ANOTHER GOOD CHAP FADES AWAY

 

ANOTHER GOOD CHAP FADES AWAY

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

29/I/2023

 

A name which sounded so bombastic was Capt Naresh Nagesh Kadam. He was in Kamptee when this pip squeak reported to the Unit in Jaisalmer in June 1985. His reputation preceded him. Officers and men alike were scared of this towering personality who also was a stickler for details, a hard task master and an upright person.

 

He was the pioneer Adjutant of 17 Mech (Recce & Sp). The then Subedar Adjutant Mukhtiar Singh would tell us stories of him. “Saab JCO sahiban ko belt se utha dete hain galti karne par’. One formed an image in the mind of such a huge burly fellow. He was a no-nonsense man and called a brick a brick. The day he returned from a course, it was face to face. He looked like a terror alright. He never smiled & hardly spoke. We youngsters maintained a safe distance from the Adjutant’s office.

 

The only saving grace was he was a shade darker than me. One good thing was he smoked like a chimney and enjoyed his drink. The 2IC would ask for a chota BK (Black Knight) whisky and he for a large Hercules XXX Rum. The moment he would call me a ‘Good Chap’, it was time to tell the Mess Havildar to “Prastut karo the Bhojan”.

 

It was within days of Bravo company arriving in Jaisalmer that we were sent to ‘Pitthewala Tibba’. The task of carrying liquor from the officer’s mess was my responsibility and as luck would have it, I forgot the carton.

 

Yours truly took a jeep to a place called Dawar, where a BSF outpost existed. With great difficulty I got through and the waiter handed over the phone to Maj Kadam. ‘Adjutant’. My lips got sealed out of fear. The operator told him who was on the line. Irritated to the hilt, Maj Kadam said, speak you fu****. I thought he couldn't kill me over the phone and rattled off what I needed. Done, he said. Bloody Noel,  double check your list before you leave. My first fauji lesson was driven home.

 

Gen Vaidya, COAS, was coming for his farewell visit to Jaisalmer. I was called to the Adjutants office. There was a Khalsa Int NCO called Bakshi Singh already standing there. Noel, I have briefed him about the Bouquet to be presented to the Chief’s wife by the first Lady on arrival at the dumbbell.

 

Bakshi didn’t understand and drew a ‘flower vase’ instead of a bouquet. With great difficulty I gathered the courage and said sir, why don’t we get flowers instead? My idea clicked with him. I came out skipping and grinning ear to ear. He was open to suggestions that too from a 2Lt.

 

The NCO returned with a bunch of roses. The same evening, we learnt that the visit got postponed. Maj Kadam called me and said, these flowers are now your responsibility. If something happens to them, you shall be sent home. You are OIC flowers from today.

 

Half the flowers had already wilted, the other half were on the verge. I brought them to my room and shoved the lot into a bucket of water. The visit got postponed further. Maj Kadam called me again and enquired about the flowers. I had no guts to tell him that the roses were now in full bloom. Petals had already started to fall off. Better look after them, he said with a wry smile.

 

Next day, I found rose petals floating on water and scattered on the floor. Our bathroom which stunk otherwise, smelt of roses, like a bed on the first night. Thanks to the Adjt. Next day we somehow managed to make a bouquet and present it to Mrs Vaidya. Maj Kadam gave a pat on my back and called me a ‘good chap’. ‘Saab ko mere naam se ek large rum lagao’. I broke into a Bhangra.

 

Time went by and he became Col Kadam and came to command our unit in Jodhpur. It was the first ‘Cashiering’ of an NCO we witnessed in his command. One had the privilege to conduct the ‘Promulgation Parade’. It was learning. One thing he ensured that no one created indiscipline ever during his tenure.

 

I had just returned from a Skiing expedition and he made me the Adjutant. A CO, who was so particular of SD (Staff Duties) and grammar, leave alone spellings, serving with him was a herculean task. I became a master of SD-5 & Wren and Martin and knew every ‘abvn’ in the book.

 

Whenever a draft went for approval to the Commandant, it came back ‘As approved’…. Period. Maybe with 101 corrections and red lines pointing up and down, paragraphs shifted, spelling mistakes encircled, grammatical mistakes underlined etc. He also had an elephantine memory and would tell you which file to refer to for a particular subject. That was his mastery and professionalism, besides knowing most of the jawans by their Army Numbers.

 

His signatures depicted a ‘survey tree’ on a map. His ‘speak’ remark on a file meant, before the end of the day. Dot at 1.29 pm his Jonga would be outside his office and off he went. All those who missed the bus stroke Jonga would keep asking me the next day ‘Aj CO ka mood kaisa hai’. Officers had a cup of tea before going in. On return, had a Nimbu Pani to cool the heat generated in the Comdt’s office.

 

There used to be a unit presentation every Friday in the Divisional HQs at 9am. Once he called me and told me that these are the old slides, destroy them and prepare these ones. Those days slides were made on paper and then transcribed to slides. Dot at 8.30am, as the quarter guard bells struck eight times his Jonga halted infront of his office. Get the slides immediately Noel. Wilco Sir, I said on the intercom.

 

He looked at them and looked at me a couple of times. We had got the paper weights removed as he could throw them at you when annoyed. Where are the new slides? You bloody son of a gun, these are the old ones. The ones to be destroyed were re-written and the ones which were to be made were thrown in the bin. I ran for life, praying that they did not get into the incinerator.

 

The Duty NCO was about to light the match. In the nick of time every paper was pulled out. The slides were intact. I ran straight from the incinerator to the Int Section. Told them to stop everything and get on to this job before I get court martialed. Col Kadam came and stood on top of our heads.

 

The Int section chaps, Gaikwad and Deepak’s hands were trembling with fear. Composing myself, I request Col Kadam to leave. I promised that I would personally deliver them in the Div HQ. He looked at me and said, "Can I trust you?" With my life sir, I said. He left and to my word I reached in time with the new slides. The CO & Adjt went for a drink to the Mess. That day the drink was on me.

 

Then one day our 2IC got his promotion signal. We were there in the mess for a drink immediately. In the evening 2IC had to throw a party. Drinks continued from afternoon till near PT time. After all, ‘Seekers’ were celebrating.

 

Next day I received the CO with blood shot eyes. I was in no mood to work myself so I briefed the Head Clerk that he shouldn’t send any Dak. The Mess detachment was given standing instructions to supply nimbu pani every half an hour. ‘CO saab nu v limbu pani pila Jagjit Singha. I told the waiter, 'Mana kar ditta CO saab ne’, he replied.

 

How long could we have stayed in that drunken stupor? Appearing to be normal, I entered from his side door, a rear privilege of a few. A Colonel sitting with his head in between his hands. He looked up and said, ‘Bloody Noel, how do you guys drink so much’. Don’t send me anything official today. I nodded.

 

Sir, can I suggest something, I said meekly. ‘Shoot’, he said. Sir, the only anecdote to this hangover is to have a large tot of rum, that too neat. Bullshit, he said. Trust me sir it works, I said. Then what the bloody hell are you waiting for.

 

I called for the COs stick Orderly. Canteen se ja ke ek Rum ka bottle lao phata phat. He looked at me in surprise. Down came the Canteen JCO running, with all kinds of rum bottles available in the canteen. I kept a bottle of Old Monk and dismissed the Canteen JCO.

 

A Patiala peg was offered to Col Kadam. Don’t kill me Noel, he said. In one gulp he gobbled the contents and told me to have the same. I said out of courtesy, in my office sir. Nothing doing you bloody chap. You have it right here, right now and from the same bottle & in the same glass. Wasting no time, I raised my glass. Within a minute, the hangover had gone, the tense nerves relaxed and we both smiled at each other. Noel, I am leaving early, get my Jonga placed. Wilco sir, I said.

 

Six officers of the Unit were appearing for ‘Staff College’. He called me and said, Noel you guys have to take on the additional responsibilities. The officers who were preparing for the exam were left absolutely free to concentrate on studies, attracting the ire of the GOC 12 Div. Five officers made it that year, a record of sorts.

 

In between there was the Adm Inspection. The GOC remarked to me, son, how come you are omnipresent. All went well. I got the title of ‘good chap’ once again from Col Kadam for the smooth conduct of the inspection.

 

He was one man who really understood me. We got in touch when I was in Alibaug and he was in Pune. We would chat for over an hour whenever we spoke and reminisced our good times fondly. He promised to have a drink with me one day but that never happened. The only person who commented and cheered me on every article I wrote with his candid views was Col Kadam. God bless his soul.

 

It is a personal loss to me as he was a senior, a mentor, a friend and above all a person who could trust me blindly. You taught us how to be strict but with a heart of gold. Let me thank you for shaping me. Your character is worth emulating. This is how I shall remember you. There are many more stories to tell, which I shall, in due course of time.

 

My condolences to Mrs Kadam and Vicky, may you garner the strength to bear with his loss. My heart is heavy as I key in but definitely Kadam Sir, we would meet again and clink our glasses. Would love to hear ‘Good Chap’ again. Rest in Peace Col NN Kadam. Cheers, till we meet again sir.

 

In Grief, Noel