Dear Bloggers,
This is the extracts from Press Information Bureau news of 4 July,2010.
Sunday,4 July 2010 MUMBAI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM KOLKATA HYDERABAD CHENNAI BANGALORE AIZAWL

Sunday, July 04, 2010
Ministry of Defence

INAS 300 ‘WHITE TIGERS’ OF INDIAN NAVY COMPLETE FIFTY YEARS OF GLORIOUS SERVICE
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15:34 IST




Golden Jubilee celebrations of the front line Sea Harrier squadron of the Indian Navy, Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 300, will be ‘launched’ tomorrow 05th July 2010 at Goa with over a hundred White Tigers in attendance.

The events scheduled include a two day professional seminar on carrier borne fighter operations, a get together of the veterans of the Squadron and the release of a commemorative first day cover and postage stamp.

The seminar will see discussions on esoteric subjects of topical interest to a navy poised for growth in air craft carrier based power. Included are an aero medical paper that discusses the effects of ‘high G’ catapult launches and challenges of spatial orientation particularly in night operations over the sea, a paper that explores operating concepts for future indigenous aircraft carriers considering the various options viz Short Take-off and Vertical Landing (STOVL), Short Take-off but Arrested Landing (STOBAR) and Catapult Take-off but Arrested Landing (CATOBAR) these discussions are of particular interest as the Indian Navy today stands at a vital cross road regarding operating concept for its future indigenous carriers. One paper also discusses latest developments in fighter direction and control in an environment of Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.

Later, on 07 July 2010 the Department of Post will release a Commemorative Postage Stamp and a First Day Cover in a special ceremony with Dr SS Sidhu, the Governor of Goa, as the Chief Guest. Admiral Nirmal Verma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, the Chief of the Naval Staff, along with a number of senior dignitaries and notable veterans such as Admiral RH Tahiliani and Admiral Arun Prakash will be present during the ceremonies.

The White Tigers have an illustrious history with many significant contributions over the past fifty years. On 18 May 1961 Lt Cdr RH Tahilhiani (later Admiral and Chief of Naval Staff) landed the first Seahawk, piloted by an Indian, onboard the INS Vikrant. Ever since, the Squadron has been at the fore front of naval operations as the premier front line fighter squadron of the Indian Navy. The 1971 India-Pakistan conflict saw the squadron’s Seahawk aircraft in action from INS Vikrant. When the conflict ended, INAS 300 had not suffered a single loss and won one Maha Vir Chakra, five Vir Chakras, one Naosena medal and four Mentions in Despatches.

In December 1983 the Sea Hawks were bid adieu and the squadron inducted the Sea Harrier FRS Mk 51 aircraft. Over the years these aircraft have proven themselves after having been eye-to-eye with the best in the business viz the magnificent carriers and the flying machines of the American, French and British navies. Recently, the ageing Sea Harriers were given a weapon and avionics upgrade to keep abreast with evolving technology. The upgraded Sea Harrier christened LUSH (Limited Upgrade Sea Harrier) is a shot in the arm for the Indian Naval aviation. The Sea Harriers, in their ‘new avatar’, are now a formidable force to reckon with. LUSH aircrafts, fitted with Beyond Visual Range missiles, are now operating in a highly dynamic BVR environment and can hold their own in combat.

The White Tigers have built an enviable reputation for themselves and continue to remain at the forefront of Indian Naval Aviation.



PVS

Information from NPS Members-continued from last post

Dear Bloggers,
Sorry, in my last post, I missed out publishing Cmde (Retd) Anil K Dhir's e-mails. They are reproduced now.

Information from NPS Members

Dear Bloggers,
The third NPS Life member to send in information on maritime news is Cmde (Retd) Anil K Dhir (LFM 009), residing in Gurgoan, near New Delhi. A founder member of the NPS, he was instrumental in providing all philatelic material for NAVPHILEX 79, entirely his and Cmde (Retd) S Shekar’s (LFM 016) , Founder Member and Chairman NPS from 1985 TO 1990) show. Anil Dhir was also instrumental in providing assistance to Sudarshan Dhir, the artist who designed the 1984 “President’s Review of the Fleet” four stamp se-tenant. Whilst I am in agreement with him that he had a great part to play in the design and the ultimate release of the se-tenant, which was adjudged the “Most Appropriately Designed” stamp, by an all India popularity poll conducted by the Philatelic Congress of India, I beg to disagree with him that he was the sole individual who conceptualised the se-tenant. In actual fact, three of us from the NPS, then Cdr Shekhar, Capt A.K Dhir and my self, a Cdr met Mr. Sudarshan Dhir in Mumbai, then Bombay, to design a stamp for the “President’s Review of the Indian Fleet. Mr. Sudarshan Dhir, the architect of the Hindustan Petroleum Logo, put forward a design of a stamp, quite similar to the bottom right stamp in the released se-tenant. It was I who, upon seeing the individual stamp, suggested that the oval be completed and four instead of one stamp be utilised to portray the three arms of the Navy (Surface, Air and Submarine) and an Indian Navy Air arm aircraft to make a four stamp se-tenant. This was accepted unanimously and I , being from the Visakhapatnam , on temporary duty, had to return with the job of finalising the design under the responsibility of Cdr Shekhar and Capt A.K Dhir, who wee stationed in Mumbai. So much for publicity stealing, as, since 1984, this misinformation has been published in many publications of the Navy as well as those outside. The latest e-mail from Cmde (Retd) A.K Dhir, further, emphasises the point I have just made. Anil Dhir, however, has been singularly instrumental in the design/release of the Naval Dockyard stamp in 1986 and the Maritime Heritage stamps in 1998.
I have reproduced two photographs taken by him. His e-mails give a detailed account of the significance of the photographs and the sentiments that Anil Dhir attaches to the submarines depicted there in. A Naval air- electrical engineer and a submariner, Anil Dhir is an ardent Maritime Historian and philatelist.

Information from NPS Members

Dear Bloggers,
In my last post, owing to lack of full knowledge on how the scams or photos get adjusted in a post, referred the scans as if two images are placed next to each other rather than top to bottom. Bloggers can discern the placement of scans as top to bottom .Accordingly the news paper cutting is the top scan and 4 pages of the Pakistani Publicity folder as the next 4 scans from top to bottom. I apologise for this error.

Mr. D Hemchandra Rao has sent in four souvenir cards, shown above, commemorating the four stamps issued on Indian Coast Guard on 12 August 2008. Whilst I admire his tenacity in getting valid photographs for his cards, I regret it can not meet the FIP Criterion on Maximum cards as the size he has chosen does not conform to FIP Specifications.
Discussion on Maxim Cards (Courtesy RAINBOW STAMPNEWS JULY 2010)
DH Rao, Chennai
Dear Ms Jyoti,
Regarding the nice article in your Rainbow News on "MAXCARDS".I would like to share few thoughts on the subject. I and Cdr Acharya are SHIP buffs, and so create our own max cards with ship theme. However, there are lot of grey patches on this subject .Every body agrees on One Thing - namely the maximum concordance between stamp, picture card and cancellation. It is clear that picture shall not be a replica of the stamp itself -eg GB PHQ cards.Now what is left is the cancellation. Let us analyse this with the three or four senior philatelists who provided good ,basic information on your news letter.emember, the Earliest Max Card created [by default] was with a pyramid picture card posted in Egypt with a Def stamp showing the famous pyramid and affixed on the picture side and posted at that Tourist spot.Remember the date was Not the First Day of Issue of stamp.The Tourist Spot Date cancellation beautifully tied the picture card with the Pyramid and the stamp also showing pyramid.
In my opinion there is no sanctity of First day Cancellation at least in India.
Most of the time we do not get stamps on the day of issue. To site an example, we are yet to get Udagamandalam Post Office Stamp. Then how to get First Day Cancellation from that PO., Further, Boucher issued along with the stamp are not very clear about many things. They are mostly silent on the exact post office for the Stamp Issued. So here comes the real research. One has to depend on external sources for the correct Picture and Pace for the stamp issued. Most often, no commercial picture cards are available in India. So, Philatelists like me, who want 100% correct Place Cancellation as well as Good Pictures Cards, create them ourselves.
During International Fleet Review at Mumbai and Fleet Review at Visakhapattinam ,Cdr Acharya and myself created beautiful cards with ships and got them cancelled at respective places. One caution -always it is not easy to convince the postmaster of the post office concerned, who will insist on Rs6/-, as he interprets a Picture Card to a "Printed Card",which attracts Rs6/- as postage. Most of the respected postmasters in India Post post offices simply do not know what is a maxim card. Why, even some officers don’t know this.
The main reason for this rejoinder is about proper PLACE Cancellation vis a vis Any Post Office First Day Cancellation. Let me explain this with some of the recent stamps - to have the maximum concordance of cancellation one must have :- FOR
Horses - Kathiavari at Kuvada bo,Marwari at Marwar JnHO,,Zanskari at Leh HO,Manipuri at Imphal GPO,
Textiles- Kalamkari at Sri Kalahasti, Banaras Brocade at Varanasi,Conjeevaram silk at Kancheepuram and Apa Tani at Ziro MDG in Arunachal Pradesh.
Jain Temples - Ranakpur at Ranakpur, Dilwara at Abu,
North East Animals - Shillong GPO,
Silent Valley at Mukhaly BO, Holy Cross Church at Madayikonam,Sacred Heart Church at Pondicherry.
The list goes on and on. Please let me know, how many seniors has these and other cancelled cards.
I would be most happy to interact with them, so I can enrich myself on the subject.
I am based at Chennai & Specializes on ships, lighthouses and explorers.
I Wish you all the best.
D H Rao
e-mail - dhrao1939@yahoo.com, mob - 0 9840870172

Information from NPS Members

Dear bloggers,
At the outset, I would like to apologise to all of use for my silence on the blog for over 10 weeks. My dear friend, and NPS life member No LFM 016, Mr Sekhar Chakrabarthi, from Kolkota, has on more than one occasion ,reminded me to update the blog, but, some how I was unable to heed his request. I have ,absolutely,no excuse for not updating the blog but for some personal reasons which kept me preoccupied with other work. I would like to re-irerate that the blog to which I, as incumbent Secretary of the Naval Philatelic Society (NPS), contribute my time, knowledge, enthusiasm and effort is ,primary, meant for NPS members, who ,by subscribing for membership, deserve some thing in return from the NPS. Whilst other bloggers are welcome to access the information as a bonus, I would appreciate if they sought membership of NPS too. Presently, the blog is being run by me only,but very energetic members like Sekhar Chakrabathi (LFM 16), Cmde (Retd) Anil Dhir (LFM 9) and our present Chairman NPS, Mr.D Hemchandra Rao have sent me material for the benefit of all ship stamp lovers so that the blog is updated with maritime information. I owe my sincere gratitiude to these members and I hope that, by my updating at the first instance, the blog with their contribution would encourage them to continue with their efforts to further popularise this blog of ours.
I shall begin with the information sent by Mr. Sekhar Chakrabarthi.
When Mr. Chakrabarthi received this piece of news (Scan on top row left), he searched through his large philatelic collection to unearth the above shown Publicity folder (Scan top row right, middle row left and right, bottom row left and right).
Both, Chakrabarthi and I agree that the contents of the publicity folder,in so far as the achievements of the Pakistani armed forces in the Indo –Pak War 1965 is concerned, it is all hogwash. INS BRAHMAPUTRA was never touched and continued to serve the Indian Navy well beyond 1965, when the Pakistani postal authorities, through their publicity folder claimed it was sunk by PNS Ghazi. PNS Ghazi , was sunk, only history will tell by whom, on 3rd Dec, 1971 and is still lying below the sea surface off Waltair beach on the eastern coast of India.