Page 60 - Leadership in the Indian Army

Staff College was considered a stepping stone to higher ranks in the army, and all
officers attempted to clear the entrance examination as soon as they were eligible.
However, before they could do so, they had to be recommended by their COs. In
Nathu Singh’s case, it was not just ambition that spurred him, but a burning desire
to prove to the British that he was better than they thought him to be.
For three years Nathu Singh was denied the recommendation to compete for the
Staff College examination on the grounds that he lacked experience. Naturally, he
was livid with rage, especially as several other officers, junior to him, were
granted permission. However, he could do little but wait. Then a new CO took
over, and in 1935 Nathu Singh was given the necessary recommendation. He
appeared for the entrance examination and not only qualified, but secured a
competitive vacancy. In fact, he secured 915 marks out of 1000 in the Strategy
paper, a record that still remains unequalled. The fact that he had done so without
any guidance or coaching was noted, and commended by his CO. For Nathu
Singh, this success was especially sweet, as his earlier CO had considered him
inexperienced and not good enough to take the examination.
At Quetta, one of his instructors was B.L. Montgomery, who later achieved
fame as the victor of El Alamien. ‘Monty’ was hugely impressed by Nathu’s sharp
mind and grasp of tactical problems, and predicted that he would go far in the
profession. He was known for his anti-Indian bias and had a poor opinion of
Indians and their intellectual capabilities. He is once said to have remarked, ‘I do
not like things Indian,’ to which Nathu Singh promptly retorted: ‘Then what are
you doing here, Sir?’
After successfully completing the course at the Staff College, Quetta, in 1937,
Nathu Singh was posted as Staff Captain of the Naushera Brigade. After the
outbreak of World War II, he was promoted Major and appointed Brigade Major
of the same brigade. He was on excellent terms with his first brigade commander,
Brigadier Nye, who later became Vice Chief of Imperial General Staff. However,
he was at loggerheads with Nye’s successor because of his pro-Congress views. In
1942, he was packed off to Imphal as GSO 2 (Chemical Warfare) of IV British
Corps. He was mainly concerned with the evacuation of refugees, who poured into
India as a result of the Japanese invasion of Burma. He literally saved thousands
of refugees from certain death, and his contribution was acknowledged when he
was transferred to 2/7 Rajput as the second-in-command.
By now, Nathu Singh had put in almost 20 years of service and should have
been promoted Lieutenant Colonel and given command of a battalion. However,
his promotion was delayed by almost a year, probably due to his pro-nationalist
stance, and he remained the second-in-command of 2/7 Rajput. During the Quit
India movement in 1942, he was asked to suppress an agitation. Though he placed
a picket on the route the rally was to follow, he persuaded the Congress leaders,