P. S. Mahindroo

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

British India
Died8 October 1999(1999-10-08) (aged 82)
Chandigarh, India
Allegiance British Raj
 India
Service/branch Royal Indian Navy
Indian Navy
Years of service1939–1972
Rank Rear Admiral
Commands heldINS Vikrant
INS Delhi (C74)
Battles/warsWorld War II
Awards Param Vishisht Seva Medal

Commanding Officer of the Indian Navy's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. He later served as the Chief of Materiel
and as the Director General Naval Dockyard Expansion Scheme before retiring in 1972.

Naval career

Mahindroo was in the seventh batch of Indian cadet-entry officers to join the Indian Mercantile Marine

Training Ship Dufferin
, in 1933. After graduating from the Dufferin in December 1935, he joined the mercantile marine.

World War II

In September 1939, with the outbreak of the World War II, he joined the Royal Indian Naval Reserve (RINR) as an acting Sub-lieutenant. He was initially denied entry since he refused to cut his hair, but later was accepted as the first turbaned officer in the navy.[1] He first served on the Cornwallis-class sloop HMIS Pansy. After about two years on the sloop, he was transferred to the auxiliary patrol vessel HMIS Sonavati in December 1941.[2] On 4 April 1942, he was made temporary Lieutenant. Mahindroo was then transferred to the Bangor-class minesweeper HMIS Rajputana (J197) in December 1942.[3]

On 22 June 1943, the

Royal Pakistan Navy.[4] Mahindroo was the navigator and the only Indian among 14 British officers on board.[5][6][1] The Godavari was deployed in the UK-Gibraltar route till the end of 1943, after which she was transferred to the East Indies Fleet. In December 1944, he was transferred to HMIS Akbar, the RIN training establishment in Bombay. He served in this appointment until the end of the war. He then led the parade of the Indian Naval contingent at the London Victory Celebrations of 1946.[7]

Post-Independence

In 1949, India acquired three

Royal Ceylon Navy and the Pakistan Navy. Mahindroo was in command of the Delhi during these exercises as well.[12]

In March 1960, Mahindroo was summoned by the

Flag Officer Bombay Rear Admiral S. G. Karmarkar.[19]

In June 1962, Mahindroo led the Vikrant in exercises in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and off Malaya.[20] After commanding the carrier for over two years, he relinquished command, handing over to Captain Nilakanta Krishnan in April 1963. He swapped places with Krishnan and was appointed Commanding Officer of the Navy's Engineering College INS Shivaji in Lonavala.[21] After a short stint at Shivaji, in March 1964, Mahindroo was promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed Commodore Superintendent Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.[22]

Flag rank

In February 1965, Mahindroo was appointed Chief of Materiel (COM) at Naval HQ and took over from Commodore Sourendra Nath Kohli. In August, the appointment was upgraded to flag rank and he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. He served as the COM for about three years. In December 1967, he was appointed Director General Naval Dockyard Expansion Scheme (DG-NDES).[23] He served in this appointment for long tenure of about six years. On 26 January 1972, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service of the most exceptional order.[24]

Later life and death

Mahindroo moved to Chandigarh after his retirement and was an avid golfer, playing seven days a week. His son also joined the Navy and had a short stint. On 31 January 1997, INS Vikrant was decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The decommissioning ceremony was performed by Mahindroo, the carrier's first captain. He died in the Military Hospital, Chandimandir on 8 October 1999.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b October 15, ROHIT PARIHAR. "P.S. Mahindroo, first commanding officer of INS Vikrant, worries about navy's future". India Today.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Officers of the Royal Indian Naval Reserve". The Navy List: August 1942. HM Government, UK. 1945. p. 1770.
  3. ^ "Officers of the Royal Indian Naval Reserve". The Navy List: June 1943. HM Government, UK. 1943. p. 1115.
  4. ^ "INDIA'S NEWEST SHIP COMMISSIONED. 22 JUNE 1943, WOOLSTON, SOUTHAMPTON. THE COMMISSIONING OF THE SLOOP HMIS GODAVARI". Imperial War Museums.
  5. ^ "INDIA'S NEWEST AND BEST SHIP" (PDF). repositories.lib.utexas.edu. 9 August 1943.
  6. ^ "INDIA'S NEWEST SHIP COMMISSIONED. 22 JUNE 1943, WOOLSTON, SOUTHAMPTON. THE COMMISSIONING OF THE SLOOP HMIS GODAVARI". Imperial War Museums.
  7. ^ Singh 1991, p. 26.
  8. ^ Singh 1986.
  9. ^ a b "tribuneindia...Chandigarh Features". www.tribuneindia.com.
  10. ^ "CHANGES IN SENIOR NAVAL APPOINTMENTS" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 15 July 1955.
  11. ^ "NAVAL PROMOTIONS" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 2 July 1956.
  12. ^ a b Katari 1983.
  13. ^ Singh 1991, p. 144-145.
  14. ^ Singh 1991, p. 104.
  15. ^ Singh 1991, p. 143.
  16. ^ "Four-day goodwill visit" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 17 October 1961.
  17. ^ "INS VIKRANT ON WAY TO INDIA" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 21 October 1961.
  18. ^ "FLYING WELCOME TO VIKRANT" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 26 October 1961.
  19. ^ Singh 1991, p. 145.
  20. ^ "PRESS NOTE" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 13 June 1962.
  21. ^ "Leadership | insshivaji". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  22. ^ "NAVAL PROMOTIONS TO FLAG RANK" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 17 August 1965.
  23. ^ "COMMODORE KRISHNAN NEW NAVY VICE CHIEF" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 11 December 1967.
  24. ^ "GALLANTRY AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. 25 January 1972.

Bibliography

Military offices
Preceded by
Commanding Officer INS Delhi

1957-1958 		Succeeded by
New title
First holder
 Commanding Officer INS Vikrant
1961-1963
Preceded by Chief of Materiel
1965-1968 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=P._S._Mahindroo&oldid=1179029243"