Maj Gen Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

V.N. Parameswaran Pillai OBE (''Velayudhan Pillai Narayana Pillai Parameswaran Pillai'') was the last GOC of the

Travancore Nair Army The Nair Brigade was the army of the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore in India. Nairs were a warrior community of the region. The personal bodyguard of the king Marthanda Varma (1706–1758) was also called ''Thiruvithamkoor Nair Pattalam'' (Tr ...

. He took command in 1945 and oversaw the partial absorption of the Travancore Army in to the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

. He was allowed to retire in 1949, when the unified Travancore-Cochin forces were disbanded. He is best remembered as a resourceful soldier who was meticulous in maintaining the decorum and formalities. Sri. Pillai was born in Arayoor, Neyyattinkara Taluk. He didn't receive much of formal English education, and therefore first joined the Travancore Nair Army as a

Sepoy ''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its oth ...

. But through his hard-work, he achieved an enviable educational background and at the same time, rose through the ranks of the army, finally becoming the GOC. His subordinates affectionately called him ''GOC Kuttan Pillai''. He remains as the only officer from the TNA to receive the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

honour from the Queen.Viewing Page 27 of Issue 38161
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, V.N. Parameswaran Military personnel from Kerala Malayali people People from the Kingdom of Travancore Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Thiruvananthapuram district