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Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Pritam Singh 'Peter' Mahindroo,
PVSM Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of India. It is the highest peacetime medal of the Indian Armed Forces, and is awarded for "dist ...
(1917–1999) was a Flag Officer in the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
. He was the first
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
Admiral in the Indian Navy. He was the
commissioning Commissioning is a process or service provided to validate the completeness and accuracy of a project or venture. It may refer more specifically to: * Project commissioning, a process of assuring that all components of a facility are designed, in ...
Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of the Indian Navy's first
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
. 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 The Indian Maritime University (IMU), Navi Mumbai Campus, formerly known as Training Ship Chanakya (T.S. Chanakya), is an institution dedicated to maritime education and training. It serves as a prominent unit of the Mumbai campus of Indian Mar ...
, 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, 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. 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. On 4 April 1942, he was made temporary
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
. Mahindroo was then transferred to the
Bangor-class minesweeper The ''Bangor''-class minesweepers were a class of warships operated by the Royal Navy (RN), Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), and Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during and after the Second World War. Some were later operated by ...
in December 1942. On 22 June 1943, the
Black Swan-class sloop The ''Black Swan'' class and Modified ''Black Swan'' class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Twelve ''Black Swan''s were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-five ...
was commissioned in
Woolston, Southampton Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston. The area has a strong maritime and aviation history. The former hamlet gr ...
. The ship was in command of Commander
James Wilfred Jefford James Wilfred Jefford CB, CBE (22 March 1901 – 1 January 1980) was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Navy, serving from its inception in 1947 until 1953. Most of his early career was in the Royal Indian Navy. Jefford served ...
, who later became the first Commander-in-Chief of the
Royal Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Commi ...
. Mahindroo was the navigator and the only Indian among 14 British officers on board. The ''Godavari'' was deployed in the UK-Gibraltar route till the end of 1943, after which she was transferred to the
East Indies Fleet The Eastern Fleet, later called the East Indies Fleet, was a Naval fleet, fleet of the Royal Navy which existed between 1941 and 1952. In 1904, the British First Sea Lord, Admiral John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher, Sir John Fisher, ordered that i ...
. 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 The London Victory Celebrations of 1946 were British Commonwealth, Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided betwe ...
.


Post-Independence

In 1949, India acquired three
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s from the UK – , and which were being renamed to , and . Mahindroo was appointed
Executive Officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
of the ''Rajput''. In 1955, Mahindroo was promoted to the acting rank of
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
and appointed Chief Instructor at the
Defence Services Staff College The Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) is a defence service training institution of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. It trains officers of all three services of the Indian Armed Forces – (Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air ...
(DSSC),
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
. The Naval wing at DSSC was established in 1949–50 and Mahindroo was the first Indian chief instructor. On 2 July 1956, he was promoted substantive Captain. After a stint of about three years at DSSC, he was appointed
Commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
of the navy's
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
– the . He took over from Captain Benjamin Abraham Samson. The Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet Rear Admiral
Ram Dass Katari Admiral (India), Admiral Ram Dass Katari (8 October 1911 – 21 January 1983) was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 3rd Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from 22 April 1958 to 4 June 1962. He was the first I ...
flew his flag on the ''Delhi''. In June 1957, the Indian fleet called on ports in Africa with Mahindroo as the flag captain. After the Africa visit, the fleet sailed for
Trincomalee Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...
for the annual joint commonwealth exercises with the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
,
Royal Ceylon Navy The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its inte ...
and the
Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...
. Mahindroo was in command of the ''Delhi'' during these exercises as well. In March 1960, Mahindroo was summoned by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)
Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
Ram Dass Katari Admiral (India), Admiral Ram Dass Katari (8 October 1911 – 21 January 1983) was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 3rd Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from 22 April 1958 to 4 June 1962. He was the first I ...
and told that he was selected to command the Indian Navy's first
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
– . In June, he embarked for Belfast where the ship was berthed. He then attended refresher courses at various training establishments and spent a week aboard . The ship was commissioned on 4 March 1961 at 1000 hours by
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit Vijay Lakshmi Pandit (''née'' Swarup Nehru; 18 August 1900 – 1 December 1990) was an Indian freedom fighter, diplomat and politician. She served as the 8th President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1953 to 1954, the first woman a ...
, the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom. Mahindroo took the ''Vikrant'' from Belfast for Portsmouth in March 1961 and then to Portland for sea trials. Under him, in May, she embarked the Bréguet 1050 Alizés of INAS 310 in Toulon, France and then sailed for Malta for an intensive work-up. In August,
Hawker Sea Hawk The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet day fighter formerly of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design originat ...
s of
INAS 300 The INAS 300 is the longest serving combat unit of the Indian Navy, based at INS Hansa. History The White Tigers were commissioned on 7 July 1959 at RNAS Brawdy, United Kingdom with the Indian High Commissioner to UK, Vijay Laxmi Pandit, i ...
also embarked in the English Channel. During the work-up and the trials, Mahindroo received kudos from the
Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
for the carrier's excellent performance. He then brought the carrier home to India, calling on multiple ports on the way like Alexandria, Port Said and Aden, with ''INS Rajput'' as escort. ''Vikrant'' reached home waters by 3 November, where the two squadrons disembarked and she was welcomed by the flagship and aircraft of the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
. The same day, ''Vikrant'' was welcomed by the
Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...
,
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
, CNS Vice Admiral Katari and Flag Officer Bombay Rear Admiral S. G. Karmarkar. In June 1962, Mahindroo led the ''Vikrant'' in exercises in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and off Malaya. 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 INS Shivaji is an Indian naval station located in Lonavala, Maharashtra, India. It houses the Naval College of Engineering which trains officers of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It was commissioned on 15 February 1945 as HMIS Shiv ...
in
Lonavala Lonavala-Khandala is a hill station and a Municipal Council in the Pune district, Maharashtra, India. It is about west of Pune and to the east of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy '' chikki'' and is also a major stop on t ...
. After a short stint at ''Shivaji'', in March 1964, Mahindroo was promoted to the rank of
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...
and appointed Commodore Superintendent Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.


Flag rank

In February 1965, Mahindroo was appointed Chief of Materiel (COM) at Naval HQ and took over from Commodore
Sourendra Nath Kohli Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, PVSM (21 June 1916 – 21 January 1997) was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 7th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1973 until 29 February 1976. Kohli served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC- ...
. In August, the appointment was upgraded to flag rank and he was promoted to the rank of
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
. He served as the COM for about three years. In December 1967, he was appointed Director General Naval Dockyard Expansion Scheme (DG-NDES). He served in this appointment for long tenure of about six years. On 26 January 1972, he was awarded the
Param Vishisht Seva Medal Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of India. It is the highest peacetime medal of the Indian Armed Forces, and is awarded for "dist ...
for distinguished service of the most exceptional order.


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.


References


Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahindroo, P S Indian Navy rear admirals Royal Indian Navy officers 1917 births 1999 deaths Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal Chiefs of Materiel (India) Academic staff of the Defence Services Staff College