T.S. DUFFERIN-- Recalling the origin

T.S. DUFFERIN--
Recalling -our Maritime Heritage
I was asked by some one this week as to how the name Dufferin was given to our training ship and realised  how much time has flown past -since 1972 when the ship was scrapped (1927--1972). We seem to have forgotten our Maritime Heritage in the new millennium-I supose nothing really lasts, unless we maintain a recorded link and so this blog post .This takes me to a post that Shri. K.R.A. Narasiah, -Marine Engineer and a Research Scholar (also a good friend ) had earlier written in Hindu Newspaper --This also records the  fact--that Late Sir Sivaswamy of Madras-- played a stellar role in the establishment of T.S.Dufferin --His wife Lady Sivaswamy in setting up many schools--
Read on "When the postman knocked"…

* Drawing attention to a December anniversary, K.R.A. Narasiah, tells me that most people, even seafarers and those connected with ports, have forgotten Sir P.S. Sivaswami Aiyar's contribution to marine training in India. On January 12, 1922, he moved a resolution in the reformed Indian Legislative Council to set up a committee to examine the possibilities of establishing an Indian Merchant Marine. He wanted a nautical college to be established where Indian deck and engineer officers would be trained and then apprenticed on Government-supported ships. When no progress was made for years on his suggestion, he moved another resolution on the subject on March 19, 1926, urging the establishment of training facilities for marine officers in Bombay. The consequence of his urgings was the commissioning of the Training Ship Dufferin in December 1927. From the Dufferin alumni have come twelve Admirals who've served the Indian Navy, two Chiefs of Naval Staff, and two nautical advisors to the Government of India. The first Captain of the Dufferin was Capt. Digby Beste. Certainly a December anniversary to celebrate by all mariners.

The Indian Mercantile Marine Training Ship, I. M. M. T. S. Dufferin, as it was then known, was built in 1904 and served as a troopship for the Royal Indian Marine (R.I.M.) until 1925. She was named after “The Marquess of Dufferin, Viceroy and Governor General of India, 1884-88.” According to a report in the Silver Jubilee Number of the “Indian Cadet”, the Dufferin magazine, in 1952:

“Persuant to a resolution moved by Sir P. S. Sivasvani Iyer in the Indian Legislative Assembly the Government of India appointed a committee on 3^rd February 1923 to consider the question of  training Indian officers for the Merchant Navy. As a result of this committee’s recommendations it was decided to convert R.I.M.S. “Dufferin” into a training ship, and the Government of India agreed to her sale to the Department of Commerce for that purpose on 5^th October 1927.

“The Training Ship actually came into being on 23^rd November when seven cadets from up-country who had passed the examination and satisfied the Selection Board were allowed to join before the official opening to save them the necessity of residing ashore between 23^rd November and the 1^st December on which date the First Term of the First year of the First Training ship in India officially commenced.”-

Reg Lord Dufferin: He  was appointed the Viceroy of India in 1884- Dufferin, Lord (1826-1902) Governor General and Viceroy of India (1884-1888). He was the successor to Lord Ripon --was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, Lord Dufferin held many political and diplomatic posts which include British Commissioner in Syria, 1860; Under Secretary of State for India, 1864-66; Under Secretary for War, 1866; Governor General of Canada, 1872-78; ambassador in St. Petersburg, 1879 and ambassador to Turkey, 1881.

TR/ Archives: File dt 17th Oct 2013--