Leslie Mungavin

Leslie Norman 'Jack' Mungavin SPk, SK, SBt (1925–1995) was a two-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy, and a defence diplomat. He is noted for releasing his diplomatic assignment at the High Commission of Pakistan in London to command the combat assignments during the war on the Western front with India in 1971.^[4][5]

Rear Admiral Leslie Mungavin SPk SK SBt
Birth name	Leslie Norman Mungavin
Nickname(s)	Jack Munga Khan
Born	(1925-03-22)22 March 1925 Bombay, British Raj[1]
Died	1995 (aged 69–70) Wandsworth, London, England[2]
Buried	Arabian Sea
Allegiance	British India (1945-47) Pakistan (1947-78)
Branch	Royal Indian Navy  Pakistan Navy
Years of service	1945–1980
Rank	Rear Admiral
Service number	PN No. 282: 293 [3]
Unit	Naval Operations Branch
Commands	Vice Chief of Naval Staff Naval attaché, Pakistan Embassy, London Cmdnt Pakistan Marines
Battles / wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971
Awards	Sitara-e-Pakistan Sitara-i-Khidmat Sitara-e-Basalat
Spouse(s)	Joy Beatrix
Relations	George Mungavin (father)
Other work	Chairman Pakistan National Shipping Corporation

He also served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff from 1975 until 1977, with a two-star rank despite the position is required an admiral to be promoted in three-star rank, the Vice-Admiral.^{: 354 [6]}

Family and ancestry

Leslie Norman Mungavin was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) on 22 March 1925 into a family of Irish descent.^[7] His great great grandfather, James Mungavin, was born in Castleconnel, Ireland and is said to have emigrated from County Clare to India in 1825 to work on the railways during British colonial rule.^[8] His son, James St. John Mungavin, joined the British Indian Army. The Mungavin family settled in the British Raj and became part of the Anglo-Indian Christian community.^[9]

Leslie’s father is believed to have been George Leslie Coltman Mungavin, who continued in the railway service.^[10][11] Leslie was one of seven siblings.^[12] After the Partition of India in 1947, his family members emigrated back to the United Kingdom. Leslie, however, chose to remain and joined the newly formed Pakistan Navy.^[13]

Military career

Leslie Mungavin joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1945 and transferred to the Pakistan Navy after the partition in 1947, where his career in the navy progressed well till his retirement as VIce Chief of Naval Staff at the rank of Rear Admiral.^[14] He specialized in navigation at the training establishment HMS Dryad in the United Kingdom.^{: 425–426 [4][15]} In 1950s, he commanded PNS Alamgir and the Pakistan Navy flagship PNS Babur.^[14]

In 1964, Commander Mungavin was the commanding officer of PNS Babur, and participated in the second war with India in 1965.^[16] In 1970, Cdre. Mungavin was posted as Military and Naval Attaché at the High Commission of Pakistan in London, where his services and negotiation skills merited him a Sitara-e-Pakistan award.^{[14]: 249 [17]} Cdre. Mungavin left his assignment, only to be promoted as Rear-Admiral, and took up the command as Commandant of the Pakistan Marines which he led in the Western Front of the Indo-Pakistani war against India in 1971.^{: 427–428 [4][5]} Furthermore, he was noted for his skills in negotiation which earned him to be decorated as and merited him with a Sitara-e-Pakistan.^[14] Mungavin was praised for his impressive adaptability.^[18]

During the 1971 war, Mungavin oversaw the deployment of the Pakistan Marines in both East and West Pakistan, including riverine and coastal defence operations to counter the Indian Army in Chittagong and Khulna.^[19] Under his leadership marines operated gunboats and amphibious vehicles although they suffered losses due to Indian air and naval superiority.^[20] Mungavin was captured at the fall of Chittagong and held as a prisoner of war until repatriation.^[21] Mungavin was awarded the Sitara-e-Basalat for his valor in the 1971 war.^[22]

In the 1970s, he was elevated as the vice chief of naval staff from 1975 until 1977, with a two-star rank despite the position is required an admiral to be promoted in three-star rank, the Vice-Admiral.^{: 234 [23]: 354 [6]} In the 1980s, Rear Admiral Mungavin was also involved with the negotiations with the US Department of State when the Pakistan Navy was interested in replacing their aging fleet with Gearing-class destroyers.^[24] From January 1979 to April 1980 he served as the Chairman of the Board of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.^{: 188 [25]}

Death

Admiral Mungavin died in 1995 in England. At his request, his body was cremated, ashes were taken back to Pakistan and spread in the Arabian Sea. The Pakistan Navy honored him with a full military funeral, and his ashes were taken out to sea on board the PNS Babur and scattered there.^[14]