SOME REMEMBRANCES OF MY ONE TERM IN FOX SQUADRON

Some of you might find this interesting. It's self-explanatory.

Hello Foxies,

I am Commodore Ravi Sharma, Academy number 2134, ex-Fox Squadron. Cdr Arun Jyoti rang me up the other day asking me to come for the get together at DSOI but I had to decline as I am in Jaipur at present. So he asked me to send a message which would be read out at the party. Here are some remembrances.

I had heard of Fox Squadron even before coming to the NDA as my uncle, Commodore Vinnie Sharma, was a Divisional Officer in Fox in early 1950s when NDA was still JSW in Clementown, Dehradun. It was indeed a pleasant surprise when I was directed to join Fox on reporting to the NDA as a cadet on 22 July 1955.

The pleasant part was short-lived as soon as the seniors saw me. Ragging was rampant and one of the toughest raggers was SK Roy Chowdhury whose main aim was to ensure the new cadets knew how many front rolls and back rolls made a corridor. Roy Chowdhury as everyone must know went on to become the Chief of the Army Staff.

A more likeable senior was Sudarshan Chand who was content to hear us sing songs for him. I was able to satisfy him with some from Pankaj Mullick and Frankie Laine. Chand rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and retired as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. There were many others who had illustrious careers like Nanda Cariappa, Field Marshal Cariappa's son. His plane was shot down in the 1965 war but he survived and was captured. There is the well-known real life story of the Pak President Field Marshal Ayub Khan ringing up the then General Cariappa and offering to release his son. The General told him to treat Nanda in the same way as other POWs. Eventually back, Nanda earned his promotions right to the rank of Air Marshal. He and I were ADCs to our respective bosses in Delhi in 1966 and played a lot of golf together. He now lives in Coorg where I last met him on a visit in 2017.

A coursemate of mine is Premvir Das, another Foxie, who reached the rank of Vice Admiral.

Ramendra Bhargava from Jaipur was an Air Force cadet whose parents were well known to my grandparents and whose younger brother, Krishnendra, was my schoolmate and a good friend. Ramendra provided me substantial shelter from ragging and later became ADC to the President of India. He left the IAF early and opened Jaipur Inn in the city's Bani Park. Alas, he is no more but his son, Pushpendra, is successfully running the Inn.

My stay in Fox was only for one term as at the beginning of my second term, a new squadron, King, was formed and I was transferred to it. So it was goodbye to the Foxies including the Squadron Commander, Major Bonny, and my Divisional Officer, Lieutenant 'Shortie' Kanwar of the Navy.

Have a nice party.