INS Venduruthy

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INS Venduruthy is the oldest naval establishment in Kochi, India. A small naval unit was set up just two days prior to the outbreak of World War II it is currently being used as a Seamen Training Establishment[1]. World War II, however devastating it may have proved elsewhere, brought great importance to Willingdon Island, because the Royal Navy chose it to be a strategic site not only for their headquarters in Southern India, but also as an air station cum landing craft and sea plane base. In 1946, the Royal Navy bequeathed their abandoned establishments to the Royal Indian Navy, and part of the deserted base was converted into a small establishment of about twenty Officers and 130 men. It is the parent establishment imparting training to executive officers and seaman sailors of Indian Navy and several friendly foreign naval forces.The establishment caters to the logistic needs of the services, civilian personnel and naval units based not only at Kochi but also those based in Ezhimala, Wellington, Bangalore and the Lakshadweep Islands besides the naval NCC units.[2].

The name of the establishment which was then H.M.S. Chinkara was renamed H.M.I.S. Venduruthy (after the name of the original Venduruthy island) and on January 26 1950, when India became a Republic, H.M.I.S. was altered to I.N.S.. It celebrated it's 63rd anniversary in 2006[3].

Today, new projects in I.N.S. Venduruthy are underway. The establishment had to split itself into two great hunks when on May 11 1953, the new Air Station was officially commissioned and named I.N.S. Garuda by Shri Mahavir Tyagi, Minister of Defence Organisation[4].