GLIMPSES
Admiral
O S Dawson,
PVSM, AVSM, ADC
CNS, 28 Feb 1982 - 30 Nov 1984
Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 10th Chief of Naval Staff, on 28 February 1982. Born in Burma, he also had his high school education there. When the Japanese occupied Burma in March 1942, he shifted to India where he continued his studies.
Commissioned in the Royal Indian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RINVR) on 07 January 1943, Admiral Dawson was subsequently thereafter absorbed in the regular cadre of the Royal Indian Navy (RIN). Even as a junior officer his career was marked with distinction and the sea has always been his first love. He participated in World War II in the Arakan Operations (Burma), on convoy escort duty in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea and in mine-sweeping operations soon after the war.
Trained as a specialist in Navigation & Direction in the United Kingdom, Admiral Dawson has held various afloat and ashore appointments. He served as the Naval ADC to President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, from 1953-54 and since 02 March 1981 is the Honorary Naval ADC to the President.
Subsequent to his graduation from the Defence Services Staff College in 1957, Admiral Dawson served as the navigating officer of the aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant and also as the Fleet Navigating Officer. Later, he held appointments of Officer-in-Charge, Navigation & Direction School and that of the Director, Tactical School and Chief Staff Officer at Cochin.
Graduating from the National Defence College, in New Delhi in 1973, Admiral Dawson has to his credit 19 years of sea service which included important sea commands of the INS Talwar and INS Nilgiri. He served as the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, from February 1978 to March 1979. His important shore appointments include INS Circars - the Commanding Officer of the Boys' Training Establishment and the Director of Naval Operations (DNO) at Naval HQ during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan Conflict, for which he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).
As the General Manager, Goa Shipyard Limited, Admiral Dawson introduced a Corporate Development Plan for the Shipyard and also brought about progressive management practices which improved the relationship between the workers and management. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for distinguished service of exceptional order on Republic Day 1981. He served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command before assuming the office of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).
During the latter half of his tenure as CNS, Admiral Dawson was also Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). He retired from the Navy on 30 November 1984, after 41+ years of glorious naval service. He was appointed as the High Commissioner of India to New Zealand in August 1985 and returned to Bangalore in September 1987, on completion of his tenure there.