Mohinder Singh Wadalia

Lieutenant-General

Mohinder Singh Wadalia
Born(1908-11-30)30 November 1908[1]
Died20 May 2001(2001-05-20) (aged 92)
New Delhi, India
Allegiance British India (1929-1947)
 India (1947-1965)
Service / branch British Indian Army
 Indian Army
Years of service1929–1965
Rank Lieutenant-General
Service numberAI-947
UnitHyderabad Regiment
16th Light Cavalry
CommandsCommandant of the Indian Military Academy
Battles / wars
AwardsMentioned in dispatches

Lieutenant-General Mohinder Singh Wadalia (30 November 1908 – 20 May 2001) was an Indian Army general.[2]

Career

A King's Commissioned Indian Officer (KCIO), Wadalia was educated at Aitchison College and the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehra Dun.[3] He subsequently attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the British Indian Army on 31 January 1929, passing out fifth in the order of merit from 37 successful cadets.[4][5] He was formally appointed to the Indian Army as an officer with the 4/19 Hyderabad Regiment (now 4 Kumaon Regiment) on 13 April 1930.[6] On 1 March 1934, he transferred to the 16th Light Cavalry and was appointed a squadron officer.[7] He was appointed the adjutant on 1 January 1937.[8]

During the Second World War, Wadalia was appointed a GSO 3 in the Directorate of Military Training on 27 June 1941, under Brigadier Francis Tuker.[9] Advanced to a GSO 2 on 26 September and promoted temporary major in December,[10] Wadalia was transferred to the Directorate of Armoured Fighting Vehicles on 26 May 1943.[11] He served on the headquarters staff in the Persia-Iraq theatre and was mentioned in dispatches.[3][12] On 13 August 1944, he was appointed a GSO 1 on the staff, with the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel.[13] He was promoted substantive major (temporary lieutenant-colonel) on 31 January 1946.[14] On 23 December 1949, he was promoted temporary brigadier and given command of a brigade.[15]

On 21 June 1951, Wadalia was appointed an area commander with the local rank of major general.[16] On 1 September, he was appointed Commandant of the National Defence Academy with the acting rank of major-general.[17] He was the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff between 27 January 1959 and 15 November 1964.[18]

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
Second Lieutenant British Indian Army 31 January 1929
Lieutenant British Indian Army 30 April 1931[19]
Captain British Indian Army 31 January 1938[20]
Major British Indian Army 26 September 1941 (acting)[1]
26 December 1941 (temporary)[1]
31 January 1946 (substantive)[14]
Lieutenant-Colonel British Indian Army 13 August 1944 (acting)[1]
31 January 1946 (temporary)[14]
Major Indian Army 15 August 1947[note 1][21]
Colonel Indian Army
Brigadier Indian Army 1948 (acting)
23 December 1949 (temporary)[15][note 1]
Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)[21]
Brigadier Indian Army 31 January 1950 (substantive)[22]
Major General Indian Army 21 June 1951 (local)[16]
1 September 1951 (acting)[17]
Lieutenant-General Indian Army

Notes

  1. ^ a b Upon independence in 1947, India became a Dominion within the British Commonwealth of Nations. As a result, the rank insignia of the British Army, incorporating the Tudor Crown and four-pointed Bath Star ("pip"), was retained, as George VI remained Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces. After 26 January 1950, when India became a republic, the President of India became Commander-in-Chief, and the Ashoka Lion replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."

References

  1. ^ a b c d Indian Army List for October 1945 (Part I). Government of India Press. 1945. p. 157.
  2. ^ "First Vice-Chief of Army Staff cremated". The Tribune. 21 May 2001. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b Nanporia, N. J., ed. (1959–60). "Who's Who in India (Wadalia, Mohinder Singh)". The Times of India Directory & Yearbook, including Who's Who. The Times of India Press, Bombay. p. 1226.
  4. ^ Sharma, Gautam (1996). Nationalisation of the Indian Army, 1885-1947. Allied Publishers Limited. p. 239. ISBN 81-7023-555-3.
  5. ^ "No. 33462". The London Gazette. 1 February 1929. p. 772.
  6. ^ "No. 33626". The London Gazette. 18 July 1930. p. 4501.
  7. ^ Indian Army List for October 1936. Government of India Press. 1936. p. 428.
  8. ^ Indian Army List for October 1938. Government of India Press. 1938. p. 428.
  9. ^ Indian Army List for October 1941. Government of India Press. 1941. pp. 8A.
  10. ^ Indian Army List for July 1942. Government of India Press. 1942. p. 10.
  11. ^ Indian Army List for October 1943. Government of India Press. 1943. p. 11.
  12. ^ "No. 36120". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 August 1943. p. 3526.
  13. ^ Indian Army List for October 1945. Government of India Press. 1945. pp. 8D.
  14. ^ a b c "No. 37579". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 May 1946. p. 2517.
  15. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 28 January 1950. p. 157.
  16. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 September 1951. p. 174.
  17. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 13 October 1951. p. 195.
  18. ^ "Deputy Army Chief retires" (PDF). 18 November 1964. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  19. ^ "No. 33727". The London Gazette. 19 June 1931. p. 3396.
  20. ^ "No. 34492". The London Gazette. 11 March 1938. p. 1673.
  21. ^ a b "New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2017.
  22. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 June 1950. p. 70.
Military offices
Preceded by Commandant of the National Defence Academy
September 1951 - January 1953 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the General Staff
December 1955 - May 1957 		Succeeded by
S. D. Verma
New title
Office created
 Deputy Chief of the Army Staff
January 1959 - November 1964 		Succeeded by