Nott was regarded as a visionary officer who worked to build the fledgling Indian Navy in her early years after Independence. He is credited with drawing up the plans of the expansion of the RIN, having led the development of the first ten-year plan paper. He was also regarded as an outstanding seaman, excellent staff officer and a great administrator. As the Naval officer-in-charge Cochin, he saw potential and advocated the development and expansion of the naval base in Cochin.
Early life
Nott was born on 30 June 1904 to Major Lewis Herbert William Nott, an officer in the British Army and Hilda Mary Stephens.[1]
Naval career
Nott joined the Royal Indian Marine (RIM) at the age of 17 as a midshipman in 1921.[2] He was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant on 15 October 1924.[3] He specialised in signals and communication and spent his early years based out of Bombay at HMIS Dalhousie.[4][5] After three years in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 15 October 1927.[6] On 2 October 1934, the RIM was renamed Royal Indian Navy (RIN). The next year, with 8 years service, he was promoted to lieutenant commander on 15 October 1935.[7]
With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Nott was appointed commanding officer of the auxiliary patrol vessel HMIS Ramdas. Since the Ramdas was off Karachi, he was also in charge of the Karachi naval defence flotilla.[10][11] On 2 February 1940, he moved to Calcutta and took command of the survey shipHMIS Investigator and was in charge of the local naval defence flotilla.[12][13] In March, he took command of the Cornwallis-class sloopHMIS Pansy and was back in command of the Investigator in April. In July, he moved to the Boys' training establishment at Karachi - HMIS Bahadur.[7]
In February 1941, Nott was appointed on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies StationAdmiralSir Ralph Leatham. The East Indies Station was headquartered at HMS Lanka in Colombo and Nott served as the liaison officer to the C-in-C. In August 1940, Italy invaded British Somaliland annexing it. In early 1941, Operation Appearance was being planned to re-take British Somaliland. Nott played an important part in the arrangements for seaborne supplies for the advancing forces in Italian Somaliland. On 19 April 1941, he was promoted to the acting rank of commander.[7] For good services in operations off the coast of Italian East Africa, he was mentioned in dispatches on 30 September 1941.[14] He was appointed Staff Officer (Operations) to the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf.[15] He subsequently moved to the Royal Naval base in the Persian Gulf - HMS Seabelle. For his services in the Persian Gulf, he was mentioned in dispatches for the second time.[16] In September 1941, he moved to Naval headquarters as the Staff Officer (Plans).[2][17] During this tenure, on 28 May 1942, he was promoted to the substantive rank of commander.[7] He subsequently worked towards dealing with the menace of Japanese submarines in the Arabian Sea.[2]
On 1 January 1944, Nott was promoted to the acting rank of captain.[7] On 21 March 1944, he was appointed commanding officer of the modified Black Swan-class sloopHMIS Narbada (U40), the flagship of the Royal Indian Navy.[18] He also directed the operations as the Senior Naval Commander of the bombarding force for Japanese positions on the Arakan coast. The task force consisting of Narbada and the Black Swan-class sloopHMIS Jumna (U21), was part of a larger British task force which bombarded Japanese positions at Isla Pulo at the entrance of the Malacca Strait.[19] For his courage, tenacity and devotion to duty in operations lasting four months, frequently performed under rapidly changing conditions and with difficult lines of communication, on the Arakan Coast, Nott was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.[2][20] After the Surrender of Japan, the Narbada sailed to Andaman waters and Nott accepted the surrender of the Japanese Brigadier in command of the Car Nicobar garrison onboard the ship.[19]
Post-war career
In mid-1945, Nott moved to Karachi as the Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC), based out of HMIS Monze.[21][22] On 1 November 1945, he was appointed Director of Training and Education at Naval HQ. This stint was to be of immense help post-Independence when most of the training establishments were allotted to Pakistan. In April 1946, Nott was appointed Chief Staff Officer (CSO) to the Flag Officer Bombay (FOB), Rear AdmiralArthur Rullion Rattray.[2] After a short stint, in February 1947, he took command of HMIS Venduruthy as the Naval Officer-in-charge Cochin. Soon after taking over, he saw the potential of the base and envisioned the development of Cochin as a combined training base. With Nott's efforts, multiple training establishments were set up in Cochin.[19][4] On 31 May 1947, he was promoted to the substantive rank of captain.[7][23]
As COS, Nott was responsible for the planning of the expansion of the Navy for an Independent India. He led the development of the first Plans paper and handpicked Commander Adhar Kumar Chatterji to head the plans directorate and Lieutenant Commander Nilakanta Krishnan as staff officer (plans).[25] The plans paper Outline Plan for the Reorganisation and Development of the Indian Navy visualised four roles for the Navy:[26]
To safeguard Indian shipping.
To ensure that supplies could reach and leave by sea in all circumstances.
Nott married Rosemary Kathleen Dampier Terry of London in August 1939. The couple had a son. Nott, Rosemary and their son, all perished in an air crash.[1]
Death and legacy
On 27 March 1948, Nott was proceeding to the United Kingdom on deputation. He, along with his wife Rosemary and son, were on an Indian National Airways Ltd flight. The Vickers VC.1 Viking aircraft crashed near Mont Cardo near Corsica. His death came as a shock to the Navy. Nott was the architect of the ten-year plan and was looking forward enthusiastically to implement the paper. According to Krishnan, he was regarded as an outstanding seaman, excellent staff officer and a great administrator.[25] The first Indian Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Katari considered Nott to be the most efficient officer of the Royal Navy deputed to the Indian Navy.[27] His vision of a two-fleet navy became a reality in 1971, when the Eastern Fleet was formed.[28]
^ abcdefCareer of Captain Martin Henry St Ledger Nott, OBE, DSO, RIN (1904-1948). (RIN/42). National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London: The Royal Indian Navy Association.
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