"WHO IS/WAS WHO" OF INDIAN DEFENCE SERVICES' AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS
VU2AF—CPL. ADOLF B.SHEPHERD (Well known-active from Navi Mumbai)Was taking AIRNET; helped with radio communications in various National Motor Rallys.
VU2AK--BRIG.LESLIE KING (SK)-Well known ham through all the years; Was active from Bangalore in SSB, with XYL Audrey VU2YL;LES KING and VU2BK were great home-brewers-they dodged official PT classes for building new stuff.
VU2ANM- CDR.ASHISH SAXENA.
VU2ASA--COL.AVTAR SINGH (Call Book of 90s)
VU2BD--MAJ.GEN.KAPOOR (SK)-Was active in the 50s
VU2BG---MAJ.GOPINATHAN(No latest info)Was the first VU ham to transmit from Ponda, after GOA was freed from the Portuguese rule.His QSL card design was awarded.
VU2BI--MAJ. B. S.BHATNAGAR (Call Book of 90s) Rly TA Officer. Was active in CW and SSB from Lucknow.Home brewer.
VU2BK--MAJ.GEN.RUSTOM ZAL KABRAJI.AVSM (SK) The only consistent CW from Poona
The 40M South India and Ceylon Ragchew NET-, was started by him in 1956-It was a widely monitored Net by SWLs. Did demostrate using the Wireless Set 19 to contact W land on 40m in 1958 from Bhavanisagar Dam in South India. He was active in Mizoram in 1964/65.Was also Hon.ADC. To the President of India .VU2BK and VU2DK had the good fortune of having Eye ball QSOs with Gen.Theodore J.Conway. W4EII in 1968—Theo was an important 4-Star General, with the US STRIKE COMMAND.
VU2BM--BRIG.CHAKRAVARTY (SK)-Was active in the 50s and 60s from Bangalore. He was intrumental in getting VU2SS going in the 50s. He made Bangalore famous by encouraging many new comers.
VU2BP—MAJ.GEN.B.S.PAINTAL-No latest info.
VU2BS--MAJ.B.S.DHILLON -call book of the 90s-- no latest info.
VU2CD--MAJ.KEN GILLON – Active in the 50s—Migrated to VK land. KEN GILLON was another one trained by VU2BK—Ken did work on the ancient History of Corps of Signals.
VU2CGS--COL.G.S.SODHI (SK)--active in the 90s- No latest info.
VU2CJH--MAJ.CHARANJIT SINGH. No latest info.
VU2CN--CAPT. LOYAL. No latest info. Was active from Madras in the 50s.
VU2CUK--COL.C.UNNIKRISHNAN NAIR. (Call Book of 90s)
VU3DBG-- (Army) Dilbagh Chauhan--
VU2DUB—LT. COL.N.H.DUBEY. Was active from Mizoram. In A.P. Now.
VU2DV—COL. S.K.MALHOTRA. (From the 60s call book).No latest info.
VU2DX---MAJ.DAVE FREEMANTLE.(SK)--In the 50s, was a homebrewer par excellence—and produced professional looking amateur stuff.
VU2DY—MAJ.GEN.S.G.VOMBATKARE. (earlier VU2DAY)Sudhir was responsible for building one of the highest highways and steel bridges when at Leh.
VU2ED--Maj.JAYANT DESHPANDE(SK)-Very keen ham till the 70s. Was very active in SSB from Bombay. Was keen in conversions of surplus sets, especially Collins., and used Collins TCS 12.
VU2EVR---MAJ.GEN.V.RANGASWAMI,VRC BAR(SK)--Keen ham in late 90s.GEN.Rangaswami was a well decorated Officer of the "Army Medical Corps".Had the distinction of being an active paratrooper. Was active in SSB, and Para Jumping at various Indian cities.
VU2FK—SQ.LDR.B.N.KAIWAR. (From the call book of 60s)
VU2FM—COL.TAWDEY(SK)-Active in the 50s,
VU2GK—CAPT.SHIVASWAMY. Kept VU2SS going during his tenure at Mhow.
VU2GUR-Cpl.N.R.Gururaj. Active from Bangalore,in CW, SSB and specialises in Satellite communication.
VU2HE--CAPT.H.K.L.ANAND (Call Book of 90s)
VU3HKQ--CDR.HARKIRAT SINGH. Keen ham, not active at present. Was the second famous signal from Maitri Base, Antarctica.
VU2HM---MAJ.GEN.KAPOOR. Was also the Indian Military Attache to Germany for some time, was President of ARSI.
VU2HU—BRIG.H.B.S.GREWAL (No latest info-) Was fondly known as Hari uncle in the 50s.
VU2HV--MAJ.HAVELI RAM (SK)--was a keen ham, experimenter and Rag Chewer from Delhi. Been to VU7 as a member of VU7US Team.
VU2IB--MAJ.GEN.KUNWAR BHAGWATI SINGH (SK)--Brother of VU2US-Gen.Bhagwati Singh was the first officer to pass out from the IMA at Dehra Dun. Was an active Para trooper of the Army..the only Ham to become the Director General of Civil Defence in Delhi.
VU2JM--BRIG.MINOO N. PATEL (SK)--Active till early 80s-Brig.Minoo Patel was one of the first persons to develop the electrical musical organ.--He was a clever Engineer of the Corps of Engineers.
VU2JP—CAPT.V.JAYARAMAN (From the call book of the 60s)
VU2KD—NB.SUB.MOHAMMED SOFIULLAH .From the EME group...Active from Delhi..
VU2KO—COL. KERSY K. POONAWALLA(SK) was very active in CW , SSB from Jabbalpore, Lucknow and Baroda VU2BK was his elmer. Kab had given him his own HRO set to help him come on the air.
VU2LS--MAJ.L.S.NARAYANASWAMY (From the call book of the 60s)
VU2MD--COL.DADY MAJOR(SK)-Well known CW op.Famous CW DXCC and Avid Award Hunter.
VU2MOK- Wng.Cdr.M.K.Murthy, Was active in CW and SSB,took CW netfrom Bangalore.
VU2MSW-- LT.CDR. M.S.PRAKASH. Was in Maitri Base at Antarctica 91-93.Away in USA
VU2MVX— Grp.Capt. M.Venugopalan. Very active Dxer in CW, home brewer.Collects antique amateur radio equipment, resurrects them.
VU2NXM- CT/WI Basappa Arabole. Indian Navy (Retd). Very active in CW and SSB.
member of VU7LD and VU4PB expeditions; keen Islands activator and contester, known for activating Elephanta Is of the Maharashtra State Group; was also in Bet Dwaraka AT2DW expedition.Likes to train students for ASOC.
VU2OC--MAJ.S.S.KUMAR (From the call book of the 60s)
VU2PC---BRIG.P.R.CHAUHAN(SK)--Active in the 60s.
VU2PMR- (ARMY)P.P.MOHAN RAO—From the Corps of Signals..Now, a very keen CW,SSB operator from Tenali, A.P.
VU2PS—BRIG.P.S.GILL. (raely active) Has the credit of introducing the cubical quad antenna in the late 50s -That inspired VU2BK and DK build their own Quads in 1959.
VU2PSQ--GRP.CAPT.PRASHANT KARKARE. (No latest info)
VU2PV—CAPT.P.V.S.NAIR. (From the call book of 60s.)
VU2RB--COL.BHANU K.RAI (Not active) Col.RAI was another die hard ham with excellent knowledge of electronics.-He was at Mhow. Some of the officers he trained, became senior signals officers.Was the President of ARSI.He did lot of work for "UPTRON", VU2UPT at Lucknow.
VU2RK---COL.RAJ S.KALHA.(SK)--Active till late 70s. Raj did work as the Director General of survey of India, in Dehra Dun.-He was kind enough to design a great circle map, centred on Mhow.
VU2RW--MAJ.K.S.RAO (From the call book of 60s)
VU2SI—BRIG.H.H.SUKHJIT SINGH.MVC. is another highly decorated officer of the "Armoured Corps".Won his MVC on 11 Dec 1971 for his bravery in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
VU2SN--BRIG.SANDY SUNDARAM (SK)--He was from the early 60s
VU2SO--CAPT.SAIBAL GHOSH. Presently in Assam. Is active in CW
VU2SU-- MWO P.M.SUBRAMANIAM. The one who gave the Russians a regular QSO,when most of the world avoided. Worked at various QTH like Chandigarh, Halwara, Barnala and Memora (Lucknow) Air Bases among the many. After retirement, he had been to VU4 with the NIAR expedition.
VU2TE--JWO Easwaran Unny T.-- active in CW.
VU2TN—MAJ. T.A.RAMAKRISHNAN (Latest info is not known)---A clever and Die-hard Ham. Was very active from Shillong.Ram was in the first Army expedition to Bhutan. He was a first class Electrical and Mechanical Engineer. -- A real Wizard of electronics. He was looking after the repairs of equipment in the 1962 War. He was very active from Shillong and the World got that QTH in SSB.
VU2UMI- GRP.CAPT.UMESH KUMAR. Not very active.
VU2US--LT.GEN.KUNWAR UMRAO SINGH. (SK) From Jaipur;Was a very keen ham motivated by VU2BK. Gen.Umrao Singh, was a great soldier and has gone down in the History for his bravery under very adverse conditions during the 1962 war. ----It was his strict judgment of the situation then, that saved lot of embarassment.He was never cowed down, in his rulings. He was also the President of ARSI.He was in VU7US/AC5 and VU7US expeditions. "Uncle Sam" was his nick name.
VU2UV—AIR.CDR.V.SUBRAMANIAN, Did lot of work in VHF/UHF/HF work.
VU2VTM- Sgt.Marcus--Active in Car Rallys,Teaching amateur radio, VHF/UHF work
VU2YC--MAJ.R.C.BHANDARI (From the call book of the 90s)
VU2ZV—GRP.CAPT.S.V.PHATAK. Was active in SSB from Nagpur and took part in Lion's Club..
SWL VU-0020—MWO T.K.VISWANATHAN. The greatest SWL that India has ever produced..copying high speed CW, sending reception reports are his passion. He has confirmed 303 countries till date.
VU2???-Brig.A.P.SINGH, S.M,Bar,VSM,O.M.-- of "TRISHNA" Expedition
VU2???-Lt.Col.SANDEEP KAPUR.-- of "TRISHNA" Expedition(1999-2000)
Notes:
SK denotes Silent Key.
Call signs in Italics indicate AIR FORCE service
Call signs in Italics with underline, indicates NAVY service.
Other call signs are from ARMY service.
| THE HOBBY OF AMATEUR RADIO AND HAMS OF THE INDIAN
DEFENCE SERVICES |
| Who Is/Was Who of Indian Defence Services | Maj.Gen. R.Z.Kabraji VU2BK |