Admiral Jal Cursetji,
PVSM
Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...
(20 May 1919 – 29 January 1991) was a former Flag Officer in the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
. He served as the ninth
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from 1 March 1976 until 28 February 1979. He was the first
hydrographer to serve as the CNS.
Born in a Parsi family in Jabalpur, Cursetji joined the
Training Ship Dufferin in 1935, where his batchmate was
Nilakanta Krishnan. After training on various ships of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, he served on the
Aubrietia-class sloop
The ''Aubrietia''-class sloops were a class of twelve sloops built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger . They were also referred to as the "cabbage class", or "herbaceous borders". The Flowe ...
and the
Bathurst-class corvette . In 1944, he commanded ''HMIS Bombay''. After specialising in hydrography in the United Kingdom, he was tasked with the planning of setting up a hydrographic office in India. He served as the Surveyor-in-Charge, Marine Survey of India and commanded the survey ship INS Investigator. He was the first Indian to serve as the Chief Hydrographer of the Navy, from 1955 to 1957.
Cursetji subsequently commanded the 11th destroyer squadron and the lead ship and served for about four years as the
Naval attaché
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
at the
Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of India to the United States. It is headed by the Indian Ambassador to the United States. The current Ambassador is Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
India also has consula ...
, from 1961 to 1965. Returning to India, he commanded the
aircraft carrier from 1966 to 1967. Promoted to flag rank in 1967, he took over as
Chief of Personnel at Naval headquarters. In 1970, he was appointed the
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and served in this appointment during the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the
Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...
.
Cursetji served as the
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command
The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the A ...
from 1973 to 1976, before taking over as the Chief of Naval Staff. During his tenure as the CNS, the
maritime reconnaissance {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities.
Maritime patrol refers to ac ...
role was taken over by the Navy, the
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally es ...
came into being and the Goa Naval area was established. The Southern Naval Area was also upgraded into a full-fledged command. Cursetji was awarded the
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...
in 1971 and was the first recipient from the Indian Navy of the
Legion of Merit.
Early life
Cursetji was born in 1919 in
Jabalpur
Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...
,
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
in a
Parsi
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...
family. He attended the
St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School
St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School is a co-ed catholic school located in the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education. Established in the year 1868, it is one of the oldest schools in ...
in Jabalpur. In 1935, he was successful in the entrance examination and joined the Indian Mercantile Marine Training Ship (IMMTS) ''
Dufferin''. After two years, he took the examination for entry into the Navy. He was one of the two cadets who were successful and joined the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
- the other being
Nilakanta Krishnan.
Naval career
Cursetji embarked for the United Kingdom and joined the
monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, West ...
. Subsequently he trained on board the
Hawkins-class cruiser
The ''Hawkins'' class consisted of five heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War, although none of them saw service during the war. The first ship to be completed, , was renamed from HMS ''Cavendish'' and converted int ...
. In late 1938, after the end of his training, he was promoted to the rank of
midshipman and posted to the , a part of the
8th Destroyer Flotilla
The 8th Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as the Eighth Destroyer Flotilla, was a military formation of the British Royal Navy from 1911 to 1939.
History
The flotilla was established in August 1911. In 1912 was assigned to the Admiral of Patrols ...
.
World War II
In 1939, Cursetji was serving on the ''Foxhound'' during the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. In late 1939, he was transferred to the
County-class cruiser
The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruisers constructed for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Wash ...
, which was a part of the
Northern Patrol
The Northern Patrol, also known as Cruiser Force B and the Northern Patrol Force, was an operation of the British Royal Navy during the First World War and Second World War. The Patrol was part of the British "distant" blockade of Germany. Its ma ...
. He served onboard the ''Suffolk'' when she participated in the
Norwegian Campaign. In April 1940, the ship arrived at
Tórshavn
Tórshavn (; lit. "Thor's harbour"), usually locally referred to as simply ''Havn'', is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of the city lies the ...
to commence the British pre-emptive occupation of the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
and she sank the German
tanker Skagerrak northwest of
Bodø, Norway. Later in the month, ''Suffolk'' and four destroyers, , , and , were sent to bombard the airfield at Sola, Norway. The operation had little effect and the retaliation from German bombers severely damaged the aft of the ship, forcing her to return to
Scapa Flow. He was subsequently transferred to the
Renown-class battlecruiser
The ''Renown'' class consisted of two battlecruisers built during the First World War for the Royal Navy. They were originally laid down as improved versions of the s, but their construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds t ...
.
Cursetji was commissioned as an
acting sub-lieutenant in the RIN on 1 April 1940, with confirmation as a sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1940 (pre-dated from 1 April).
He qualified as a Hydrography Specialist in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, and was promoted to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
on 1 October 1941.
He was transferred to the
Aubrietia-class sloop
The ''Aubrietia''-class sloops were a class of twelve sloops built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger . They were also referred to as the "cabbage class", or "herbaceous borders". The Flowe ...
. He subsequently served on the
Bathurst-class corvette . In early 1944, he took command of the ''Bombay''.
Post-Independence
After the
independence of India, Cursetji opted to join the Indian Navy. He was the senior most Indian officer in the Hydrographic Survey branch, and took part in the coastal surveys of
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
,
Malaya and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. In April 1949, then an acting
Commander, he was sent to the United Kingdom to prepare a report on establishing a Hydrographic office in India. After spending about a year, he returned in early 1950 and submitted his report to Naval HQ. The Marine Survey of India (MSI) was established in 1874 in Calcutta and was responsible for the hydrographic surveys. It was headed by the Surveyor-in-Charge.
In 1950, Cursetji took over as the Surveyor-in-Charge of the Marine Survey of India. He headed the MSI for about three years, till 1953. After relinquishing charge, he took command of the
survey ship ''INS Investigator''. On 1 Jun 1954, MSI was relocated to Dehradun, its present location, and was renamed Naval Hydrographic Office. The appointment of Surveyor-in-Charge Marine Survey of India was re-designated Chief Hydrographer of the Navy.
On 15 November 1955, he was promoted to acting rank of
captain and appointed the Chief Hydrographer of the Navy.
[http://www.hydrobharat.nic.in/pdf/charting.pdf] He was the second incumbent and the first Indian to hold the appointment. This appointment was later re-designated Chief Hydrographer to the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
in 1964. Cursetji served as the Chief Hydrographer till November 1957.
On 5 November 1957, Cursetji was appointed Captain (D) 11th Destroyer Squadron as well as the Commanding Officer of the lead destroyer of the squadron, . Apart from the ''Rajput'', the flotilla consisted of and . Later that year, on 31 December, he was promoted to the substantive rank of captain.
In 1961, Cursetji was appointed the first
Naval attaché
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
at the
Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of India to the United States. It is headed by the Indian Ambassador to the United States. The current Ambassador is Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
India also has consula ...
The
Ambassador of India to the United States
The Indian Ambassador to the United States of America is the chief diplomatic representative of India to the United States, housed in the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C. The current ambassador is Taranjit Singh Sandhu who succeeded Harsh Var ...
during his tenure was
Braj Kumar Nehru
Braj Kumar Nehru MBE, ICS (4 September 1909 – 31 October 2001) was an Indian diplomat and Ambassador of India to the United States (1961–1968).
He was the son of Brijlal Nehru and Rameshwari Nehru and first cousin once removed of Ind ...
. He simultaneously held the office of Naval adviser to the High Commissioner of India to Canada in Ottawa. He spent about four years in this appointment, till 1965. After returning to India, he was appointed CAPBRAX (captain naval barracks) and Commanding Officer of
INS Angre
INS ''Angre'' is a "stone frigate" (shore establishment) of the Indian Navy in Mumbai. It is the shore-based logistics and administrative support establishment of the Western Naval Command. It is also the base depot ship of the Command and is t ...
. After a short stint, Cursetji was appointed the fourth
commanding officer of the
flagship of the Indian Navy - , then the only
aircraft carrier in Asia. He took over from Captain
V. A. Kamath on 4 November 1966.
In mid-1967, he led the ship in large air-sea exercises in the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
which was witnessed by the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
,
Indira Gandhi.
Flag rank
On 8 December 1967, he relinquished command of the ''Vikrant'', handing over to Captain
E. C. Kuruvila. Cursetji was promoted to the acting rank of
rear admiral and took over as the
Chief of Personnel (COP) at Naval Headquarters.
Taking over from Rear Admiral
K. R. Nair, he served as COP for little over two years. In early 1970, Cursetji was appointed the third
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. He was promoted to the acting rank of
vice admiral and took over from his batchmate Vice Admiral
Nilakanta Krishnan on 20 February 1970.
On 26 January 1971, he was awarded the
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...
for distinguished service of the highest order. He served as the VCNS during the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the
Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...
.
In August 1972, he led a delegation to the Soviet Union to negotiate the acquisition of ship and aircraft. The
Maritime reconnaissance aircraft Ilyushin Il-38 was acquired durin
On 27 February 1973, with Admiral
Sourendra Nath Kohli
Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, PVSM (21 June 1916 – 21 January 1997) was an Indian Navy admiral who served as the 8th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1973 until 29 February 1976. Kohli served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-I ...
taking over as the Chief of the Naval Staff, Cursetji took command of the
Western Naval Command
The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the A ...
. He was promoted to the substantive rank of vice admiral on 1 March that year.
Chief of Naval Staff
In January 1976, the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
announced that Cursetji would be the next
Chief of the Naval Staff.
He took over from Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli on 1 March 1976. Soon after taking over as Chief, Cursetji and the
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh Moolgavkar
Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh Moolgavkar, PVSM, MVC (15 August 1920 – 9 April 2015) was a former Air officer in the Indian Air Force. He served as the 9th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force from 1 February 1976 till 31 Augu ...
discussed about the handing over of the
maritime reconnaissance {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities.
Maritime patrol refers to ac ...
role from the
Indian Air Force to the Indian Navy. In accordance with this, the
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an American aircraft, a member of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. The L-1049 was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner, first flying in 1950. The aircraft was also produc ...
aircraft of the
No. 6 Squadron IAF were transferred to the Navy. On 8 October 1976, Cursetji commissioned
INAS 312
The INAS 312 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Rajali.
History
The Navy’s first long range Maritime Reconnaissance squadron was commissioned with five ex IAF Super Constellation aircraft on 18 November 1976. Cdr R D Dhir was the ...
at Goa. With the increase in the
Indian Naval Air Arm
The Indian Naval Air Arm is the aviation branch and a fighting arm of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare.
The Flag Off ...
in Goa, in 1977, the Goa Naval area was upgraded and the Naval Officer in Charge Goa (NOIC GOA) was re-designated as Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area (FOGA), a
two star Two star, two stars and similar may refer to:
* A grading of a hotel, restaurant, film, etc. in a star (classification) scheme
* Two star petrol, a class of Leaded petrol formerly sold in the UK
* Two-star rank, a senior military rank
* Two-Handed ...
appointment. The Southern Naval Area was also upgraded to a full command, under the
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command
The Southern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala at INS Venduruthy. It is the Training Command of the Indian Navy.
The Command is commanded by a Three Star Fl ...
.
Under Cursetji's tenure, on 19 August 1978, the
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally es ...
(ICG) came into being. The new service was to function under the overall command and control of a Director General (DGICG). Vice Admiral
V. A. Kamath was selected as the founding
Director General of the Indian Coast Guard
The Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (DG ICG) is the head of the Indian Coast Guard. The DG ICG has their office in the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) in New Delhi. Appointed by the Government of India, the DG ICG reports to the Mini ...
.
In October 1978, he was awarded the
Legion of Merit by the
United States Department of the Navy
The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary o ...
during his visit to the United States. He was the first recipient of the award.
Later that year, he laid down the keel of the first indigenously designed frigate .
After a full three-year tenure, Cursetji retired on 28 February 1979.
Personal life and legacy
Cursetji married Navaz Dallas in 1955. The couple had two daughters - Meher Cursetji Rafaat and Rashida Cursetji Mendu. He died in Mumbai in January 1991.
The Admiral Jal Cursetji rolling trophy, awarded to the best survey ship is named for him.
The Western Naval Command held a talk to observe the birth centenary of Cursetji in 2019.
Dates of rank
See also
*
Indian Naval Hydrographic Department
The Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD), headed by the Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India, is an Indian government agency responsible for hydrographic surveys and nautical charting in India. Its headquarters National Hydrogra ...
References
Bibliography
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cursetji, Jal
1919 births
1991 deaths
Chiefs of the Naval Staff (India)
Vice Chiefs of Naval Staff (India)
Indian Navy admirals
Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Parsi people
People from Jabalpur
Royal Indian Navy officers
Chiefs of Personnel (India)
Indian naval attachés