IC 26591K Col Vijaya Chandran Nair

ear Signallers,
I am sad to inform you about demise of IC 26591K, Col Vijaya Chandran Nair (Retd).He died on 11 May 2011, at Cochin between 4.30 and 05 am. He was suffering from kidney related ailments for some time.
Next of Kin: Mrs Sreekumari Nair Wife
Cremation: At Canannoor, further details not known at present.
Please see email received from Col M A Rasheed, SM (Retd), appended below.
We pray to Almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to all near ones and dear ones to bear this irreparable loss.
Those of you who wish to write a "Shradhanjli", may kindly send it for being posted on our weblog -http://reportmysignal-shradhanjli.blogspot.com/
The Shradhanjli be kindly emailed to - Col James Kanagaraj, The Moderator at - reportmysignalblogspot@gmail.com
In sorrow-
Chander Kamboj.

Dear Lt Col Mankoo and others,
I am sad to inform all serving and retired Signals family about the untimely demise of Col Vijaya chandran Nair. Details known to me are as under:
1. IC 26591K, Col Vijaya Chandran Nair
2. Date of commission 06 Aug 1967
3. Died on 11 May at Cochin between 4.30 and 05 am. He was suffering from kidney related ailments for some time.
4. Members of the family

MRS SREEKUMARI NAIR WIFE

MR ABHILASH NAIR SON

MISS MEKHALA NAIR DAUGHTER.
5. The body is being taken to Canannoor for performing last rites
With Prayers
Col M A Rasheed,SM (Retd)
Chief coordinator
KIMS Group of Hospitals
Trivandrum

Deep sense of regret prevails to read the passing away of Col Vijaya Chandran Nair; a signaller who served the corps in an exemplary manner and left a deep impression in those who came his way. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.
May God give strength to SREEKUMARI, ABHILASH and MEKHALA to wih stand this deep shock and carry forward the values which VC Nair cherished.
We, in the Corps, will miss him.
Brig G Natarajan (Retd)

Lt Col KS Rao

Lt Col KS Rao (Retd) and Mrs Shantha Rao occupied the highest place of respect in my mind ever since I had the good fortune to get to know them at MCTE in 1964.
Very unassuming couple, who always looked for opportunities to be of help to others; a highly technical signals expert who never showed off his knowledge. Their contribution to the Corps will ever be remembered.
We miss them. MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE.
May GOD give courage and strength to Dr. K.R.Rao & Mrs Nirmala Ram Mohan to carry fprward, all those values and humanity they stood for and enrich this world.
Brig G Natarajan, Signals

Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao

Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao (Retd.) SL-00214W left for his heavenly abode on 10th April 2011 at a ripe age of 83 years.
Born on 12th June 1929 in an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family, Kambal, as he was known to many of his colleagues and “Laddoo” to his friends, completed his B.Sc. (Physics) from Madras University and reached Banares Hindu University in a dhoti and shirt (donated by friends) to do research in Atomic Physics. Completing his M.Sc. in Electronics in 1951, he had enrolled for Ph.D. at BHU.
Fate played a hand at this stage in 1957, and requirement of funds for his family prompted him to join the Indian Army through Short Service Commission, when he joined the Corps of Signals. An option to continue with the army was again in store. Kambal found that his knowledge would be far more useful to the country’s needs through the defence services and progressed in the areas of Antenna engineering and Satellite communication – which was new technology during the 70s. After OLT at Mhow, he was sent to Telefunken, Germany to further adopt new technologies for the Army. So obsessed was he with his knowledge that he joined the HAM group with code sign “VU2RW” and was communicating through his personal transmitter (which he constructed on his own) setting an antenna over his residence.
Kambal was famous for his “Fault Dignostic Tester Trainer” which made him choose the pathway of Technical Officer Training (TOT), making the workforce of Corps of Signals more technical through training at STCs at Jabalpur, Goa and MCTE, Mhow.
During his service, his backbone deteriorated as he habitually used to lift his (heavy) paralytic father and keep on him on his scooter to take the aged person for treatment.
He retired from service in 1982 from Goa and joined Coal India Limited as Superintending Engineer (Telecom) providing the telecommunications network for the Coal fields all over India. He retired from Coal India Limited in 1984.
His wife Shantha, was his friend, philosopher & guide. She was adept at designing and creating works of art from waste materials – most popular one being “coconut shells”, of which an exhibition was held in Goa in 1983. She left for her heavenly abode in 2000.
Not undaunted by age and health problems he took up the ardous task of tutoring young students in Science & English, free of cost, only to give up at the age of 79.
Kambal is survived by his only son (Dr. K.R.Rao), daughter-in-law and two grand daughters with whom he was staying. It is as if the soul had quietly slipped into the fog, “Laddoo” is no more, but his memory will stay with us forever.

Bala,
K S Rao, a noble soul, it is unbelievable, has passed away. My close association with him was at Delhi, 1965-66. An affectionate person he was, used to encourage me when I was keen to join Army. Mrs Shantha Rao was equally made for each other with KS and we cannot forget them, the revered couple.Lakshmi and I pray for the soul rest in peace and bless all of us.
I am sure that this message would be read by Ram Mohan Rao. Our heart felt condolences for them.
With grief,
Visweswaran

Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao

Dear Signallers,
I am sad to inform you about demise of Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao, TOT, (Retired), on 10 Apr 2011, in a civil hospital at Vadodra.
Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao was the only TOT, who was directly recruited as an officer. He died of acute pneumonia followed by heart attack.
For more details kindly see the email below received from Col VS Balan, Signals Veteran.
We pray to Almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to all near ones and dear ones to bear this irreparable loss.
Those of you who wish to write a "Shradhanjli", may kindly send it for being posted on our weblog -
http://reportmysignal-shradhanjli.blogspot.com/
The Shradhanjli be kindly emailed to - Col James Kanagaraj, The Moderator at - reportmysignalblogspot@gmail.com
In sorrow -
Chander Kamboj.

From: balan V.S
Sent: 16 April 2011 14:10
My dear Chander,
I came to know on 13th April that Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao, (the only TOT who got directly commissioned as an officer) had passed away on 10th April 2011 at a civil hospital in Vadodara. His wife Mrs Shantha Rao had passed away in May 2000.
Their only son, Dr. Ram Mohan, a senior officer in ONGC was out of the country at that time. It was Col Rao's daughter-in-law, Mrs Nirmala Ram Mohan, who got KS admitted in the Hospital due to acute pneumonia, and after a day or so, he passed away due to heart failure. Ram Mohan was back from Europe in time to perform his Father's last rites.
I have asked Ram Mohan at Ankaleshwar (Phone No 094266 13038) to send me full details by email, and I have just received it. I am enclosing the same as an attachment.
There are many of us of the older lot who knew KS very well. May his soul rest in peace.
With regards,
VS Balan

Brig AS Apte

Brig APS Apte (Retd) at the E-Seva at Secunderabad
Please convey heartfelt condolesenses to the family of Brig Apte. He was my first coy cmdr in 26 Inf Div Sig Regt in 1961 and I have great regards for him and had learnt a lot from him.
Brig D K Uberoy (Retd)

We regret to inform the sad demise of IC-1720 Brig AS Apte (Retd) on 26 Feb 2011. The details of his family are as follows:
Next of Kin: Mrs Sunanda Apte (Wife)
Children: Mr Ashok Apte (Son) and Mrs Jaisree (Daughter)
Tele/ Mob No: 040-27112585
Postal Address: House No B-138, Sainikpuri, Secunderabad-500594
Other Information about Officer
1. Date of Birth: 20 Sep 1925
2. Date of Commission: 07 Jun 1947
3. Date of Retirement: 31 Aug 1975
4. Date of Demise: 26 Feb2011
5. Last Appointment Held: CSO 15 Corps   
With Warm Regards,
Lt Col AS Mankoo
Dir Sigs Adm

Brig AS Apte

Brig AS Apte (Retd), Maj Sastry and Sub Maj Jagdish Raj cut the cake to mark the 93rd Corps of Signals anniversary at the Andhra Sub Area Signal Company at Bolarum

Dear All,
It is sad to hear the sad demise of Brig Apte whom I have known since 1972 and later from 1982 onwards. I called on him on Oct 2010. He was fragile but still in great spirits and was keen to meet over a cup a tea. As a member of our Sainikpuri Society, he did yeomen service to the veterans settled down in and around Sainikpuri society.
1. Worked relentlessly to get the Post Office to the colony.
2. Managed to get Sub-Area Canteen outlet to the Colony.
3. Took great initiative to organise voluntary help at MI room established at Vayupuri colony and also at Sarada Hospital (Under Ramakrishna Mission) opposite our colony
I must share this with all of you for posterity to honour the departed soul where he could deny the privileges for the welfare of junior officers.
When he was our CSO 15 Corps, I was serving in 3 Inf Div Sig Regt during 72-75. I was nominated for Pre-Staff course at Gulmarg and another signal officer Maj Sarna from J Comn Sig Regt was also nominated. He was so kind to allot Mercury hut for both of us breaking all norms for the entire duration of the course so that we both could comfortably stay with family. Having done that, he had to face the crisis of S-O-in-C designate Gen Sapra wanting to stay during that time.
CO of the 15 Corps Sig Regt ordered us to vacate without making any alterante arrangements for us. When he came to know of it, he fired the CO and asked him to make alternate arrangements to the S-O-in-C designate without disturbing us.
I narrated this incident several times to the retired signal officers and sharing with you all now. This is the only way I can pay my tributes to him being in US since December 2010. I am fortunate to have almost 30 years of continuous association with him after his retirement.
Please convey our deep sympathies to Mrs Apte and his daughter and son-in-law Uppal when you meet them.
In Sorrow,
Col (Retd) KP Rao and family

I am deeply grieved to learn of the sad demise of Brig Apte. I am writing to Mrs Sunanda Apte and to his younger brother Lt Gen SS Apte (Bapu).
Brig Anand Apte did OLT course together at Mhow and became close friends for life. I last met him when I went to look him up at his house in secunderabad two years back. Anand Apte was one of the most principled and upright persons I have ever met.
-Veteran BK Rai

Brig AS Apte

It was with deep distress that we learnt of the sad demise of Anand Apte. I have just spoken to his wife and conveyed our deep condolences.
He joined the IMA with the First Post War(1939-45) Course on 18 Feb 1946 and though he was commissioned, six months later than us, in Jun 1947, he was always considered part of the First Course.
Anand served as a colleague with me in the Signals Directorate in the early sixties. He was a fine officer, extremely dedicated to make a thorough job of whatever was assigned to him; a thorough gentleman and a good friend. After retirement he remained in close touch with all Corps events. I am aware he attended every function at which veterans were invited and did all he could to boost the morale of veterans and serving personnel alike.
It may not be well-known but he was so attached to the Corps and the First Course, in particular, that he established contact with GOCinC ARTRAC, during his visit to Secunderabad and followed it up with him, when he became the COAS, to seek concurrence to a Signal officer of the First Course to review the Passing out Parade at the IMA on a suitable date, preferably the 60th Anniversary of commissioning of the First Course in Dec 2006. It was his regret that the request could not be acceded due to prevalent custom and tradition.
We invoke the Blessings of the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and courage to the family to bear the loss with fortitude
With regards
(Lt Gen MS Sodhi, Former SO-in-C)

I offer my Shradhanjli to the departed soul.
It was great to know Late Brig A S Apte. He will be remembered for his great Community Service at Sainikpuri and one of his great writing “A Spiritual Odyssey - An Exploration of the Scriptures of the Nine Living Religions of the World”.
Regards,
Lt Col(retd) V V P Menon