HMS Choudri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vice Admiral
|
|
|---|---|
Choudhri pictured in the uniform of British Imperial Indian navy
|
|
| Navy Commander in Chief | |
| In office 31 January 1953 – 28 February 1959 |
|
| President | Iskander Mirza (1956–58) |
| Governor General | Khawaja Nazimuddin (1948–51) Malik Ghulam Muhammad (1951-55) |
| Preceded by | RAdm James Wilfred Jefford |
| Succeeded by | VAdm Afzal Rahman Khan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mohammad Siddiq Choudri
1912 Batala, Gurdaspur, British Indian Empire (Present-day India) |
| Died | 2004 (aged 91–92) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Resting place | Military Graveyard |
| Citizenship |  British India Pakistan |
| Nationality | British Subject (1921–1947) Pakistan (1947–2005) |
| Alma mater | Rashtriya Indian Military College Britannia Royal Naval College |
| Civilian awards |  Hilal-e-Pakistan |
| Nicknames | HMS Choudhir Admiral Choudhri |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  Royal Indian Navy (1930–1947) Pakistan Navy (1947–59) |
| Years of service | 1930–1959 |
| Rank |   Vice-Admiral (S/No. PN-001) |
| Unit | Navy Executive Branch |
| Commands | Commander Pakistan Fleet Deputy C-in-C (Operations) |
| Battles/wars | World War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 |
| Military awards |  Hilal-e-Imtiaz (military)_Ribbon.png){kind=small} Order of the British Empire |
Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri was a very important Pakistan Navy admiral. He was the first Pakistani to lead the country's navy as its Commander in Chief. People often called him HMS Choudhri.
He took over the navy's command in 1953 from a British admiral. He served under different leaders until 1959. He decided to leave his position because he disagreed with the government. These disagreements were about how to make the navy more modern. He was one of the few military officers who resigned over such differences.
Admiral Choudhri passed away on February 27, 2004. He was buried with full military honors in Karachi.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Haji Mohammad Choudhri was born in 1912 in Batala, which was part of British India. Not much is known about his very early life. Like many military leaders of his time, he went to special schools.
He studied at the Rashtriya Indian Military College in India. Later, he joined the Britannia Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom. These schools prepared him for a career in the navy.
In 1931, he became one of the first Indians to join the Royal Indian Navy as an officer. He started as a midshipman. He quickly moved up the ranks.
By 1933, he was a sub-lieutenant. In 1936, he became a lieutenant. He served on a ship called HMIS Lawrence in 1938.
Serving in World War II
Admiral Choudhri became a specialist in torpedoes and fighting submarines. He served in many roles during World War II. He fought against Italian ships in the Red Sea.
In 1942, he went to Britain for more training. He also visited the United States in 1943. There, he gave talks about the role of the Royal Indian Navy.
He was promoted to lieutenant-commander in 1944. He then commanded a ship called HMIS Rohilkand. He was the first Indian to reach this senior rank in the Royal Indian Navy. He also took part in the Pacific War against the Japanese Navy.
In 1945, he became an acting commander. He was honored with the Order of the British Empire (MBE). He was present when Japan surrendered in 1945. He led a group of ships representing the Royal Indian Navy.
After India's Independence
In 1947, India was divided, and Pakistan was created. Captain Choudhri was the most senior Indian naval officer at that time. He chose to join Pakistan. He was one of the first officers to join the new Royal Pakistan Navy.
He helped divide the navy's ships and resources between India and Pakistan. He did not fight in the first war with India in 1947. Instead, he helped move Indian people to Pakistan.
In 1950, he was promoted to Commodore. He became the deputy commander of the navy.
The Pakistani government wanted Pakistani officers to lead its military. So, in 1953, Commodore Choudhri was chosen. He became the first Pakistani Commander-in-Chief of the navy. He was promoted to rear admiral. His goal was to make the navy stronger.
He wanted to build submarines and warships in Pakistan. But government officials thought it was better to buy older ships from the United Kingdom. This meant the navy had to use outdated vessels.
From 1953 to 1956, he tried to get modern warships from the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy. He also tried to get submarines from the United States. In 1954, he convinced the U.S. government to help pay for modernizing older destroyers. He also got new destroyers from the British Navy.
In 1955, Admiral Choudhri ended many British traditions in the Pakistan Navy. This happened when U.S. Navy advisors came to Pakistan.
In 1956, he suggested building a new seaport and naval base. But the government said there wasn't enough money.
In 1957, he bought a cruiser warship from the United Kingdom. This caused some anger because it was very expensive. In 1958, he tried to get submarines from Sweden. This plan was stopped by the United States and Pakistan's own finance ministry.
His Resignation
By 1958, Admiral Choudhri's navy staff had disagreements with the army staff. They also had issues with the Ministry of Defence. These arguments were about how to modernize the navy.
He had strong disagreements with General Ayub Khan, the army chief. General Ayub thought buying the expensive warship and submarines was a bad idea. The Ministry of Defence paid for the warship but stopped funding other navy operations.
During a meeting, Admiral Choudhri had a heated debate about navy costs. General Ayub complained about him to the President, Iskander Mirza. Admiral Choudhri met with President Mirza, but the meeting was difficult.
After this, Admiral Choudhri decided to resign. He left his command on January 26, 1959. He stated that major decisions were made against his advice. He disagreed with how the defense budget was spent and the navy's future plans.
In 1958, Vice-Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan became the new naval chief.
Life After Retirement
After leaving the navy in 1959, Admiral Choudhri helped create the Pakistan Merchant Navy. He worked to promote civilian shipping trade. He also founded and directed the Pakistan Institute of Maritime Affairs (PIMA). He stayed involved with PIMA until he passed away.
He stayed out of politics. He did not comment on the wars with India in 1965, 1971, or 1999. He died on February 27, 2004, and was buried in a military graveyard in Karachi.
In 2005, the "HMS Choudhri Memorial Hall" was built in his honor. It is located at the National Defence University in Islamabad.
