Mohinder Singh Wadalia

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

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
Commands heldCommandant of the Indian Military Academy
Battles/warsWorld War II Indo-Pakistan War of 1947
AwardsMentioned in dispatches

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
InsigniaRankComponentDate of rank
Second LieutenantBritish Indian Army31 January 1929
LieutenantBritish Indian Army30 April 1931[19]
CaptainBritish Indian Army31 January 1938[20]
MajorBritish Indian Army26 September 1941 (acting)[1]
26 December 1941 (temporary)[1]
31 January 1946 (substantive)[14]
Lieutenant-ColonelBritish Indian Army13 August 1944 (acting)[1]
31 January 1946 (temporary)[14]
MajorIndian Army15 August 1947[note 1][21]
ColonelIndian Army
BrigadierIndian Army1948 (acting)
23 December 1949 (temporary)[15][note 1]
Lieutenant-ColonelIndian Army26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)[21]
BrigadierIndian Army31 January 1950 (substantive)[22]
Major GeneralIndian Army21 June 1951 (local)[16]
1 September 1951 (acting)[17]
Lieutenant-GeneralIndian Army

Notes
  1. 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. 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. 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. "No. 37579". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 May 1946. p. 2517.
  15. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 28 January 1950. p. 157.
  16. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 September 1951. p. 174.
  17. "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. "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.



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