Ronald Lynsdale Pereira facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Admiral
R L Pereira
PVSM, AVSM
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| 23rd Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee | |
| In office 30 August 1981 – 26 February 1982 |
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| President | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Idris Hasan Latif |
| Succeeded by | K. V. Krishna Rao |
| 9th Chief of the Naval Staff (India) | |
| In office 1 March 1979 – 28 February 1982 |
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| President | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Prime Minister | Morarji Desai Charan Singh Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Jal Cursetji |
| Succeeded by | O. S. Dawson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 May 1923 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 14 October 1993 (aged 70) Bangalore, India |
| Resting place | Bangalore, India |
| Spouse | Phyllis Beatrice Badal |
| Nickname | Ronnie |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British India (1923-1947) India (since 1947) |
| Branch/service |  Royal Indian Navy (1943-1947) Indian Navy (1947-1982) |
| Years of service | 1943–1982 |
| Rank |   Admiral |
| Commands | Western Naval Command Southern Naval Area Eastern Fleet INS Delhi 14th Frigate squadron INS Kuthar |
| Battles/wars | World War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
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Admiral Ronald Lynsdale 'Ronnie' Pereira (born May 25, 1923 – died October 14, 1993) was a very important officer in the Indian Navy. He was known by his nickname 'Ronnie'. He became the ninth Chief of Naval Staff (the top leader of the Indian Navy) and served from 1979 to 1982. Many people believe he helped build the strong, modern Indian Navy we know today.
During World War II, he was active on small boats called motor launches in places like Burma and Malaysia. This was between 1943 and 1945. After the war, he continued to serve at sea until 1946. After India became independent in 1947, he trained as a gunnery expert. He spent many years working with ship guns, both on ships and on land. He even commanded important ships like INS Kuthar (F146) and the Navy's main ship, INS Delhi. He also held important leadership roles at the National Defence Academy.
Admiral Pereira had a long and amazing 39-year career in the Navy. He led many important naval commands. He was also a great sportsman. He played hockey for the Indian Navy in 1946 and played golf in the 1960s.
Contents
Ronnie Pereira was born in Calcutta on May 25, 1923. His father, John Michael Pereira, was a doctor in the Indian Medical Service. Ronnie was the youngest of four children. His father served in the British Indian Army and later became a chief medical officer in different districts.
Ronnie went to school at St. Joseph's School, Darjeeling from 1932 to 1937. He then attended St. Michael's High School, Patna. He finished his college preparation at St. Edmund's College, Shillong in 1942. At first, he thought about joining the army like his father. But later, he decided he wanted to join the Navy instead. He passed his interviews and joined the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR) as a midshipman on January 16, 1943.
Starting His Journey
Ronnie began his Navy career with six months of basic training. On his 20th birthday, May 25, 1943, he became a sub-lieutenant. He was sent to work with coastal defense forces. These forces used small boats called motor launches to protect the coast from the Japanese Navy.
He became the second-in-command of ML 1125 in 1943. A few months later, he took command of the boat. He later commanded other motor launches, ML 1073 and ML 844. After the war, he decided to stay in the Navy. He was given a permanent position in the Royal Indian Navy. In April 1946, he was promoted to lieutenant. He served on HMIS Shamsher and commanded ML 1261 in Iraq. In May 1947, he was chosen to attend a special gunnery course in England.
After India's Independence
Pereira returned to India in December 1948. He worked as a gunnery officer on the West Coast. In June 1949, he became the gunnery officer for HMIS Jumna. He served on this ship for a year and a half. In January 1951, he became an instructor at the new Gunnery school in Cochin.
He was promoted to lieutenant commander in June 1952. Later that year, he attended the Defence Services Staff College. After his training, he worked at Naval headquarters. He was promoted to full lieutenant-commander in November 1953.
Pereira led the Navy's marching group in the Delhi Republic Day parade in January 1954. In December 1954, he became the gunnery officer for HMIS Cauvery and later for the Navy's first cruiser, INS Delhi (C74). In May 1956, he took charge of the Gunnery School in Cochin. He was promoted to commander later that year. In June 1958, he became the executive officer of INS Delhi. He had to take a break from duty in 1959 due to illness but recovered quickly.
In April 1962, Pereira became the commander of the 14th frigate squadron. He also commanded INS Kuthar (F146). He was seen as one of the best commanders in the Indian Fleet. In December 1964, he became the director of weapon policy & tactics at Naval Headquarters, with the rank of captain. He served during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was promoted to full captain in June 1966.
In March 1967, Pereira became the commanding officer of the famous ship INS Delhi. Under his command, the Delhi won the Naval Regatta championship in 1967. His superiors praised him as a natural leader. In December 1968, he became the naval officer-in-charge (NOIC) in Bombay. He was in charge of organizing the Presidential Fleet Review (PFR) in 1969. This was a huge event where 57 ships, led by the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, were reviewed by the president. The event was a great success. For his excellent work, Pereira received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in January 1971.
In January 1971, Pereira was promoted to commodore. He became the deputy commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune. He started the famous NDA ball, a big annual event. He was a good golfer and ran the academy's golf club. He was a very popular and respected officer at the NDA.
Leading as an Admiral
In February 1973, Pereira was appointed the second Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF). He was promoted to rear admiral and took command of the Eastern Fleet in April 1973. He led the fleet in exercises and visited Sri Lanka.
In January 1975, Pereira became the flag officer commanding Southern Naval Area in Cochin. After a year, he was promoted to vice admiral in March 1976. He then became the flag officer commanding-in-chief (FOC-in-C) Western Naval Command. In January 1977, he received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his outstanding service.
After leading the Western Naval Command, Pereira moved to Naval Headquarters in March 1977. He became the vice chief of the Naval Staff. In August 1978, he was made an honorary aide to the president of India. His superior, Admiral Jal Cursetji, believed he was ready to become the Chief of Naval Staff.
In November 1978, the Government of India announced that Admiral Pereira would be the next chief of the Naval Staff. On March 1, 1979, he took over as the tenth chief of the Naval Staff, with the rank of admiral. He is remembered as one of the key people who helped shape the modern Indian Navy.
Personal Life
Ronnie Pereira married Phyllis Beatrice Badal on September 25, 1952, in Mumbai. They did not have any children of their own. However, they treated every young cadet they met at the NDA like their own child. Ronnie would often call them 'Son', a tradition that became popular.
Later Life and Legacy
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After retiring from the Navy, the Pereiras moved to Bangalore. They had bought land and built a house there. In 1988, they decided to move to Wellington Cantonment in The Nilgiris. They sold their Bangalore home and moved into their new house.
In the early 1990s, Admiral Pereira became ill with lung cancer. He received treatment but his condition worsened in 1993. He passed away on October 14, 1993, at the age of 70.
On October 16, he was buried in Bangalore with full military honors. Many important people, including representatives from the president, vice president, prime minister, and defense minister, placed wreaths. Former naval chiefs and many other officers and sailors came to pay their respects.
To honor his memory, the Navy Foundation started an annual lecture called The Admiral R L Pereira Memorial lecture in 2014. In December 2015, a residential area for Navy officers in Port Blair was named Pereira Enclave after him. On Navy Day in 2017, the president of India Ram Nath Kovind released a book about Admiral Pereira's life.
Awards and Decorations
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