HOW THE ADSO BECAME THE DSO

 

HOW THE ADSO BECAME THE DSO

By
Maj Gen VK Singh

 

The article titled FOR DSOs ONLY (ADSOs in the days gone by) was published in the Signalman in Oct 1972. Recently, I circulated the article in various WhatsApp groups comprising veterans from Signals. This generated a lot of interest and several veterans shared their experiences as ADSOs. I think it is time to share some bits of history about how and why the ADSO became the DSO. It may come as a surprise to many that the person responsible for the change in the designation of this appointment was an Infantry officer – Major General IS Gill. 

 

After the YOs course, I was posted to 17 Mountain Divisional Signal Regiment in November 1965. I served in the unit up to July 1968 when I proceeded to CME for the SODE course. When I joined the unit, the Divisional HQ was located at MS 9 on the Gangtok – Nathula Road. Shortly afterwards it moved down to Gangtok. The GOC was Maj Gen Sagat Singh. After the skirmishes at Nathula and Chola in Sep-Oct 1967, the HQ was moved up to Kyangnosla or MS 17. Unlike the barracks at Gangtok, here we had make do with tin sheds. This was shade better than MS 9 where everyone was in tents except the signal centre and the officers’ mess. Of course, there were no bukharies in the tents and neither was there any snow clothing. By this time, Maj Gen IS Gill had taken over as the GOC. In February 1968 I was sent on the PWO course along with NC Gupta, who had played a stellar role in the Nathula operations. On my return from the course in May 1968, I was assigned the duties of DSO.

 

One day, at about 2200 hrs I got a call from the exchange informing me that the GOC wanted to talk to me. I was surprised and wondered why the GOC wanted to talk to me, instead of the CO or the 2ic. Anyway, I asked the exchange to put me through. When Gen Gill came on the line he asked “Are you the duty signal officer?” After I replied in the affirmative, he asked me my name. I told him that I was Captain VK Singh. He then said that he wanted a call to Delhi. I said “Certainly Sir. Please tell me the number”. He replied, “Don’t worry, Son, I will book the call with the exchange. I only wanted your permission, since it is a private call.” I was literally flabbergasted.   

 

Of course, the call was put through after some time. Next morning, I informed the OC 1 company who in turn informed the CO. I was told that the GOC was only adhering to the orders that private calls should not be booked on Miltrunks, except in an emergency. This was the first time I had heard of the GOC of a division taking permission for booking a trunk call. I also wondered why he called me instead of the ADSO. The mystery was solved many years later, when I began writing Volume III of the Corps History, covering the period 1947 -1972. Volume II covering the period 1939-1947 was published in 2006. The task of writing the next volume was assigned to me only after a year or so and work began on Volume III only in 2008.

 

Apart from operations, the history of various units was also covered in brief. I requested inputs from the large number of serving as well as retired officers who had served during the period 1947-72. I am giving below an extract from Chapter 9 of the Corps History.

 

Extract

 

Lieutenant Colonel M. Sathesan, who served in 1 Army HQ Signal Regiment from 1969 to 1971, relates an interesting incident, which was probably responsible for the redesignation of the appointments of Assistant Duty Signal Officer (ADSO) and Duty Signal officer (DSO). He writes: -

Sometime in late 1969 while I was carrying out the duties of Duty Signal Officer (now Officer-in-Charge Signal Centre) of INDARMY Signal Centre I got a ring at about 10 PM from Maj Gen IS Gill then General Officer Commanding 17 Mountain Division and on leave at Delhi. He asked me for some information about certain office numbers and I replied that I shall check up and ring him back. He rang me again at 1030 PM and at 11 PM asking for additional info and I had to, on each occasion reply that “I would check up and let you know”. When I gave him the final information at about 1115 PM he asked me whether I was in the office or at home. When I told him that I was at home he wanted to know why the Duty Signal Officer was not on duty. I replied that the term Duty Signal Officer is a misnomer and it is the Assistant Duty Signal Officer who remains on duty in shifts all the time. Gen Gill accepted my explanation at that time but next day wrote a note to his friend Maj Gen EG Pettengell (then Deputy SO-in-C) asking why we have a name, that is Duty Signal Officer, which is a misnomer. In pursuance of his note the Signals Directorate asked all concerned for their views for a more suitable name for Duty Signal Officer. Through Commandant Army HQ Signals I had recommended that the only suitable name was OIC (Signal Centre).

I do not know if others also recommended the same name. Later vide AO 81/72 the name of the Duty Signal Officer was changed to OIC Signal Centre and that of Assistant Duty Signal Officer to Duty Signal Officer.

 

After reading the above write up, the reason for the call from Maj Gen Gill to me in 1968 became clear. He had naturally assumed that the duty signal officer is the one who remains on duty in the signal centre. In way, his observation was based on logical reasoning and ultimately resulted in the change in designation of the ADSO to DSO.

GAME OF THE NAME

 

                                  GAME OF THE NAME

                                                                 Brig VK Singh

What's in a name? After all, it is just a name, isn't it? A rose, called by any other name, would smell just the same. I was once thrown by a horse, with the misleading name of Grace, and had to spend a month in hospital. On the other hand, I have a dog called Captain Cook-he has a black eye patch-who is a thorough gentleman. Yet, names are important to human beings. Film stars have to change their names, if the ones given to them by their parents are not glamourous enough. Fortunately, we are not very particular about names in the military profession. Of course, it helps if you have one that can be hummed, or sung, like a ditty, as I discovered on joining the NDA.

I know several people who have names which are a mouthful, which have to be repeated three or four times during introductions. Some have names which are prone to distortion, or manipulation, causing no end of embarrassment to the owner, who can't do much about it, except wonder at his parents' sanity. When I was at school, I often felt sorry for my friends, like Screw Walla, Kala and Futehally, whose names were twisted out of shape, by all and sundry. I thanked my stars that I did not have to suffer like them. Singh was a common enough surname, and the initials VK were almost innocuous. My first name, Vinay, was not very common, and unlikely to be duplicated. It was not very long, and I did not have to repeat it, like some of my friends with five syllable monstrosities, such as Nellekkapilvil Kaluparambil Balakrishnan. It saved time, while filling forms. Best of all, it could not be mutilated or amputated, as happened with Randhwa and Garewal, who always became Randy and Gary.

The first signs of trouble came in 1972, when I was posted at the MOTE. One day, I met Lt Col KPG Kurup, who was doing the SO course, I think. In 1967-68, he and I had served together, at Gangtok and later at Kyangnosala. He was the Second in

Command, and I the Adjutant, and we shared the same office. So when I saw him, I went up to him and wished him a good evening.

“How are you, VK,” he said, pumping my hand. “And how was  your tenure at the NDA?”

“NDA, Sir?” I replied.  “I was never posted at the NDA.”

“But how can that be. About two years ago, I myself got you posted there.”

“Must be someone else, Sir.” I said.

And that was that. Or so I thought. When I discussed the incident with my cronies, I discovered that I did have a namesake, who was even then, posted as a Divisional officer at the NDA.

Over the years, Vijay and I came to know each other well, of course, we were  different, but the similarities were confined not only to our names. We both came from Lucknow, where his parents lived on Butler Road, while mine were in Butler Palace Colony. We had different IC numbers (thank God for that), but were both of the same seniority (1965). What is worse, we seemed to be following each other, on courses and postings.

In November 1975, I took the Staff college entrance examination. After a few months, when the results were announced, someone telephoned from Delhi to congratulate me. I asked him to confirm if it was I, or the other VK, who had passed. After some time, he rang up again, and told me that the IC number tallied with mine. It was only than that I could start celebrating.  After the staff course, I was posted as DAA & QMG of a brigade, whose HQ was located in J & K. Vijay did the staff course two years later, and was also posted as DAA & QMG of a brigade. Guess where it was located? At same station! While he was doing the

course, many of his letters were redirected to me, from Wellington. The situation was remedied only after he told everyone to start writing his locker number, which differed from mine.

After my tenure in J & K, I was posted to an Armoured Division. Vijay was in another Armoured Division. There was little cause for worry, as the two Divisions were located at different stations seven hundred kilometers apart. However, when we went for an exercise, the situation changed. We were both doing the same job in our units, ie OC I Company. Often, he would get my calls, and I would get his. One day, the SO2 (Sigs) at Corps HQ rang up for some important information. Since I did not have it readily available, he said he would call back after an hour, if he did not get it by then. After an hour, the call came, but to the other VK. There were some hot words exchanged, before the matter was cleared up.

Naturally, we were screened for promotion to Lt Col together, in 1982. Fortunately, both were approved. Fortunately, we were sent to different sectors to command our units. He went to 19 Infantry Division, while I was sent to 33 Mechanised Division. After finishing our tenures both of us were posted to Delhi, at the same time. In fact, we took over our houses in Arjun Vihar on the same day. Vijay was in 359, while I too was in 359. Both were third floor flats in adjoining blocks, 27 and 28!

The problem started with the bus, which we used for commuting to office. When I sent a cheque for paying the subscription, I was told that it has been already paid.  Next month, when Vijay sent his, he was told that he had not paid for the previous month. As it turned out, his cheque had been credited to my account. After about a year, Vijay asked me casually if I had ever checked my rent bills. I shook my head. He smiled, and asked me to do so. When I did, I got a shock. I had been paying rent, electricity and other charges  not  only for  my  house,  but also for

his! Next morning, when I told him. he laughed.  He   had  not   been  getting his rent

bills and had gone to the CAO to find out the reason, where he discovered the mistake. Next day, we went to the CAO, and sorted it out. I got a hefty refund, while Vijay had to pay a years arrears of rent.

One day, the bell rang. When I opened the door, I found a young man at the door. He introduced himself as Captain Singh, so I invited him to come in, and sit down. I offered him a cup of tea, and we began to talk. After some time, he asked me when Col VK Singh was likely to come home. I was surprised, and told him that I was already at home. Now it was his turn to be surprised. He was Vijay's younger brother, and having seen the name plate on the door, presumed that it was Vijay's house. I sent him to the right address, after telephoning Vijay.

Vijay retired from service in 1991, and was re-employed in the United Services Institution. In 1993. he was awarded the VSM. At that time, I was posted at Jodhpur. I must have received dozens of letters, congratulating me for the award. I had to redirect them to Vijay, after sending a polite reply to the senders, thanking them for their sentiments, just the same. However, this was not the last I heard of the VSM. In February 1996, I had gone to Jabalpur, to attend the Corps Reunion. When I entered the Corps Museum, I found my name, along with my IC number, on the board, showing the VSM awardees!

Vijay has now left the USI, after his four years term was over. While he was there, he often rang me up, to tell me about a new book, or an interesting lecture or seminar. Now that he has left, we rarely meet, though we do keep in touch by telephone. Of course, the comedy of errors has still not come to an end. A few months ago, I received a signal, asking me to give evidence in a Court Martial, as a defence witness. I was surprised because I had never known the officer who was being tried. When I read the signal again, I saw the light. The IC number of the person who was required was 18399. Mine is 16318!

The Signalman, Apr 1996                                                                                     67