Former chief of naval staff, Admiral (Retd) Oscar Stanley Dawson, 87, passed away on Sunday after a prolonged illness due to brain haemorrhage.
Former chief of naval staff, Admiral (Retd) Oscar Stanley Dawson, passed away on Sunday after a prolonged illness due to brain haemorrhage. He was 87 years old. He passed way at 9.50am at the Command Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for the last few months.
He was a bachelor and is survived by his sister Thelma Dawson. Admiral Dawson, who served as the 10th chief of naval staff, was born in Burma.
After the Japanese invasion of that country, he shifted to India and was commissioned in the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1943. He later joined the Royal Indian Navy.
He participated in World War II. He was the first ADC to the first president of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, and continued as Prasad’s honorary ADC until the latter’s death.
His career spanned 41 years, during which he commanded the INS Vikrant, INS Talwar, INS Nilgiri and the Goa Shipyard.
During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, he was the director of naval operations. During the war, the Indian Navy took an active part and was instrumental in India attacking and defeating the enemy on the western and eastern fronts.
Admiral Dawson was appointed as the chief of naval staff in 1982 and he retired in 1984. Thereafter, he served as India’s high commissioner to New Zealand.
Upon returning to India in 1987, he settled in Bangalore, where he was associated with the British Association of Cemeteries in South Asia, Anga Karunya Kendra and Project Lead Free.
Cdr Vaidayanthan, who was closely associated with Admiral Dawson, said that the former navy chief was a hard taskmaster who took keen interest in modernising the navy.
“He was the one who put modernisation of the Navy on the right track. He was a tough task master as a leader, but was very approachable and a role model for all young officers,” he said.
Admiral Dawson’s funeral will be held on Tuesday at 10.30am in a naval ceremony at St John’s Church in Cleveland Town and the burial will take place at the Kalpalli Military Cemetery Gate No. 2 with full military honours.
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