| Vice Admiral Daya Shankar PVSM, DSC | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 January 1912[1] |
| Died | 18 November 1993 (aged 81)[1] |
| Place of death | New Delhi |
| Allegiance |
 British India India |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Indian Navy Indian Navy |
| Years of service | 1930-1964 |
| Rank |
 Vice Admiral |
| Unit |
HMIS Hindustan HMIS Lawrence HMIS Dalhousie HMIS Pathan |
| Commands held | INS Shivaji |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Param Vishisht Seva Medal Distinguished Service Cross |
Vice Admiral Daya Shankar PVSM, DSC (2 January 1912 – 18 November 1993) was a decorated Indian Navy admiral, naval engineer and the first Indian Armed Forces officer to hold the appointment of Controller General Defence Production.[1]
Early career[]
Among the first Indians to be selected for the Royal Indian Marine in 1930,[2] Shankar was appointed an engineer sub-lieutenant (on probation) in the Royal Indian Navy on 23 April 1935,[3] and was confirmed in his appointment on 23 October 1936.[4] He was promoted to engineer lieutenant on 23 April 1938.[5] On 2 August 1939, Shankar was assigned to HMIS Dalhousie, the RIN depot ship and training barracks based at Bombay, as well as to the P-class sloop HMIS Pathan.[6]
During the Second World War, Shankar was assigned to the sloop HMIS Lawrence on 21 November 1940; among the other junior officers then assigned to her was the future admiral and Indian Navy Chief of the Naval Staff Sourendra Nath Kohli.[7] For "courage, enterprise and devotion to duty in operations in the Persian Gulf," Shankar was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) on 10 March 1942, one of only a few Indian officers to be so decorated during the war.[8] On 3 December, he was assigned to the sloop HMIS Hindustan,[9] and was promoted acting engineer lieutenant-commander on 30 September 1943.[10] He was promoted substantive engineer lieutenant-commander on 23 April 1946.[11]
Post-independence[]
Following Indian independence in 1947, Shankar served at Naval Headquarters and was promoted engineer commander (acting engineer captain) on 31 December 1948.[12] In 1950, he became the second Indian officer to command INS Shivaji, the mechanical training establishment of the Indian Navy,[1] with promotion to substantive engineer captain on 30 June 1951.[13] He was subsequently appointed the Industrial Manager, Indian Naval Dockyard Bombay, and in July 1954 became the first Indian officer to be appointed Chief of Material at Naval HQ.[14] On 24 September 1956, the post of Chief of Material was upgraded to the status of a commodore (2nd class), making Shankar the first Indian naval engineer officer to be elevated to this rank.[2][15] He was promoted to engineer rear-admiral in December 1959, becoming the first naval engineering officer to attain flag rank, and was appointed Controller-General Ordnance Factories.[1] In 1960, he was further appointed Controller-General Defence Production, and held the appointment until his retirement in August 1964.[1]
Later life[]
Retiring in Delhi, Shankar was conferred the honorary rank of vice-admiral on 20 December 1985.[1] He died at Delhi in the morning of 18 November 1993, and was cremated with full military honours the following afternoon. He was survived by his daughter and two sons, one an air commodore in the Indian Air Force.[16]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Obituary-Vice Admiral Daya Shankar DSC, VSM Class I (Ret'd)". 18 November 1993. http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1993-JAN-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1993-11-18_287.pdf. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Two New Commodores for Navy - Upgrading of Naval HQ Posts". 10 October 1956. http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1956-JULY-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1956-10-10_152.pdf. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ↑ "No. 34159". 10 May 1935. p. 3051. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34159/page/3051
- ↑ "No. 34356". 1 January 1937. p. 18. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34356/page/18
- ↑ "No. 34510". 13 May 1938. p. 3121. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34510/page/3121
- ↑ "The Royal Indian Navy (Royal Indian Navy - Establishments)". The Navy List: December 1939. HM Government, UK. 1939. pp. 762–763.
- ↑ "The Royal Indian Navy". The Navy List: February 1941. HM Government, UK. 1941. pp. 1302.
- ↑ "No. 35481". 6 March 1942. p. 1105. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35481/supplement/1105
- ↑ "The Royal Indian Navy". The Navy List: December 1943. HM Government, UK. 1943. pp. 2823.
- ↑ "The Royal Indian Navy - Officers of the Royal Indian Navy". The Navy List: July 1945. HM Government, UK. 1945. pp. 2101.
- ↑ "No. 37699". 23 August 1946. p. 4249. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37699/page/4249
- ↑ "Promotion of Officers in the RIN". 31 December 1948. http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1948-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1948-12-31_479.pdf. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 14 July 1951. p. 133.
- ↑ "Changes in Senior Naval Appointments". 15 July 1954. http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1954%20DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1954-07-15_196.pdf. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 27 April 1957. p. 107.
- ↑ "Vice Admiral (Ret'd) Daya Shankar - A Man of Many 'Firsts' - Laid to Rest". 19 November 1993. http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1993-JAN-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1993-11-19_289.pdf. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
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