M. R. Schunker
Vice Admiral | |
---|---|
Commands held | Indian Coast Guard Eastern Naval Command Western Fleet INS Valsura INS Kunjali INS Amba (A54) INS Rana (D115) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal |
Early career
Schunker joined the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR) as a midshipman in November 1943.[1] He was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant on 13 May 1944.[2] He served onboard auxiliary patrol vessels as well as minesweepers.[3] After the war, he was selected for a permanent commission in the Royal Indian Navy. He was commissioned a lieutenant on 18 March 1947.[4]
Post-Independence
Schunker was promoted lieutenant-commander on 18 March 1955.
In 1960, Schunker was promoted to the rank of commander and appointed commanding officer of the R-class destroyer INS Rana (D115).[3] He then moved to Naval Headquarters as the Deputy Director Naval Plans. After a short stint, in December 1961, he was appointed Fleet Operations Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet, Rear Admiral Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman. Schunker was then selected to attend the Joint Service Staff College in Latimer, Buckinghamshire.[4]
In 1967, the submarine arm of the Indian Navy was formed with the commissioning of
Schunker then commanded the Provost headquarters in Mumbai – INS Kunjali. He was promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed commanding officer of the Electrical engineering school INS Valsura in Jamnagar.[12] In September 1972, he was selected to attend the National Defence College (NDC). He attended the NDC course from January to December 1973.[13] After completing the course, he was appointed Chief of Staff (COS) of the Western Naval Command in Mumbai.[14]
Flag rank
After two years as COS of the Western Naval Command, Schunker was promoted to the acting rank of
After a two-year stint, in 1980, he relinquished command of the Eastern Naval Command, handing over to Vice Admiral
DGICG
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) came into being on 19 August 1978. The new service was to function under the overall command and control of a Director General (DGICG).[21] On 1 April 1982, Schunker took over as the third Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (DGICG), succeeding Vice Admiral Swaraj Parkash.[22] Under him, the coast guard entered the air age. No. 800 Coast Guard Air squadron with Chetak helicopters was commissioned on 22 May 1982.[23] Also, during his tenure, five ships were commissioned including the first indigenously built offshore patrol vessels (OPV). After a two-year stint, he retired after handing over the command of the Coast Guard to Vice Admiral S. Jain in 1984.[24]
Post-retirement
After his retirement, Schunker and his wife Anne moved to Goa. He resided in the Defence Colony in Porvorim in North Goa.[25]
He died on 4 January 2021, aged 96.[26]
References
- ^ "(631) – Navy lists > Bimonthly > 1944 > April > Volume 1 – British Military lists – National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk.
- ^ "(1139) – Navy lists > Quarterly > 1945 > January > Volume 2 – British Military lists – National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk.
- ^ a b "ADMIRAL M R SCHUNKER TAKES OVER AS NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL COAST GUARD" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 2 April 1982.
- ^ a b Sainik Samachar (Volume 17, Issues 1–26 ed.). Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 30 April 1955. p. 89.
- ^ Singh 1991, p. 78.
- ^ "Gunnery School – My Alma Mater". Quarterdeck: The Navy Foundation Magazine: 113.
- ^ Singh 1991, p. 217.
- ^ "NAVAL PROMOTIONS" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 31 December 1968.
- ^ "Quarterdeck 2014" (PDF). navyfoundationmumbaicharter.in.
- ^ "GALLANTRY AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 25 January 1970.
- ^ "Commanding Officer | insvalsura". indiannavy.nic.in.
- ^ "FOUR NAVAL OFFICERS FOR NDC COURSE" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 17 September 1972.
- ^ a b "NEW CHIEF FOR WESTERN FLEET" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 3 March 1976.
- ^ "NEW SENIOR NAVAL APPOINTMENTS" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 28 February 1976.
- ^ "ADMIRAL SCHUNKER TO HEAD EASTERN NAVAL COMMAND" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 2 February 1978.
- ^ "Admiral Schunker to Head Eastern Naval Command" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. 2 February 1978. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Vice Admiral Schunker Takes Over as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India – Archive. 1 April 1980. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "VICE ADMIRAL SCHUNKER TAKES OVER AS VICE CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 1 April 1980.
- ^ "GALLANTRY AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 25 January 1981.
- ^ "COAST GUARD TO BE FORMED IN AUGUST" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in. 29 June 1978.
- ^ "ADMIRAL SCHUNKER TAKES OVER AS NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL COAST GUARD" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 2 April 1982.
- ^ "COAST GUARD AIR SQUADRON COMMISSIONED" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 22 May 1982.
- ^ "VICE ADMIRAL M. R. SCHUNKER DIRECTOR GENERAL COAST GUARD RETIRES" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 30 March 1984.
- ^ "String of burglaries in Goa defence colony has war veterans worried". The Indian Express. 8 September 2020.
- ^ Former Vice-Chief of Naval Staff passes away at 96
Bibliography
- Singh, Satyindra (1991), Blueprint to bluewater: The Indian Navy, 1951–65, Lancer International, ISBN 978-8170621485