HMS Choudri
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri, HPk, MBE
, (usually shortened to HMS Choudri, Born: 1912- 27 February 2004), was the second Commander-in-Chief
of the Pakistan Navy
serving from 1953 to 1959. He was also the first Muslim and native naval chief taking the reins from Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford
. He died on 27 February 2004 and was laid to rest in Army Graveyard, Karachi with full military honors.
Family, Batala
, British Punjab in 1912, where he did his education from there. In 1922, he joined the Panjab University
, Chandigarh
where he did his B.Sc.
in Chemistry
in 1926. HMS Choudhri joined the Royal Indian Navy
in 1931 and got commission in the Executive cadet on September 1, 1933. After partition
, he was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Navy as Captain
on August 15, 1945.
Admiral Choudhri took early retirement on March 1, 1959 due to his differences with the then government on issues relating to development of Pakistan Navy. He handed over the command to Vice-Admiral A.R. Khan
.
M
In a statement issued on Saturday, Commodore (retd) SM Zaki, President PSCA, expressed grief over the sudden demise of Admiral Choudhri, who played a pivotal role in building the Pakistan Navy. Admiral Choudhri was a great Pakistani and devoted his time for humanitarian causes, including the betterment of the life of senior citizens in Pakistan, he said.
He believed in social causes and actively supported the Quaid-i-Azam in his noble tasks in establishing Pakistan, SM Zaki said, adding that he will be sorely missed.
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri, HPk, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (usually shortened to HMS Choudri, Born: 1912- 27 February 2004), was the second Commander-in-Chief
Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Naval Staff, abbreviated as CNS, is the highest ranking officer in the Pakistani Navy unless a 4-star naval officer is appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The current Chief of the Naval Staff is Admiral Asif Sandila who commands the Navy. The CNS reports...
of the Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
serving from 1953 to 1959. He was also the first Muslim and native naval chief taking the reins from Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford
James Wilfred Jefford
Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Navy, serving from its inception in 1947 until 1953. Most of his early career was in the Royal Indian Navy....
. He died on 27 February 2004 and was laid to rest in Army Graveyard, Karachi with full military honors.
Education
Choudhri was born into an ArainArain
The Arain , are a Muslim agricultural caste settled mainly in the Punjab, with significant numbers also in Sindh. They are chiefly associated with farming, traditionally being landlords or zamindars.- Origin :...
Family, Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
, British Punjab in 1912, where he did his education from there. In 1922, he joined the Panjab University
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Panjab University is one of the oldest universities in India. The university campus is residential, spread over an area of in sectors 14 and 25 of the city of Chandigarh...
, Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
where he did his B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in 1926. HMS Choudhri joined the Royal Indian Navy
Royal Indian Navy
The Royal Indian Navy was the naval force of British India. Along with the Presidency armies and the later British Indian Army it comprised the Armed Forces of British India....
in 1931 and got commission in the Executive cadet on September 1, 1933. After partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, he was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Navy as Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
on August 15, 1945.
Naval career
He was the senior most Pakistani officer in the Executive branch of the Royal Pakistan Navy (RPN) at that time and was an obvious choice as the successor to Admiral Jefford. Admiral Choudhri took over the command of the Royal Pakistan Navy on January 31, 1953. During his service as Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Choudhri made enthusiastic efforts to build up the Pakistan Navy which produced tangible results, including a sea going fleet, training establishments and complementary infrastructure ashore. With his dedication and conviction, he steered the Pakistan Navy into becoming an efficient fighting force. That is why he can rightly be called Father of Pakistan Navy.Admiral Choudhri took early retirement on March 1, 1959 due to his differences with the then government on issues relating to development of Pakistan Navy. He handed over the command to Vice-Admiral A.R. Khan
Afzal Rahman Khan
Vice-Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan , , was a high profile military official who served as the Interior and Defence Minister under the military government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan...
.
Post-Retirement
After retirement, Admiral Choudhri spearheaded the Pakistan Institute of Maritime Affairs and made all-out efforts to enhance maritime development of Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Senior Citizens Association (PSCA) expressed profound grief over the sad demise of Vice-Admiral HMS Choudhri, who was also the chief patron of the PSCA.Honours
Admiral HMS Choudhri was a recipient of Hilal-e-Pakistan and was a member of the Order of the British Empire for meritorious services in the field of Command and Administration of maritime assets and a distinguished service in the Pakistan Navy spanning over three decades.M
In a statement issued on Saturday, Commodore (retd) SM Zaki, President PSCA, expressed grief over the sudden demise of Admiral Choudhri, who played a pivotal role in building the Pakistan Navy. Admiral Choudhri was a great Pakistani and devoted his time for humanitarian causes, including the betterment of the life of senior citizens in Pakistan, he said.
He believed in social causes and actively supported the Quaid-i-Azam in his noble tasks in establishing Pakistan, SM Zaki said, adding that he will be sorely missed.