First Award for my Blog

Front and Reverse of the Silver-Bronze Medal

I have submitted my blog (shipthemegallery.blogspot.com) in Literature Class at the recently concluded Philately Exhibition - SIPA AMRITPEX, organized by SIPA - South India Philatelists's Association, Chennai, held at Olympia Tech Park, Guindy, Chennai during August 13-15, 2022; and was awarded Silver-Bronze medal. I am delighted to share the news with my blog readers.

I would like to thank SIPA and the Exhibition Committee team for this opporutnity.

 

President's Fleet Review 2022 - Visakhapatnam

FDC with Visakhapatnam Cancellation

Date of Issue: February 21, 2022

India Post issued a commemorative stamp of Rs.5.00 denomination on the occasion of President's Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam.

President Ram Nath Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind conducted the Fleet Review off the Visakhapatnam coast in the Bay of Bengal. As many as 60 ships and 55 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft participated in the mega event.

As the Supreme Commander of our armed forces, every President of India reviews the Indian Naval Fleet once during their term.

The Fleet Review is aimed at assuring the country of the Indian Navy’s preparedness, high morale and discipline.

This is the 12th Fleet Review and the theme was ‘Indian Navy - 75 years in Service of the Nation’, commemorating the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

After a 21-gun salute and ceremonial guard of honour, the President embarked on the Presidential Yacht, INS Sumitra - an indigenously built naval offshore patrol vessel. Received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Kovind sailed past 44 ships anchored in four columns in the Bay of Bengal and received the ceremonial salute from each of them.

The crew of each ship presented a salute with the traditional ‘Three Jais’, a symbolic act called “Man and Cheer Ship,” in a demonstration of the unconditional allegiance of Navy personnel to the country and the Supreme Commander.

Along with the ships, there was a Parade of Sails, comprising two Laser Bahia, six Enterprise Class and six Indian Naval Sailing Vessels Mhadei, Tarini, Bulbul, Hariyal, Kadalpura and Neelkanth.In addition to the naval warships, ships from the Indian Coast Guard, Shipping Corporation of India and Ministry of Environment Sciences also participated in the review.

Marine Commandos (Marcos) from the Special Operations unit INS Karna on the eastern seaboard, performed combat free-fall water jumps from the Para Dornier aircraft over a designated drop zone from a height of 6,000 feet.

The President also witnessed demonstrations in the form of a composite flypast by 55 aircraft including Chetaks, ALH, Sea Kings, KAMOVs, Dorniers, IL-38SD, P8I, Hawks and MiG 29K.

Info Courtesy: newindianexpress.com, onlinewiki.in

Special Cover - INS Ganga (F22) - Decommissioning - 2018

Date of Issue: March 21, 2018

India Post, Maharashtra & Goa Circle issued a special cover to commemorate Decommissioning of INS Ganga, which served the nation for 33 Glorious Years.

INS Ganga (F22) was a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy. Built in Mumbai by Mazagon Dock Limited, she was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 30 December 1985. The ship completed her post-commissioning trials in a record time of three months and joined the Western Fleet in mid April 1986.  She was retired from active service on 28 May 2017, and was decommissioned on 22 March 2018.

The badge / emblem depicts River Ganges flowing through mountain ranges.

Info Courtesy: Wikipedia.com

 

Special Cover - Indian Naval Signal School, Kochi - Diamond Jubilee (1958-2018)

 

Date of Issue: March 14, 2018

India Post, Kerala Circle issued a special cover to commemorate Diamond Jubilee of Indian Naval Signal School located in Kochi.

Click Here to view special cover issued for Golden Jubilee of Indian Naval Signal School, Kochi.

The crest depicts two crossed hand flags and radio waves, to show Visual Signalling and Wireless
Communication.  The motto in Sanskrit reads 'Yunjan Chakshu, Shrotram Manaha' meaning 'Open your Eyes, Ears, and Mind."

The  first signal school was established as a temporary establishment, at Carnac Bunder in 1919. It was converted into a permanent establishment in 1920 inside Naval Dockyard. In 1939, the school was commissioned as HMIS Talwar and was relocated to a permanent building in Colaba which is now the MT Pool.  The school was shifted to Cochin in August 1946. During the years that followed the signal school was housed successfully in several temporary buildings around the present Command Parade Ground.

The role of signal school is to develop highly qualified personnel with requisite expertise in Naval Communication, Electronic Warfare, and Information Warfare by keeping abreast of changing technological environment with sound technical knowledge and professional acumen so as to optimally exploit the naval communication, electronic warfare equipment, procedures, and network enabled information structure.

 Source:  indiannavy.nic.in

Special Cover - Maritime Warfare Center, Kochi - Diamond Jubilee (1957-2017)

 

Date of Issue: July 05, 2018

A special cover issued by India Post, Kerala Circle to commemorate 60 Years (Diamond Jubilee) of Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi. The cancellation resembles the design of the crest, of a chessboard and a seahorse as pawn representing the role of the school, i.e. training ground for maritime warfare and tactics.

The Maritime Warfare Center, Kochi is one of the premier institutions of Indian Navy for maritime warfare and tactics. Its vision is to enhance navy-wide knowledge base in applied tactics and operational art to assure effectiveness across the spectrum of maritime warfare. It's mission is to become a global level centre of excellence in maritime warfare through highest quality of ab-initio training specialist level education, command at sea consolidation and tactical analysis cum wargaming.

Info Courtesy: indiannavy.nic.in