. Thekkady has a
pleasant weather with temperatures between 15-30
degrees Celsius throughout the year.
The Next day after a short and exciting elephant ride,
we took a guided tour of a spices and Ayurvedic
plantation. With guide’s help we got our very first
experience with all kinds of spice plants and different
kinds of Ayur and herbal plants, which was both
interesting and educative. Tasting pure honey directly
from the mini apiaries installed across the plantation
with swarms of bees busy making honey was a rare
treat. But the highlight of our Thekkady visit was a boat
ride on the Periyar Lake. As the crowded motor launch
chugged along on the still water through the famous
tiger sanctuary we were lucky to spot a wild Tusker,
Sambhar and a Languor as they came out of their forest
habitat, but no Tigers.
On day 4, we left for our next destination - Munnar. If
Thekkady was known for its spices plantations, Munnar
is better known for its tea plantations. The road to
Munnar runs right across Kerala’s high range
negotiating steep sharp hair-pin bends before reaching
a height of 5000 ft. to end an uneasy but otherwise a
memorable journey. Lake View Resort, where we
checked in for the next four nights offers a panoramic
view of verdant tea estates and mountain peaks
surrounded by a veil of mist - a real feast for the eyes.
With temperatures varying between 10-25 degrees
Celsius, the hill station is an attractive destination with
peak season in December-January when Munnar is
choc-a bloc with tourists.
157
A Dream FulfilledLt Cdr Gitesh Biswas (Retd)
Besides covering some romantic spots with enchanting
scenic beauty, a visit to the Tata Tea Museum was most
interesting. After an illuminating talk followed by
screening of a documentary film, tourists were guided
inside a mini manufacturing plant where the entire tea
making process from loading the green leaves to the
finished aromatic product was shown. The visit was
concluded with a refreshing cup of cardamom-flavoured
tea which seemed to shake off the day’s sight-seeing
fatigue.
It was time at last to say goodbye to the fun, fabulous
food and wellness spa we had enjoyed at both resorts
over the past week, not to speak of the pleasant and
salubrious weather. Madurai and Kochi, conveniently
serve as the entry and exit points or vice-a versa to
Kerala’s high range. It was another longer and tiresome
road journey till we checked in at Taj Malabar in
Willingdon Island, not far from the Naval Base. Despite
time crunch, we managed to visit some popular tourist
spots at Fort Cochin and shopped at Mattancherry for
the Kerala’s tasty crunchy banana chips and a few
attractive souvenirs in the prevailing sweltering heat,
before heading for the Naval Base,
Curiously, we drove around INHS Sanjivani to fulfill my
daughter’s long-cherished dream of someday visiting
her place of birth. Sanjivani’s current makeover from her
earlier avatar 40 or so years back was truly
unbelievable. A quick run through the popular Katari
Bagh was our next agenda to wind up the excursion. But
plan had to be dropped after some brain-storming as
none of us could recall the exact numbers of two
different types of accommodation where we once
resided in succession for a few years.
Rather disheartened, we returned to our hotel room and
cooled ourselves in the sea-side pool before preparing
for the return flight from Kochi airport on the following
day.
Our short trip to Cochin at the fag-end after a long gap
was both nostalgic and rewarding for the coveted
opportunity to relive many past memories. No wonder it
is said that ‘past is invariably a dream of happiness’. All
in all, the excursion was interesting and exciting, if not
rejuvenating.
158
The Western Fleet participated in TROPeX 2010 on the
Eastern sea-board along with ships of the Eastern Fleet.
INS Betwa attended DImDeX 2010 organised at Doha,
Qatar from 28 to 31 Mar 10. Her Excellency Mrs Deepa
Gopalan Wadhawa, Indian Ambassador to Qatar and
other distinguished visitors from participating navies like
Adm Chah Chawarn Amrapala, Senior Advisor, Royal
Thai Navy; Col Ngang Boon Kiteng, Head Naval
Underwater Centre, Republic of Singapore Navy; Brig
General US Air Force Barb Jaulkely attended.
Patrol off gulf of aden. Ships of the Western Fleet
have been involved in Presence cum Surveillance
Mission and Anti Piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since
Oct 2008 on a continuous basis providing succor to the
Indian and International sea- farers.
Operation malabar 10. Indo-US bilateral naval
exercise was conducted in Apr 10. Indian Naval Ships
Godavari, Mysore, Brahmaputra and Tabar along with
USN Ships Shiloh, Curts, Chaffee, Lassen and
Annapolis participated.
The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval
Command, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief,
Southern Army Command and Air Officer Commanding-
in-Chief, South Western Air Command attended 17th
Tri-service Conference and witnessed Op Demo.
162
Western Naval Command
Fuelling with Aditya
CO Betwa being presented a memento
Escort operations by INS Mysore
The IN ship Talwar was nominated for 11 out of
possible 14 individual trophies at stake. The ship won
the most prestigious ‘Best Ship of the Western Fleet’
trophy for the second time in succession, and for the
third time in last four years. The ship also won the
Western Fleet Regatta Cock for the first time.
INs shivalik, first of the three new ‘Stealth’ Frigates
was commissioned by the Raksha Mantri, Shri AK
Antony, on 29 Apr 2010. The ship commanded by
Captain MD Suresh was built by Mazagon Docks
Limited, Mumbai.
The Naval Investiture Ceremony was held at INS
Shikra. During which CNS conferred the Presidential
awards. Nao Sena Medal for gallantry was awarded to
Lieutenant Commander Rohit Mishra, Lieutenant Vikas
Dahiya, Petty Officer Yaimachoul Singh and Leading
Seaman Vishwanath V Bhat for Anti-Terrorist
operations in Taj on 26/11, Lieutenant Vikas Dahiya and
Leading Seaman Jaidev for counter insurgency
operations in the Kashmir Valley and Lieutenant GB
Yaduvashi and Petty Officer Sajjan Singh (Clearance
Diver First Class) for their role during Anti Piracy
Operations in Gulf of Aden.
IN Ships Ranvir and Beas and submarine INS
Sindhughosh were the recipients of Unit Citations.
INsV mhadei. Commander Dilip Donde, and the
Mhadei on their return from the epic voyage around the
Globe, brought home, not the plunder of the world, but
priceless gifts instead….the gift of narration of the
delights of distant voyage, were given a rousing
welcome by the nation.
sailors Widows’ Hostel - ‘sahara’. ‘Sahara’, a
residential facility for widows of sailors was inaugurated
by Mrs. Rajni Bhasin President, NWWA (WR) on 21 Sep
10 at New Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai.
163
golden Jubilee of INas 300 To mark the 50th
anniversary of commissioning of INAS 300, a seminar
on Naval Fighter Aviation was organised at INS Hansa
on 06 and 07 Jul 10 under the aegis of Flag Officer
Naval Aviation. Commissioned on 7th of July 1960 in
Royal Naval Air Station Brawdy, UK, flying the Sea
Hawk aircraft, the squadron is a battle hardened unit
which has won many gallantry awards and played a
sterling role in the 1971 war. In recognition of the
yeoman service rendered by the Squadron over the
past five decades, the Government of India bestowed a
unique honour by releasing a commemorative postage
stamp by the Minister of State for Communication and
IT, Mr Gurudas Kamat on 07 July 2010. His Excellency
Dr SS Sidhu, the Governor of Goa unveiled the blow up
of the commemorative postage stamp. The Coffee
Table Book - “White Tigers on the Prowl”, reflecting the
glorious past of the Squadron was released by His
Excellency, Dr SS Sidhu.
asvini turns 60. INHS Asvini which is one of the
historical landmarks of Mumbai has completed 60th
year of service to Indian Navy on 18th Sep 2010. The
hospital set up as the King’s hospital for British Sailors
in 1756 and amalgamated with the Sepoy hospital for
Indian soldiers later, the hospital has been providing
medical care to the Mumbai Garrison for over two
centuries. The grand arcaded building which stands
proud even today was built in 1899. After
Independence, the hospital was commissioned as
Indian Naval Hospital Ship Asvini, the first hospital of
the Indian Navy on the 18th of Sep 1951. Over a period
of time, the hospital evolved into one of the finest in the
city of Mumbai and one of the preferred centers for post
graduate training under the Maharashtra University of
Health Sciences. A modern hospital complex with 825
beds was built facing the Mumbai harbour in 2001. The
multi-storey new building at the harbour mouth is a
landmark for mariners.
164
Flood Relief Operations. The ENC relief teams
participated in rescue and relief operations in the
affected districts of Krishna, Kurnool and
Mehboobnagar in Andhra Pradesh. Apart from
transporting relief materials, the teams also ferried
the Andhra Pradesh Minister of State for Small Scale
Industries, Ms DK Aruna
‘Kalanjali’ Inter school Cultural Fest. Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command
inaugurated Kalanjali- 2009, the two day Inter School
Cultural extravaganza organized by Navy Children
School, Visakhapatnam 29 Oct 09. More than 1200
students from 22 schools of the city, in different age
group participated in 18 Competitions.
Visit to INs Jalashwa. INS Jalashwa, hosted special
children from various schools of Visakhapatnam on
14 Nov 09. Over 143 Special children including wheel
chair-bound children and 40 faculty members from
‘Sankalp’, ‘Arunodaya Special School’, ‘Lebenshilfe’,
‘Omkar and Lions School for Deaf’, ‘Sunflower
Special School’, ‘Bethany School’ and ‘Pavani
Institute’ visited the ship.
CNs Visit. CNS accompanied by Mrs. Madhulika
Verma, President NWWA, visited Visakhapatnam
from 20 Dec 09, on a two day visit. CNS reviewed the
Eastern Fleet at sea during his stay.
Mrs. Madhulika Verma interacted with the ladies of
the ‘Sahara’ Group and with the Executive Body of
the NWWA, Eastern Region and attended a ‘Milan’.
eastern Fleet Pulling Regatta-2010. The Eastern
Fleet Whaler Pulling Regatta was held on 19 Jan
2010, in which a total of 22 teams competed. INS
Jalashwa emerged the winner and received the
coveted ‘Cock’ from C-in-C, East.
165
Eastern Naval Command
‘sankalp’ Celebrations. ‘Sankalp’, the Navy School
for Special Children, under the aegis of NWWA
(Eastern Region), celebrated its twentieth
anniversary on 29 Jan 10. The Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command,
congratulated the children on putting up a delightful
performance and gave away prizes.
Change Over – asD(V). Rear Admiral Vijaya Kumar
Namballa, took over as ASD (V) from Rear Admiral
Raman Prabhat, at a formal ceremony on 19 Mar 10.
singapore Naval ships’ Visit. As a part of ‘SIMBEX-
10’, Joint Naval Exercise between Navies of India
and the Republic of Singapore in the Bay of Bengal,
two ships of the Singapore Navy, RSN Intrepid and
RSN Victory with Commanding Officers and Colonel
Giam Hock Koon Tan Kai Hoe onboard, visited
Visakhapatnam on Saturday, 10 Apr 10.
Injured of anti-Naxal Operations evacuated.
Responding to an appeal from District Collector of
Visakhapatnam, Government of Andhra Pradesh on
10 May 10, the Indian Navy evacuated casualties
from Chintapalle Mandal, over 95 kilometers from
Visakhapatnam. A UH-3H helicopter of the ENC
airlifted six casualties, including three ladies with two
in critical conditions. The personnel were seriously
injured during Combing operations against Maoist
rebels near the forests of Chintapalle Mandal.
“Little angels school” at Dolphin Hill. The Little
Angels school at Dolphin Hill was inaugurated by Mrs
Nani Singh, President NWWA (E/R) on 18 Jun 10.
Decommissioning of INs Vela. INS Vela, was
decommissioned on 25 Jun 10, at a ceremony held
at the Naval Base. INS Vela had served the Indian
Navy for the past 37 glorious years. The
166
Decommissioning Ceremony saw a traditional ‘Pay
Off’ of the Submarine as the Naval Band playing the
‘Last Post’ with the hauling down of the National
Flag, the Naval Ensign and the Decommissioning
Pennant at sunset.
IN ships CaNKaRsO & KONDUL Commissioned.
IN Ships Cankarso Kondul, Water Jet Propelled Fast
Attack Craft were commissioned by His Excellency,
Shri ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh,
on 29 Jun 10.
Visit of air Chief. Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, Chief
of the Air Staff and Chairman, Chief of Staff
Committee (COSC) visited Visakhapatnam on 29 Jul
10 for a two-day visit to the ENC. On arrival, the CAS
attended a briefing on the role and functions of the
ENC.
Raksha Rajya mantri Visit. Shri MM Pallam Raju,
Hon’ble Minister of State for Defence inaugurated the
All India Sainik Schools Principals Conference on 16
Sep 2010 at Sainik School, Korukonda. Shri D
Manikya Varaprasad, Hon’ble Minister of Education,
Govt of Andhra Pradesh was the Guest of Honour. A
visit to Ships and Submarines in harbour was
organised on 18 Sep 10.
167
medical Camp at Lakshdweep Islands. A 23-
member medical team led by Surgeon Commodore
Girish Gupta, Commanding Officer of INHS
Sanjivani, conducted a medical camp in the
Lakshadweep Islands from 27 to 30 November
2009 as part of the Navy Day celebrations.
armed Forces Tribunal, Kochi Bench
Inaugurated. The Kochi Bench of the Armed Forces
Tribunal was inaugurated on 06 Dec 2009 at Kochi
by Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur, Chairperson of
AFT at INS Dronacharya. Hon Chief Justice of
Kerala Justice SR Bannurmath was the Chief
Guest on the occasion.
Visit of J&K students. 23 students from J&K,
accompanied by two teachers, and personnel from
322 Air Defence Regiment of the Indian Army
visited SNC. The children were from the Iqbal
Islamia Model High School, Baramulla.
NBC Defence seminar 2010. A seminar on ‘New
Advancement in NBC Defence Radiological Safety
Practiced On Board Ships and Submarines’ was
conducted at NBCD School, INS Shivaji from 22-23
Mar 2010. 125 delegates from three services,
DRDO Lab, BARC, SFC and Civil Industries
participated. Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan,
Chief of Material was the chief guest.
168
Southern Naval Command
Brave Divers’ memorial. ‘Jalveer Smriti’, a
Memorial dedicated to the Underwater Warriors of
the Indian Navy who achieved Martyrdom was
inaugurated by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-
Chief, Southern Naval Command on 11 May 2010.
Renovated modular Blood Bank. A newly
renovated modular blood bank was inaugurated at
INHS Sanjivani, Kochi by the Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command
on 16th June 2010. A Blood Donation camp was
also inaugurated by Smt Letha Sushil, President
NWWA, Southern Region.
Commonwealth games Baton. The
Commonwealth Games Baton was accorded a
befitting reception on 29 Aug 2010, led by the Flag
Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval
Command. International and national level sports
persons from the Indian Navy, naval personnel in
uniform and scores of students from Navy
Children’s School were present. The Baton was
received by Bibu Mathew, Chief Petty Officer,
Bronze medalist at the Asian Athletic
Championship in Triple Jump. The Baton was then
handed over as a relay, by Shijas P Mohammed,
Master Chief Petty Officer who was the Captain of
the National Volleyball team, LJK Singh, Petty
Officer, Bronze medalist in Kayaking in Asian
Championship, and Naresh Yadav, Petty Officer,
Gold medalist in Athletics at Asian Grand Prix.
Lieutenant Commander K George (Retd) Age 70, a
veteran Navy athlete finally handed over the Baton
to C-in-C who then handed over the Baton to
Shubhangi Swaroop, National Champion in
Taekwondo, as well as Arjun Chaudhury, Kerala
State team basket ball player and a student of
Kendriya Vidyalaya II.
INs Kalpeni Commissioned. The Latest Fast
Attack Craft, INS Kalpeni was commissioned by
Hon’ble Mr Justice Jasti Chelameswar, Chief
Justice, High Court of Kerala at Naval Base. The
ship commanded by Lieutenant Commander
Subhal Nathan, was conceived, designed and built
indigenously at Garden Reach Shipyard, Kolkota.
169
Bangalore Charter
A get-together of members and their spouses was held
on 4th October 2009. A presentation on comfort homes
for Veterans was given. Navy Nite was organised on 19
December 2009, as a part of Navy Week celebrations.
A popular band and DJ music was organized.
A get-together was again held on 21 March 2010. This
event was co-sponsored by Trident Hyundai. Latest
models of Hyundai cars were displayed and a free
check-up of vehicles offered.
Election of the office bearers were held on 27 June
2010. Cmde KSK Prasad (Retd), President, Cdr GJ
Singh (Retd), Vice President & Secretary and Capt
Saikumar (Retd), Treasurer were elected. R Adm
SRS Gopal (Retd) and Cmde FH Dubash (Retd)
were elected as co-opted members. Capt AK Wason
from DESA attended the AGM and gave a
presentation on the various welfare schemes for Ex-
servicemen.
Bhubaneshwar Charter
This charter meets every two months alternately in
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. During these meetings all
circulars/information received from NHQ and other
sources were read out. These get-togethers were
followed by a lunch on each occassion.
Delhi Charter
The AGM was held on 20 Feb 2010 and this was
followed by the annual Gala Dinner and Dance.
172
Charter News
Get-together of members Annual Gala Dinner and Dance
AGM Navy Foundation
Luncheon get-togethers were held on 11 Jul 2010 and
20 Nov 2010. On 11 Jul 2010, a Talk on “China, US,
India and the Strategy in Asia” was delivered by Mrs.
Indrani Bagchi, Senior Editor, Times of India.
Admiral RD Katari Memorial Lecture was organized on
20 Nov 2010 at the DRDO Bhavan. Shri Shiv Shankar
Menon, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister
of India spoke on “Strategic and Economic Issues for
the Future”.
Hyderabad Charter
Quarterly Meetings were conducted on 17 Jan, 18 Apr,
18 July and 10 Oct 2010. Commodore MVS Kumar,
PDESA/Secretary Navy Foundation attended the
meeting held on 18th July 2010.
Navy Golf Cup Tournament consisting of 8 Teams from
Army, Navy and Air Force Units at Hyderabad including
2 Teams from our Navy Foundation was organised on
19th January 2010. On completion of Tournament,
Lunch was hosted for all the participants.
Kerala Charter
In Feb 2010 the members had a memorable getaway,
by way of a picnic to Kumblangi, a back water village
tourist spot.
AGM of the Charter was held on 16 May 2010. V Adm
R P Suthan was elected as the President. Cmde A J
Paul Raj, a distinguished member, was felicitated on
being conferred Padma Bhushan. Scholarship cash
award of Rs 3000/- each were given to six students for
merit in the academics.
The festival of Onam, was celebrated at the NWWA
Kala Kendra, Katari Bagh on 26 Sep 2010 with C-in-C,
South and Mrs. Letha Sushil as the chief guests. The
Onam celebrations ended with a sumptuous traditional
Onam sadya on plantain leaves. In outreach program to
assist the needy and poor through voluntary donations,
the Govt. Old Age Home at Thevara was the first
beneficiary. The essential needs of the Home and the
inmates were identified and met.
mumbai Charter
23 May 2010 - Annual General Body meeting of the
Charter was held at IMSC, Dhanush. R Adm Arun
173
AGM of the Kerala CharterLecture China, US, India and the Strategy in Asia
Get-together of members
Auditto (Retd) was elected as the new President of the
Mumbai Charter and Lt Cdr F Tarapore as the new
Hony, Treasurer.
The following lectures were organised by the The
Maritime History Society:
- “Heatlth in the French Navy in the 18th century
and its Impact on Naval Operations in the Indian
Ocean” by Mr. Peter Greenwood of the China
Land Power Company, Hong Kong.
- “Sagarparikrama - Solo Circumnavigation” by
Cdr. Dilip Donde.
- “The North Indian Ocean Trade in the Ancient
Period” by Dr. Shinu Abraham of St. Lawrence
University, New York.
- “Visit of Foreign Travellers to the Konkan Coast
in the Medieval period” by Dr. Neeta Khandpekar,
HOD of History, Sommaya, College ,Mumbai.
Veteran’s v/s Serving Naval officers Golf
tournament was held at the US Club Annexe on 20
Nov 2010. Serving Naval Officers won the
Tournament. This event was sponsored by the
CMD, MDL.
Pune Charter
AGM of the Charter was held during which Cmde
(Retd.) P K Malhotra –Chairman and Cdr (Retd.) P
Rawat--Vice Chairman were elected unanimously.
The Charter also organized a picnic at Cdr D D
Naik's Farm House on the outskirts of Pune.
174
Musical Chair Picnic at Cdr DD Naiks Farm
V Adm MP Awati (Retd) 05
V Adm JN Sukul (Retd) 09
Late Cmde MK Banger (Retd) 10, 45
V Adm Parvesh Jaitly (Retd) 13
Capt Haridasan (Retd) 16
Capt Sunil David (Retd) 19, 130
Cdr TS Trewn (Retd) 22, 51
Cmde HML Saxena (Retd) 23
Mrs Usha Sukul 24
Cdr JK Sharma (Retd) 27
Mrs. Ruma Purkayastha 28
R Adm SK Das (Retd) 31, 106
Capt PN Mathur (Retd) 35
Admiral RH Tahiliani (Retd) 41, 90
R Adm YN Inamdar (Retd) 43
Admiral Jayant Nadkarni (Retd) 47
Cmde MB Kunte (Retd.) 49, 135
Cdr Noel Lobo (Retd) 52
V Adm V Pasricha (Retd) 53
Cdr BS Hothi (Retd) 55
Lt Cdr Mathew Joseph (Retd) 59
Mrs Manju Gupta (nee Manju Rajan) 63
R Adm SK Das (Retd) 64
Cmde JP Carneiro (Retd) 66
V Adm RKS Ghandhi (Retd) 67
Cdr RM Verma (Retd) 68
Cmde RS Malia (Retd) 69
Surg Cmde Ranjit Das (Retd) 70
Capt NV Sarathy (Retd) 72
Cdr VK Mohan (Retd) 73
Lt Cdr GA Mathew 74
V Adm Harinder Singh (Retd) 74, 85, 115
V Adm PS Das (Retd) 75
Cmde Rajeev Sawhney (Retd) 77
Cmde RPS Ravi (Retd) 79
V Adm RN Ganesh (Retd) 82
Cmde RK Dass (Retd) 84,135
V Adm AK Singh (Retd) 86
V Adm Vijay Shankar (Retd) 88
Capt Srikant B Kesnur 92
Admiral VS Shekhawat (Retd) 94
Dr Anuradha Kunte 95
Mrs Minni Sharma 96
Cmde Ravi Sharma (Retd) 97, 105
V Adm KV Bharathan (Retd) 98
Cdr K Kutty (Retd) 100
Surg Cmde JK Gupta (Retd) 102
Cmde SM Sundaram (Retd) 103
Late V Adm SM Gadihoke (Retd) 107, 108
Cdr NA Mullerworth (Retd) 110
Major General Subroto Kundu (Retd) 111
Cdr R Ganapathi (Retd) 113
Col NS Rawat (Retd) 116
Dr CT George 118
Cdr Tushar Dutt (Retd) 119
V Adm Pradeep Kaushiva (Retd) 120
R Adm Subir Paul (Retd) 121
Cdr Manav Handa 122
Mrs Grace George 123
Mrs Jhilmil Sengupta 124
Mrs Veryam Kaur Trewn 125
V Adm AC Bhatia (Retd) 126
Cdr Vikram Arab 127
V Adm Ganesh Mahadevan 128
Mrs Dulcie Suresh 132
Cdr V Viswanath 133
Lt T Jayanth Kumar 134
Mrs Lakshmi Viswanath 134
Capt GP Philipose 136
Cdr Neil Gadihoke 138
Lt Cdr Yogesh Athawale 140
V Adm IJS Khurana 141
Mrs Padmaja Parulkar-Kesnur 147
Mrs Yamuna Govindan 150
R Adm Sushil Ramsay (Retd) 154
Lt Cdr Gitesh Biswas (Retd) 157
176
List of Contributors
