I along with four other offrs, visited DSSC in Sep 1985 for a two-week familiarization trip. I met Lt Gen (then Col) Shammi Mehta there for the first time. He took a couple of sessions on the Indian take on Mech Warfare for the five of us. I forgot all about him on my return to unit.
I reported to MT-16 on 01 Dec 85 for pre-departure formalities. There I was told that though the Australian Govt had booked our tickets for 13th Dec, the Govt letter authorizing me to leave the country was still taking some time. After about ten days of running abound the corridors of South Block, (which included a confrontation with a high ranking CGO of Def Finances who reminded me that he would normally not permit offrs of my rank to enter his office let alone do something for him on priority) I was informed on 11th Dec that since the Govt letter had not been signed, I should request the Australian High Commission to change my tickets to a latter date. It was ridiculous. To add to my woes, we had to shift guest rooms every three to four days as every unit which permitted us to stay did so as a ‘favour’- Keerti & kids were already at the receiving end of Delhi’s attitude.
It was with this backdrop that I was loitering about on the lawns of SP Marg (Now Battle Honours) Offrs’ Mess and cursing everyone in general but no one in particular when I spotted Col Shammi Mehta walking towards the Mess from his room. He was recently posted to Delhi as AMA to the Army Chief Gen Sundarji. Though I didn’t, he recognized me, smiled and asked as to how was I. I told him as to how I was. His reaction surprised me. He asked. “What is so and so (Dir MT-16) doing about it?” When I told him that he wanted me to go to the Australian High Commission the next day and request a change of date, he was not amused. So he asked me to meet him next morning at 0930 in his office along with Director MT-16 whom he would also contact.
Next morning when we reached his office, he foirst gave his piece of mind to Dir MT-16 and then told him to keep everything ready by evening as he would ensure that the Govt letter gets signed before then. He then took me along and walked straight to the Def Secy’s office (I vaguely remember him to be some Mishra) and apprised him about my plight. I was told to walk to the office of that high ranking Finance offr who had told me my place in South Block hierarchy a couple of days ago and collect my letter from him after about an hour. Col Shammi Mehta told me to get straight to his office on acquiring the letter which I did. He then set wheels of mil bureaucracy moving at a rather abnormal place so that by 1600 hrs I had all the documents in place. He was also vey thoughtful in inquiring as to what time was my flight the next morning and how would I go to the airport. On my replying that it was at 0700 and I had no means of getting any transport at 0300 hrs, he rang up some one and booked a ‘staff car’ for me –mind you, I had never sat in a staff car till then.
Had it not been for him – perhaps it was God’s way of helping me; I would definitely have been in the Australian High Commission with egg all over my face trying to explain them as to what necessitated last minute change of my travel plans.
So we too have our own John Grey's but few and far in between and not many would go to the extent Brig John Grey did in the position that he was in.
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