Sepoy in British Indian Army, who rose to become a Captain, stands tall at 100 as he recounts his journey

On his 100th birthday, the retired Captain who is still fit and spends his time reading, writing and watching cricket on TV, plans to play some cricket with his great grandchildren.

“Relatives, Army officers and so many others have been calling since morning to extend wishes on my father’s 100 birthday,” says Sriniwas Waran, the youngest of his three sons.

Captain Waran, who retired as Chief Quartermaster at the Recruit Training Regiment (RTR) and Driving and Maintenance Regiment (DMR) at Armoured Corps, Ahmednagar, in 1970, was born in Calicut, Kerala, on August 10, 1915.

Armed with a BA in economics in 1938 from St. Thomas College, he, however, started working as kitchen superintendent at a government-run food distribution camp.

He joined the British Army as a sepoy in November 1940 in Bangalore and was soon sent for training in Jabalpur where 600 Sepoys went through an intensive but short training for three months as World War II was underway.

At the end of the training, Warran was promoted as Havaldar and posted to Army Ordnance Depot in Allahabad for a six-month stint.

He was then sent by ship to an ordnance workshop in Baghdad. On returning to Bombay, he served in 112 Indian Ordnance Workshop at Ramgarh in 1943 and then moved to Ranchi.

“We were part of the famous General Slim’s Burma campaign with five Indian divisions and I was ordered to proceed with supplies of ammunition and ration in a convoy of 52 vehicles, mostly American-built. But we had less than 30 drivers.

“When I raised this issue, we were told that all non-combatants, including cooks, would be taught driving over three days and a few would be co-drivers while the better ones would be drivers. I later drove a seven-tonne Studebaker, the last vehicle in the convoy, and carried a special cargo of Rum and several cartons of the much loved Woodbine’s cigarettes under my wooden box-type seat for the British officers,” the retired Captain recalls.

“We drove via Tidim Road, Imphal, barely 10 feet wide in most places, with steep slope through very thick teakwood jungles. It took us about 32 days to reach Mingledon Camp near Meiktila Warfront in Burma. After the Burma campaign, I spent six months at Surabaya, a beautiful Dutch colony taken over by the British on behalf of the Dutch after the Japanese withdrew. As a Havaldar, I was paid an extra $250 per week in cash (A US dollar was worth Rs 2.50 at that time). A lot could be done with that amount then,” he smiles.

“We had to splurge that money as that currency was of no use to soldiers back in India. Abandoned banks raided by the victorious British-Indians were the source of that largesse,” he says.

“During the 1948 Indo-Pak war, I was attached to a ordnance salvage unit in Jammu. Thereafter, I was posted to 15 Field Regiment (Artillery) where I served for seven years. With my good knowledge of stores management and spare parts of various types of vehicles, I excelled as an instructor, training all ranks, and soon became a Junior Commissioned Officer. As I was a graduate with good English speaking and writing skills, I was recommended for a commissioned rank. During the 1962 Chinese aggression, I was posted in Sikkim for two years. After serving as Chief Quarter Master from 1964 to 1966 at Artillery Centre and School, Nasik, which was a big establishment, I was posted to Armoured Corps as Quarter Master, from where I retired in August 1970,” Captain Waran (retired) says.

The retired officer’s two sons, three sons-in-law, a grandson and a grand-daughter have served in the armed forces.
“In all his 100 years, my father had just one angioplasty and no other major ailment. His teeth and vision are intact,” says son Sriniwas, who has planned a celebration at the end of the month.

According to amended All-India service rules regarding death-cum-retirement benefits, retired defence personnel get 20 per cent additional pension when they turn 80 years old, 30 per cent after turning 85, 40 per cent after crossing 90 years, 50 per cent after reaching 95 years and 100 per cent of additional pension after completing 100 years.

“Today, it is family time, playing cricket, cutting cake and of course some champagne,” Sriniwas says.