PADINALE Introduction To Regiment Life
By Brig SS Jaswal
Introduction - The first day in any organisation is memorable, be it school, college, NDA, IMA, Regiment, etc. We Sappers were doing our YOs Course in CME, Pune, when, towards the end, our postings were announced. I was allotted 14 Engineer Regiment of the Madras Sappers. Luckily, another officer, Vijay Singh Negi (Chhotu) was also posted to 14 along with me - that was great. In fact, another technical officer doing the YOs course with us, was also posted to 14, but he joined a bit later. It is customary for Regimental officers posted in CME or under going courses to call the YOs posted to their Regiments for a dinner, as a prelude to initial introduction to the Regiment. In case of 14, there were three senior officers under going the degree course. So they took us all for a dinner to Three Coins in Pune on their scooters. We tried to probe what to expect on joining, but they said, " We won`t tell you, otherwise you will miss the fun".
Journey to 14 Engineer Regiment - Negi and self had decided to report at the Transit Camp (TC) at Pathankot on a particular date in August 1971 after availing our leave. Though he reported a day earlier, he stayed for a day till I fetched up from my village in Himachal (more of this later). The rail head those days was in Pathankot, as the rail link to Jammu came up much later. So we met with all our baggage/trunks/etc to board the Officers Bus to Srinagar, where our Regiment was located. It took two days to reach Srinagar TC with a night halt at Udhampur TC. Both of us were going to the Kashmir Valley for the first time, though we had heard of its natural beauty. The first day to Udhampur TC was uneventful. However, the second days journey was very interesting in hilly/mountainous terrain as we passed Kud, Patnitop, Ramban TC and across the mighty Chenab River to the Banihal Tunnel. The view was majestic, as we traversed the dangerous Shaitani Nallah and Khooni Nallah, which were famous for many an accident due to falling stones/rocks. The Border Roads had done a pretty good job and the road condition was reasonably good. A slight halt was observed before entering the Banihal Tunnel. Negotiating the tunnel was an experience in itself. As we exited from the tunnel, the first view of the Kashmir Valley was breath taking. Truly it was a Zannat with its colourful flowers, tall trees and grassy valleys. We savoured the beauty during the descent from Banihal to Qazigund and on to Pampore and the meandering Jhelum River to our final destination the Srinagar TC.
Reception - As per Regimental traditions, we were received and welcomed by Major Alfred Wolfe, a Field Company Commander of 14 Engineer Regiment. After the customary cup of tea, he `herded` us into his jeep at the back, while our luggage was put in a 1 Ton vehicle to be taken to the Officers Mess. He drove us straight to a sweet shop on Residency Road.. It was also customary for new officers to present sweets to all officers. Only the quantity seemed a bit too much. Anyhow, shy a couple of hundred rupees, a princely sum those days, we drove off to the Regiment which was located near the old Srinagar Airfield. It was dusk when we reached the Officers Mess and we were accommodated in the two guest rooms. Our luggage had reached earlier. We had a cup of tea which was laced with a bit of alcohol (again customary we presumed). We were asked to be in the mess by 8 pm to meet the other dining in members. Our `Thambi Sahayaks` helped us to unpack the essentials - one of them seemed a bit talkative and smart. After a quick bath and feeling refreshed after the long journey, we proceeded to the mess. Just as we started, our Sahayak told us to meet the Regiment Pujari who had come to welcome us with his customary Thaali and Diya. As we opened our purses to shell out some money, our Sahayak told us all new officers offer one hundred rupees. Our purses were really feeling lighter by now, as both Negi and self looked at each other. I could catch a grin on the face of the Sahayak and the Pujari. The Pujari wished us a happy tenure in the Regiment and we moved to the mess.
Officers Mess - Unofficial Dining In - As both of us went to the Mess, we were stopped at the entrance gate to pay obeisance to a pumpkin (poosni kai in Tamil) kept there before we entered the Mess. Both of us wondered what the hell was this weird deity. It is here that we were told to shout the Regiment slogan, Padinale Po Munnale in front of the `Kaddu` before entering the Mess. We were introduced to the other officers who were dining in the mess by Major Alfred Wolfe - Majors Jagmohan, Gahunia, Narendra Aul, Dogra and the other Capts/Lts. After the initial introductions to the officers, the barman asked us for our drinks. Negi asked for BK. In my case, I made a change from my usual rum and ordered Scotch. Naturally, all were surprised, including myself. But this became a joke for the rest of my tenure in the Regiment. After a couple of large pegs we both gained confidence. The barman spoke in chaste Hindi and we asked him how was he posted in a Thambi unit. He replied (with a smile) that he was from the Regt LRW (EME). He was quite lavish in replenishing our glasses and both of us must have had more than our normal quota of liquor. But that is expected in a dining in. In any case both of us had quite a capacity from the YOs Course. Even the other officers were fond of their drinks. So at least on this account the ice was broken. Dinner passed off peacefully. As per tradition we were told to inspect the Quarter Guard at night and be ready for BPET tests the next morning. Our Sahayak went with us to the Quarter Guard. As luck would have it, we went without our Identity Cards and did not know the password. The Guard Commander, a burly man with a moustache, asked us the password. Our Sahayak told him that we were new Officers (Puddu Sahabs). But he would have nothing of it and coolly locked us up in a cell. Our Sahayak ran back to the mess to inform the Adjutant. Negi and self looked at each other and I told him, " Negi Buddy abhi naukri shuru bhi nahin hui, Quarter Guard mein pehle hi bund kar diya hai ". The Adjutant came along with the Sahayak and admonished us for not carrying our I Cards.. So that was our first night in the Regiment. The First Day - We were up early the next day for the BPET. This was not much of a problem, since we we were fresh and physically fit from CME. After breakfast the Regiment Stick Orderly in his ceremonial dress came to take us to the Regiment HQ, but not before garlanding both of us. As we walked to the RHQ in regal splendour, we observed a lot of curious and smiling looks on the faces of some of the Thambis. We had to be interviewed by the Commanding Officer (CO) and allotted our sub units. As we entered the Adjutant`s office with our movement orders from CME, the familiar faces of the previous night were totally transformed. The Adjutant was Capt Dogra who posed as Major Aul the previous night. We could only smile. Suddenly he told me that I was one day OSL (Over Stayal Leave). I was quite shocked to start my career with a break in service. He explained to me that I had reported one day late at the Transit Camp at Pathankot, probably discounting the Sunday after the YOs Course, as it was not prefixed with the leave.. Negi was saved this embarassment, as he had reported correctly. Anyhow, the Adjutant told the Head Clerk to amend the date of reporting to one day prior and publish the arrival report. The CO`s interview was next. We were briefed that he was a strict person and a stickler for details. We were told to shout the Regiment slogan on entering his office. We were ushered in one by one to meet the Tiger, Lt Col MS Kandal, afraid that he would devour us. On the contrary, we were put at ease by him, despite sweating. The interview lasted ten minutes each. After the usual pleasantries, he observed that both of us were `Charlies` in our YOs Course. He put us at ease by saying that it must be a High Charlie. It was quite difficult to smother the smile. But he put us at ease again by saying that he was also a Charlie in his YO`s Course. He advised us to work hard and bring laurels to the Regiment. He observed that both of us were good sportsmen. The interviews over, we were back in the Adjutant`s office. The Real Introductions - It is here that the previous night`s faces were totally transformed. Major Alfred Wolfe was no one but my Company 2IC, Capt Vijay Singh. The barman`s role was enacted by Lt Harvinder Dang, my fellow Platoon Commander. The sahayak, who stole our I Cards before we went to the quarter guard, was Capt Kamla Kanan, our unit Technical Equipment Officer. The Quarter Guard Commander, who forcefully locked us up in the cell last night, was 2/Lt Kailash Sehgal of the previous YO`s Course. He had a big moustache and certainly looked every inch a Thambi Havaldar (in any case both of us were half drunk as we went to check the night guard). The Regiment Stick orderly was our Intelligence Officer, Capt JR SoundraRaj. We would meet the other officers later as two Field Companies were deployed for operational tasks on the border. The ice having been broken, it was smiles galore. The intercom buzzed and all was quiet suddenly. The CO spoke to the Adjutant and told him that we have a good set of youngsters and they must be groomed properly. We were allotted our sub units and told to spend the next thirty days with our men in their barracks to get acquainted with them and learn Tamil, our Regiment language.
Conclusion - As I look back after almost fifty years, especially when we Oldies meet, those wonderful initial moments of Regimental life come rolling back and brighten our faces. We are transformed into subalterns again, as we live those wonderful times over drinks. The tradition of welcoming new officers continues.. Negi and self had a couple of tenures together again, before he was posted to another Regiment. I was lucky and privileged to have commanded the same Regiment later. Given another chance, I would most certainly like to relive those great moments in the same Regiment again. That is what the Army and Regimental life is all about.
By Brig SS Jaswal
Introduction - The first day in any organisation is memorable, be it school, college, NDA, IMA, Regiment, etc. We Sappers were doing our YOs Course in CME, Pune, when, towards the end, our postings were announced. I was allotted 14 Engineer Regiment of the Madras Sappers. Luckily, another officer, Vijay Singh Negi (Chhotu) was also posted to 14 along with me - that was great. In fact, another technical officer doing the YOs course with us, was also posted to 14, but he joined a bit later. It is customary for Regimental officers posted in CME or under going courses to call the YOs posted to their Regiments for a dinner, as a prelude to initial introduction to the Regiment. In case of 14, there were three senior officers under going the degree course. So they took us all for a dinner to Three Coins in Pune on their scooters. We tried to probe what to expect on joining, but they said, " We won`t tell you, otherwise you will miss the fun".
Journey to 14 Engineer Regiment - Negi and self had decided to report at the Transit Camp (TC) at Pathankot on a particular date in August 1971 after availing our leave. Though he reported a day earlier, he stayed for a day till I fetched up from my village in Himachal (more of this later). The rail head those days was in Pathankot, as the rail link to Jammu came up much later. So we met with all our baggage/trunks/etc to board the Officers Bus to Srinagar, where our Regiment was located. It took two days to reach Srinagar TC with a night halt at Udhampur TC. Both of us were going to the Kashmir Valley for the first time, though we had heard of its natural beauty. The first day to Udhampur TC was uneventful. However, the second days journey was very interesting in hilly/mountainous terrain as we passed Kud, Patnitop, Ramban TC and across the mighty Chenab River to the Banihal Tunnel. The view was majestic, as we traversed the dangerous Shaitani Nallah and Khooni Nallah, which were famous for many an accident due to falling stones/rocks. The Border Roads had done a pretty good job and the road condition was reasonably good. A slight halt was observed before entering the Banihal Tunnel. Negotiating the tunnel was an experience in itself. As we exited from the tunnel, the first view of the Kashmir Valley was breath taking. Truly it was a Zannat with its colourful flowers, tall trees and grassy valleys. We savoured the beauty during the descent from Banihal to Qazigund and on to Pampore and the meandering Jhelum River to our final destination the Srinagar TC.
Reception - As per Regimental traditions, we were received and welcomed by Major Alfred Wolfe, a Field Company Commander of 14 Engineer Regiment. After the customary cup of tea, he `herded` us into his jeep at the back, while our luggage was put in a 1 Ton vehicle to be taken to the Officers Mess. He drove us straight to a sweet shop on Residency Road.. It was also customary for new officers to present sweets to all officers. Only the quantity seemed a bit too much. Anyhow, shy a couple of hundred rupees, a princely sum those days, we drove off to the Regiment which was located near the old Srinagar Airfield. It was dusk when we reached the Officers Mess and we were accommodated in the two guest rooms. Our luggage had reached earlier. We had a cup of tea which was laced with a bit of alcohol (again customary we presumed). We were asked to be in the mess by 8 pm to meet the other dining in members. Our `Thambi Sahayaks` helped us to unpack the essentials - one of them seemed a bit talkative and smart. After a quick bath and feeling refreshed after the long journey, we proceeded to the mess. Just as we started, our Sahayak told us to meet the Regiment Pujari who had come to welcome us with his customary Thaali and Diya. As we opened our purses to shell out some money, our Sahayak told us all new officers offer one hundred rupees. Our purses were really feeling lighter by now, as both Negi and self looked at each other. I could catch a grin on the face of the Sahayak and the Pujari. The Pujari wished us a happy tenure in the Regiment and we moved to the mess.
Officers Mess - Unofficial Dining In - As both of us went to the Mess, we were stopped at the entrance gate to pay obeisance to a pumpkin (poosni kai in Tamil) kept there before we entered the Mess. Both of us wondered what the hell was this weird deity. It is here that we were told to shout the Regiment slogan, Padinale Po Munnale in front of the `Kaddu` before entering the Mess. We were introduced to the other officers who were dining in the mess by Major Alfred Wolfe - Majors Jagmohan, Gahunia, Narendra Aul, Dogra and the other Capts/Lts. After the initial introductions to the officers, the barman asked us for our drinks. Negi asked for BK. In my case, I made a change from my usual rum and ordered Scotch. Naturally, all were surprised, including myself. But this became a joke for the rest of my tenure in the Regiment. After a couple of large pegs we both gained confidence. The barman spoke in chaste Hindi and we asked him how was he posted in a Thambi unit. He replied (with a smile) that he was from the Regt LRW (EME). He was quite lavish in replenishing our glasses and both of us must have had more than our normal quota of liquor. But that is expected in a dining in. In any case both of us had quite a capacity from the YOs Course. Even the other officers were fond of their drinks. So at least on this account the ice was broken. Dinner passed off peacefully. As per tradition we were told to inspect the Quarter Guard at night and be ready for BPET tests the next morning. Our Sahayak went with us to the Quarter Guard. As luck would have it, we went without our Identity Cards and did not know the password. The Guard Commander, a burly man with a moustache, asked us the password. Our Sahayak told him that we were new Officers (Puddu Sahabs). But he would have nothing of it and coolly locked us up in a cell. Our Sahayak ran back to the mess to inform the Adjutant. Negi and self looked at each other and I told him, " Negi Buddy abhi naukri shuru bhi nahin hui, Quarter Guard mein pehle hi bund kar diya hai ". The Adjutant came along with the Sahayak and admonished us for not carrying our I Cards.. So that was our first night in the Regiment. The First Day - We were up early the next day for the BPET. This was not much of a problem, since we we were fresh and physically fit from CME. After breakfast the Regiment Stick Orderly in his ceremonial dress came to take us to the Regiment HQ, but not before garlanding both of us. As we walked to the RHQ in regal splendour, we observed a lot of curious and smiling looks on the faces of some of the Thambis. We had to be interviewed by the Commanding Officer (CO) and allotted our sub units. As we entered the Adjutant`s office with our movement orders from CME, the familiar faces of the previous night were totally transformed. The Adjutant was Capt Dogra who posed as Major Aul the previous night. We could only smile. Suddenly he told me that I was one day OSL (Over Stayal Leave). I was quite shocked to start my career with a break in service. He explained to me that I had reported one day late at the Transit Camp at Pathankot, probably discounting the Sunday after the YOs Course, as it was not prefixed with the leave.. Negi was saved this embarassment, as he had reported correctly. Anyhow, the Adjutant told the Head Clerk to amend the date of reporting to one day prior and publish the arrival report. The CO`s interview was next. We were briefed that he was a strict person and a stickler for details. We were told to shout the Regiment slogan on entering his office. We were ushered in one by one to meet the Tiger, Lt Col MS Kandal, afraid that he would devour us. On the contrary, we were put at ease by him, despite sweating. The interview lasted ten minutes each. After the usual pleasantries, he observed that both of us were `Charlies` in our YOs Course. He put us at ease by saying that it must be a High Charlie. It was quite difficult to smother the smile. But he put us at ease again by saying that he was also a Charlie in his YO`s Course. He advised us to work hard and bring laurels to the Regiment. He observed that both of us were good sportsmen. The interviews over, we were back in the Adjutant`s office. The Real Introductions - It is here that the previous night`s faces were totally transformed. Major Alfred Wolfe was no one but my Company 2IC, Capt Vijay Singh. The barman`s role was enacted by Lt Harvinder Dang, my fellow Platoon Commander. The sahayak, who stole our I Cards before we went to the quarter guard, was Capt Kamla Kanan, our unit Technical Equipment Officer. The Quarter Guard Commander, who forcefully locked us up in the cell last night, was 2/Lt Kailash Sehgal of the previous YO`s Course. He had a big moustache and certainly looked every inch a Thambi Havaldar (in any case both of us were half drunk as we went to check the night guard). The Regiment Stick orderly was our Intelligence Officer, Capt JR SoundraRaj. We would meet the other officers later as two Field Companies were deployed for operational tasks on the border. The ice having been broken, it was smiles galore. The intercom buzzed and all was quiet suddenly. The CO spoke to the Adjutant and told him that we have a good set of youngsters and they must be groomed properly. We were allotted our sub units and told to spend the next thirty days with our men in their barracks to get acquainted with them and learn Tamil, our Regiment language.
Conclusion - As I look back after almost fifty years, especially when we Oldies meet, those wonderful initial moments of Regimental life come rolling back and brighten our faces. We are transformed into subalterns again, as we live those wonderful times over drinks. The tradition of welcoming new officers continues.. Negi and self had a couple of tenures together again, before he was posted to another Regiment. I was lucky and privileged to have commanded the same Regiment later. Given another chance, I would most certainly like to relive those great moments in the same Regiment again. That is what the Army and Regimental life is all about.
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