Bond , Reginald Harold Arthur , b 1902 , Commodore

Bond spent the whole of his seafaring career in the employ of the British India Steam Navigation Company. He joined as a cadet in 1918 on the ship CHAKRATA. His next ship was the CHUPRA, carrying troops from India home and from London to New Zealand. He next served on the Indian coast until 1925. He passed for Second Mate in Bombay and did tours of duty in several ships. After passing as mate, he returned to indian waters as Second Officer of the SIRDHANA, and remained in her for three and a half years. He got his Master's Certificate in 1930. His first command of a ship was in 1938, and in December 1939 was given command of the VASNA, in which he remained for the whole of World War Two. The VASNA was fitted-out in Bombay as a naval hospital ship and served in Indian Waters, with the Home Fleet in the Mediterranean, with the Eastern Fleet and with the Pacific Fleet. In 1945, the VASNA was sent to Tokio Bay to help in the repatriation of prisoners of war from Japanese camps and as a Fleet hospital ship, and was the sole British Hospital Ship in Japanese waters. Capt Bond was awarded the OBE for his services during the war. In 1947, Bond was given command of the SANGOLA and in1949 the EMPIRE TROOPER, in which he stayed for over five years. In 1956, he took command of the NEVASA, which was hired by the Ministry of Transport as a troopship. He retired in June 1962 at the age of 60.