Ex-Navy officer who served during World War II dead at 97

Vice Admiral John Thomas Goslin Pereira (retd), Indian Navy's former Chief of Materials, died here on Monday after a brief illness, family sources said. The 97-year-old was among the last surviving naval officers who served during the Second World War, Vice Adm I C Rao (retd), who served with him on board warship INS Delhi in 1958, told PTI.

Vice Admiral Pereira, who had settled at the Uran coastal town in adjoining Raigad district after his retirement in 1979, died in the wee hours at naval hospital INSH Asvini in south Mumbai, he said. 'JTG" as he was known in Navy circles, was the Chief Staff Officer (Tech) of the Western Naval Command during the 1971 war. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for distinguished service during the war.

"It was the painstaking preparation of the fleet and missile boats under the leadership of JTG which won us laurels during the 1971 war," Vice Adm Rao said.

Born in February 1923 at Kannur in Kerala, he was commissioned in the Royal Navy on May 1, 1944. Vice Adm Pereira joined the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, UK as a cadet in 1939 and graduated from the Royal Naval Engineering College Plymouth in Mechanical and Marine Engineering.

A year later he completed his post-graduation from Royal Naval College Greenwich, UK, in Advanced Engineering and Design Propulsion Systems. He was among the 15 selected from India for an Industrial Management Course conducted by France in Paris.

During his four decade-long career in the Navy, he held with distinction many important appointments both ashore and at sea. He had also directed the R&D work for the Navy. He served in the Mumbai's Naval Dockyard, first as the Industrial Manager and later as the Admiral Superintendent, and was instrumental in creating the shipyards Production Planning and Control Department. JTG is survived by son Michael Pereira (71) and daughter Jennifer (67), Vice Adm Rao said.