Commodore George Douglas
Commodore
George Douglas, A.V.S.M., D.F.C. was born in Doom Dooma, Assam,
where his father had a tea estate. In 1930 he joined the British
Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy Reserve as a midshipman. However,
during the period of World War II he enrolled into active duty and
was commissioned in the Royal Navy in 1946. After India’s
independence he shifted to the Indian Navy where he pioneered naval
aviation. He was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College,
Wellington and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
In the early years of the World War II he volunteered for Special
Hazardous Service Operations on H.M.S. Oakfield. Termed "Operation
Lucid" the mission was to attempt to fire-bomb the German wooden
invasion barges with incendiary material and set them alight at
Boulogne and Calais, France. The plan had the personal backing of
Winston Churchill. As the mission was regarded as a suicide run only
volunteers were used. Several attempts were undertaken between
September and October 1940. Each one was cancelled due to a variety
of reasons until it was suspected that the secrecy of the mission
was compromised. During the world war II Douglas commanded Torpedo
Bomber and Fighter combat squadrons and wings, and saw combat
service in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Battles of the
Mediterranean, North Africa, Burma, Malaysia, and in the Pacific. In
1943 he was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross" for gallantry
while serving with Fighter Command, Royal Air Force. He was one of
two navy pilots to receive this distinction, as normally such medals
were reserved solely for R.A.F personnel. A year later he received
the "Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation", Portsmouth Command and in
1945 he was awarded the South-East Asia Command commendation by
Admiral Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, S.E.A.C. As
Captain (D), Captain Destroyers, he commanded the 11th Destroyer
Squadron. From 1962-1966 he was the Principal Staff Officer to
Government as Chief of Naval Aviation, making him the senior most
naval aviator in the Indian Navy. In 1966, he was awarded AVSM. The
citation read: "From the start of Naval Aviation in 1949, Commodore
Douglas has been the driving force behind the evolution of the
combatant Air Arm for the Navy. The development of aviation in the
Indian Navy and the position it has attained are largely due to the
initiative, hard work and leadership of Commodore Douglas. He has
voluntarily undertaken several dangerous flying missions in order to
set an example to young pilots".
Douglas left India in
December 1966, first returning to the UK and later emigrating to
Canada where he started a teaching career in St.John’s,
Newfoundland. He retired to Victoria, British Columbia and passed
away in 2008 at the age of 93 years.
He had a daughter, Tara who married Murray Frost, and a son, Douglas
St. John.
Notes:
• George was the father of Tara Douglas, Vice Chairman of the
Canadian Council of Dr Graham's Homes. Tara relates the following
story, “ I found the bible tucked into my father's special drawer.
It has an inscription on the inner flap identifying that it was
given to my Dad when he left the Homes at the age of 11 years. It
was signed by Rev. John Graham. I also found a great photograph of
Dr Graham as a relatively young man. My father had this bible with
him his entire life.”
• His daughter Tara Douglas reports that "My father's official date
of birth was accepted as 1915 but we now believe he might have been
born in 1913. No birth record but there is a baptismal certificate
that is somewhat damaged. He grew up in an orphanage missionary
school in India where he was sent at the age of four. After this, he
never went home again, never saw his mother, father or siblings
again. So he did what he did with no help from anyone. "
George Douglas and the Indian Fleet Air Arm
The credit for establishing an effective Air Arm for the Indian Navy
and developing a viable infrastructure for the Arm goes to Commodore
George Douglas who was destined to be the guiding angel and moving
spirit of the Indian Navy's Aviation Branch during its formative
years and was the senior-most officer in this elite cadre.
After the War ended, Douglas was granted a regular commission in the
Royal Navy in the rank of Lieutenant Commander but in October 1947
he obtained his release and joined the Government of India as a
Nautical Surveyor. It was at this time that the Indian Navy was
going through the process of setting up an aviation wing and in 1949
was looking around for an officer with Fleet Air Arm experience and
sought to utilise his services for this purpose. Even though
acceptance of this offer meant some loss ofemoluments for him,
Lieutenant Commander Douglas accepted the assignment and
commissioned on November 20, 1949 in the rank of Commander.
The vital task of developing the airstation at Cochin, adjacent to
the naval base, Venduruthy, was given to Commander George Douglas
who had served in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm with distinction,
had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for valour, was
demobilised after World War II and permitted, by special
dispensation, to join the Indian Navy.
It was on May ll, 1953, that Venduruthy II was recommissioned as the
Indian Naval Air Station, Garuda, with a squadron of four Sealand
aircraft and with Commander George Douglas as the first Commanding
Officer.
In 1957 Douglas was deputed to the Royal Navy for a Seahawk and
Vampire jet introductory course and Fairy MKVII and Gannet
Conversion Course at Lossiemouth and Eglinton. His 'Record of Flying
Training' in the Royal Navy states,
'His keenness and enthusia sm set a fine example to the other
students on course, many of whom are less than half his age'.
The citation for the Vishisht Seva Medal Class II (equivalent to the
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal) awarded to him in 1966 states:
'From the very start of Naval Aviation in the Indian Navy in
1949, Commodore Douglas has been the drivingforce behind the
evolution of a combatant Air Arm for the Navy. The development of
aviation in the Indian Navy and the position it has attained are
largely due to the initiative, hard work and leadership of Commodore
Douglas'.
He is still in the forefront in flying skill until 1966, by which
time he had risen to the rank of Commodore, Douglas continued to
serve the Indian Navy in various capacities, most of which pertained
to aviation; as the Director of Air Equipment at Naval Headquarters,
the first commander of Garuda, Director of Naval Air Staff and the
highest aviation appointment, Chief of Naval Aviation, fora record
period of over four years.
In 1957 Douglas played an important role in the acquisition and
indigenous manufacture of the French Alouette III helicopter and
theselection of the Alize aircraft for the Vikrant.
Sources
Source:
• Indian Navy; The Navy Grows Wings, Birth of the Fleet Air Arm
Any contributions to this item will be
gratefully accepted
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