INS Valsura

INSValsura
Jamnagar,GujaratinIndia
Crest of INS Valsura
Type	Naval shore establishment
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Indian Navy
Condition	Operational
Website	INS Valsura
Site history
In use	1942 – present
Garrison information
Current commander	CommodoreA Puran Kumar
Past commanders	M. R. Schunker Sandeep Naithani Gautam Marwaha

INSValsurais a "stone frigate"(shore establishment) of theIndian NavyinJamnagar,Gujarat.A premier technological training institution, it houses theElectrical schoolof the Indian Navy.

History

DuringWorld War II,a need was felt to supplement the torpedo handling and operations in India by establishing a torpedo school. Since a torpedo school required waters where torpedo running and depth charge firing could be possible, a suitable location had to be selected. Since Cochin already had multiple establishments, theP-class destroyerHMSPathfinder(G10)then in India was tasked with scouting a suitable location.Pathfinderfound the sea area around Rozi island inNawanagar State.Rozi Island was already a well-known port and was connected toJamnagarby road and railway.

TheJam SahibofNawanagar,Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhjioffered the Rozi Island, his 38-acregame reserve,for a token rent ofRe.1 per annum.HMIS Valsurawas commissioned on 15 December 1942 by theMaharaniGulab Kunverba Sahiba withField MarshalSirClaude Auchinleck,theCommander-in-Chief, IndiaandAdmiralSirHerbert Fitzherbert,theFlag Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Navyin attendance. As the torpedo school of theRoyal Indian Navy,the establishment was modelled after theRoyal Navy's torpedo schoolHMS VernoninPortsmouth.Commander MFB Ward was the first commanding officer of the establishment.Apart from training officers and men for torpedo duties, it also trained them on electrical duties.

After theIndependence of India,the torpedo school was moved to Cochin. The Jam Sahib donated another 600 acres for the expansion of the establishment.Since a separate branch for Naval Electrical Engineering was formed in the Navy, the Naval Electrical Engineering school was founded in 1948 at Valsura.On 26 January 1950, India became a republic and the name changed toINS Valsura.Commander D. H. R. Dadabhoy was the first Indian commanding officer.

Today

INS Valsura today houses the electrical equipment school, electrical technology school, basic electrical school, information technology school, center for electronics engineering and the training design and evaluation cell.Valsurawas awarded a Special Unit Citation in December 2001, an honour normally reserved for operational units. The base has grown into a large township with a military hospital and schools.The commanding officer of the establishment is also the station commander and is aone-star officerwith the rank ofCommodore.

Crest and motto

The name of the establishment was derived from the combination of twoTamilwordsVaalumeaning sword andSorrahmeaning fish.Swordfishwas chosen since theTorpedo bomberFairey Swordfishwas named so as well as the fact that they were found in the waters off the coast ofSaurashtra.The crest of the school showed a swordfish placed amidst two crossedtorpedoesand a mine with the Latin mottoValsura Semper Viret,meaningValsura shall always be victorious.

After India became a republic, in 1950, the crest was changed. The swordfish was shown leaping out from the sea with its head and a large part of its body above water, with three streaks of lightning emanating from its head. The motto was changed toTasya Bhasa Sarvamidam Vibhatiwhich meantThe light that emanates from here, illuminates all,which was taken from theUpanishad.

See also

• List of Indian Navy bases
• List of active Indian Navy ships
• Stone frigate

External links

• INS Valsuraon the website of theIndian Navy