The World War II Veteran – My Dad

This Father’s Day we missed him, the first one that he was not around for. He passed away in April, a month before his 95th birthday; perhaps amongst the last of the WW II survivors.?At the tender age of 16 he left his home town in Southern India, circa 1942, to join the Navy. WW II was well under way and the then Royal Navy (later became the Royal Indian Navy – RIN) had no hesitation in adding a year to his age that made him eligible to enlist.?I never learnt whether it was the Navy’s recruiting message, the prevailing political climate or his sense of adventure that drove him into their hands. Then RIN had 6 vessels. After initial training on Indian shores he was shipped out to patrol ports of Dar-es-Salaam in Zanzibar (German navy often blockaded British ships out of Eastern Africa), then to Aden (king of Yemen had aligned with the Italians), then on to Karachi, Bombay and finally the RIN ships were moved to the theatre of war in South East Asia. There the Thai army had aligned with the Japs. British were trying to protect their supply routes through Burma and trade through Singapore ports while keeping the Japanese at bay. After the huge loss of lives and property that defined World War II, when Indian independence came in 1947, most of the remaining ships were transferred to Indian Navy and few to Pakistan Navy.?

Dad was then sent to England with teammates to take delivery of new Indian Navy Vessels. Settling in Bombay on his return, where the Indian Navy was growing exponentially, he served on various naval vessels and locations. The ones I often visited him on include the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the reconnaissance vessel INS Darsahk, several frigates, a submarine and later on-shore HQ of the Western command, INS Angre.

?Another war came by in 1971 with Pakistan where Indian Navy played major role. He was transferred from Bombay to the theatre of operations in Okha, Gujarat, which was then the base for the Indian missile boats. The Okha harbour was bombed by Pakistani aircraft, but by then the missile ships were already moved. Operation Trident was quite successful for Indian Navy having shut down the Karachi harbour and decommissioned several warships. Sadly the Navy lost about 1900 lives. On return to Bombay he got a posting as commanding officer of a Naval Station Receiving Station in Colaba, a beautiful spot that I often stopped by to enjoy their lovely gardens and Mess food.?I always admired the naval uniforms, especially the Mess wear reserved for evening cocktails and formal dinners. You couldn't help but look smart in them. We spent our childhood in the 60’s & early 70’s in Naval Officers colony, Colaba, Bombay, which was a wonderful place for a young family to grow. Later on he moved us to Officer’s Bungalows in Katari Bagh, Cochin, when he took on a training role with the Naval Signal School.?

My father, besides being a engaging dad to 4 children and later to 8 grand children, was also a very talented sportsman. He played in Football (soccer) and hockey teams of the Indian Navy (West). He loved all sports and was a good swimmer too. In fact he was sports crazy and would wake up at all hours to watch everything from Wimbledon, the world up, cricket, et al.?Attending football and basketball matches with him while growing up, always meant active and vociferous participation from the sidelines.?

After a long stint as a Naval Officer he took early retirement to join customs & central excise. Those who knew him will remember that he ran a good race, had fun doing it, finished well, and kept the bar high for all of us, leaving a legacy to cherish. Then there will be others that will salute his service to the nation, though they may have not known him.?

Well done dad.

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