View source for Kodandera Subayya Thimayya

{{short description|Indian Chief of Army staff}}
{{about|the Indian Army general|the 16th century Hindu privateer|Timoji}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Kodendera Subayya Thimayya
| office              = 3rd [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]
| honorific-prefix    = [[General (India)|General]]
| honorific-suffix    = {{Post-nominals|GBR|size=100%|DSO}}
| native_name         = 
| image               = [[File:General_Kodandera_Subayya_Thimayya.jpg|200px]]
| caption             = General KS Thimayya
| predecessor         = [[Satyawant Mallannah Shrinagesh|General SM Shrinagesh]]
| successor           = [[Pran Nath Thapar|General PN Thapar]]
| president           = [[Rajendra Prasad]]
| primeminister       = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| term_start          = 8 May 1957
| term_end            = 7 May 1961
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|df=yes|1906|3|31}}<ref name="UNI">{{cite news |title=Home of General Thimmayya dedicated to nation in Kodagu |url=http://www.uniindia.com/home-of-general-thimmayya-dedicated-to-nation-in-kodagu/states/news/1185213.html |access-date=31 March 2019 |agency=UNI |publisher=United News of India |date=31 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="DHNS">{{cite news |last1=K A |first1=Adithya |title=General Thimmayya's 113th birth anniversary today |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/state/districts/general-thimayya-s-113th-birth-anniversary-today-726068.html |access-date=31 March 2019 |agency=Deccan Herald News Service |issue=31 March 2019 |work=Deccan Herald|date=31 March 2019}}</ref>
| birth_place         = [[Madikeri]], [[Coorg]], [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date          = {{death-date and age|18 December 1965|30 March 1906}}<ref name="Karnataka">{{cite news |title=Biography of General Thimmayya |url= https://www.karnataka.com/personalities/general-thimayya/amp/|access-date=18 December 2021 |agency=Karnataka |publisher=Karnataka.com |date=31 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Frontline">{{cite news |title=General Thimmayya|url= https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30209553.ece/amp/|access-date=18 December 2021 |agency=Frontline The Hindu |publisher=Frontline The Hindu |date=31 March 2018}}</ref>
| death_place         = [[Cyprus]]
| relations           = 
| module              = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
| allegiance          = {{flag|British India}}<br>{{flag|India}}
| branch              = {{army|British India}}<br>{{Army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1926&nbsp;– 1961
| rank = [[File:General of the Indian Army.svg|20px]] 
 [[General (India)|General]]
| servicenumber = AI-944<ref name="maj_gen_subs"/>
| unit = [[19th Hyderabad Regiment]] (Now [[Kumaon Regiment]])
| commands = [[File:IA_Eastern_Command.jpg|20px]] [[Eastern Command (India)|Eastern Army]]<br/>[[File:IA Southern Command.svg|20px]] [[Southern Command (India)|Southern Army]]<br/>[[File:IA_Western_Command.svg|20px]] [[Western Command (India)|Western Army]]<br/>[[19th Infantry Division (India)|19th Infantry Division]]<br/>[[268th Indian Infantry Brigade]]<br/>[[19th Hyderabad Regiment|8/19 Hyderabad]]
| awards = [[File:Padma Bhushan Ribbon.svg|23px]] [[Padma Bhushan]]<br/>[[File:Dso-ribbon.png|23px]] [[Distinguished Service Order]]
| laterwork = }}
}}

[[General (India)|General]] '''Kodendera Subayya Thimayya''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DSO}} (31 March 1906 - 18 December 1965) was a distinguished soldier of the [[Indian Army]] who served as [[Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army|Chief of Army Staff]] from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the [[Sino-Indian War|conflict]] with China in 1962. Gen. Thimayya was the only Indian to command an Infantry brigade in battle during the [[World War II|Second World War]] and is regarded as the most distinguished combat officer the Indian Army has produced.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jacob|first1=J.F.R|title=An Odyssey in War and Peace|year=2011|publisher=Roli Books Pvt. Ltd.|isbn=978-81-7436-840-9|pages=17}}</ref> After the [[Korean War]], Thimayya headed a [[United Nations]] unit dealing with the repatriation of prisoners of war. After his retirement from the Army, he was appointed Commander of the [[United Nations peacekeeping|United Nations Peace Keeping Force]] in [[Cyprus]] from July 1964 to December 1965 and died in Cyprus while on active duty on 18 December 1965.

==Early life and education==
Kodandera Subayya Thimayya was born in [[Madikeri]], the district town of [[Kodagu]] (formerly known as [[Coorg]]), [[Karnataka]], on 31 March 1906, to Subayya and Sitamma.<ref name="UNI"/><ref name="DHNS"/> His family was one of the leading coffee planters in the area. His mother, Sitamma, was highly educated and a social worker. She was the recipient of [[Kaisar-i-Hind Medal|Kaisar-e-Hind Medal]], in recognition of her work in public service.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=417}} Thimayya was the third of six children in his family. The eldest was Ponappa (m) (known as Ponnu), then Thimayya (known in the family as Dubbu, and by the British as Timmy), followed by Gangu (f), Dachu (f), Amavva (f) (known as Amie) and finally Somayya (m) (known as Freddie). All the three boys of the family rose to become officers in the Indian Army.{{Sfn|Singh|2005|p=87}}

On his father's side, Thimayya belonged to the Kodendera clan to which India's first commander-in-chief [[Cariappa]] also belonged (his uncle in fact). His mother, Cheppudi Chittauwa (or Cheppusi Chittavva), was from the Cheppudira family. His wife, Nina Thimayya, was a recipient of the [[Kaisar-i-Hind Medal|Kaisar-e-Hind Medal]] for her philanthropic contribution during the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]]. His maternal uncle, C.B. Ponnappa, was in the first batch of [[King's commissioned Indian officer|commissioned Indian officers]] from the [[Daly College|Indore defence school]] and a batchmate of Cariappa. Desiring that he receive a good education, his family sent Thimayya, at the age of eight years, to St. Joseph's College in [[Coonoor]], a convent run by Irish brothers. Later, Thimayya was sent to [[Bishop Cotton Boys School|Bishop Cotton Boys' School]] in [[Bangalore]], along with his brothers. After completing school, Thimayya was sent to the [[Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College]] for military training and a stepping stone for a commission in the [[Indian Army]]. His elder brother Ponnappa (later joined INA) as well as younger brother Somayya (died in a mine accident in 1947–48 Kashmir operations) also joined the Indian army. Following his graduation from RIMC, "Timmy", as he was affectionately known, was one of only six Indian cadets selected for further training at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].

==Early career==

After completing his training, he was commissioned into the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] on 4 February 1926 as a [[Second Lieutenant]]. Amongst the other newly commissioned officers in his batch was [[Pran Nath Thapar]], who would one day succeed Thimayya as Chief of Army Staff.<ref name="commission_Gazette">{{London Gazette |issue=33130 |date=5 February 1926 |page=888 |nolink=y}}</ref> Thimayya was subsequently attached to the [[Highland Light Infantry]] as was the norm then, prior to a permanent posting with a regiment of the British Indian Army. He was soon posted to the 4th Battalion of the [[19th Hyderabad Regiment]] (now [[Kumaon Regiment]]), with date from 28 May 1927.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33300 |date=25 August 1927 |page=5109 |nolink=y}}</ref> Appointed the regimental [[adjutant]] in September 1930, Thimayya honed his soldiering skills on that famous training ground in the Northwest Frontier (present-day Pakistan), battling recalcitrant Pathan tribals.

In January 1935, Thimayya married Nina Cariappa (no relation to K M Cariappa). On 20 March 1936, they had a daughter, Mireille. The same April, Thimayya was posted as an Adjutant at the University Training Corps in [[Madras]], as a fitting example for young Indian undergraduates interested in joining the Indian Army, of what a good soldier should be.

===Second World War===
After this tenure, Thimayya was posted to his battalion in [[Singapore]]. In early 1941, he was promoted to the acting rank of Major,<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47">{{cite book|pages=146–147|title=Indian Army List Special Edition for August 1947|publisher=Government of India Press|year=1947}}</ref> and at his request, was transferred to India in October. Thimayya was posted as the Second-in-Command of a new raising (8/19 Hyderabad, later 8 Kumaon and 4 Kumaon) at the Hyderabad Regimental Centre in [[Agra]]. He was then detailed to attend the Staff College at [[Quetta]] where he and his wife had earlier made a name for themselves by selfless service during the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]]. He then served as [[Staff (military)#British .2F Commonwealth staff|GSO2 (Ops)]] (a Grade II Staff Officer) of [[25th Infantry Division (India)|25th Indian Division]], the first Indian officer to get this coveted staff appointment.

His infantry division was conducting jungle warfare training and was preparing to go into [[Burma]] to face the [[Imperial Army of Japan|Japanese Army]] during the Second World War, serving in the [[Arakan Campaign 1942–43|Second Arakan campaign]].  In Burma, he was posted to his old regiment as Commanding Officer of 8/19th Hyderabad, which he led with outstanding success in battle of Kangaw. For a short while the battalion was under the command of the [[3rd Commando Brigade]], with Brigadier C. R. Hardy at the helm, who during the height of a battle presented a trophy to the battalion. It was a [[green beret]]&nbsp;— the commandos' head dress&nbsp;— with a little typed message on a card, "We cannot buy anything here but we would like you to accept this as a token of our great admiration for the bravery and achievement of your battalion." For his outstanding service in battle, he was awarded the much coveted [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO) and also a [[Mentioned in Dispatches|Mention-in-Dispatches]].<ref name="DSO">{{cite web |title=Page 5574 {{!}} Supplement 37349, 13 November 1945 {{!}} London Gazette {{!}} The Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37349/supplement/5574 |website=www.thegazette.co.uk |access-date=25 September 2022}}</ref>

Thimayya represented the country during the surrender of the Japanese in Singapore, followed by the surrender of the Japanese in the Philippines. At the ceremony of Japanese surrender in Singapore, he signed on behalf of India. He was awarded the 'Keys to Manila' when he was sent to the Philippines. His innate talents of professional soldiering and leadership were soon recognized by [[Claude Auchinleck|Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck]], the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He was specially selected to lead the [[268th Indian Infantry Brigade]] as part of the [[British Commonwealth]] Occupation Force in [[Japan]] after World War II. He got this assignment due to his outstanding battle experience as a Brigadier and being the only Indian to command a battle formation in the field. As a matter of policy, the British avoided giving operational command to Indians. Thimmayya was the only exception.

As an independent brigade, the 268th had done excellent work in the Burma Campaign and was detailed as part of BRINDIV led by [[David Tennant Cowan|Maj Gen D. T. "Punch" Cowan]]. Brig. Thimayya proved to be an outstanding commander and his diplomatic skills emerged as he had to deal with [[Douglas MacArthur|General Douglas MacArthur]], the [[Supreme Allied Commander]] of the [[South West Pacific Area (command)|Southwest Pacific Theatre]], the other Allies and the vanquished Japanese. Thimayya's personality, charm of manners and unassailable reputation, impressed the Japanese of the calibre of Indian commanders. Thimayya was called on to defuse the sit-down strike by the 2nd Battalion, [[5th Royal Gurkha Rifles]] at the palace of the [[Emperor of Japan]] in [[Tokyo]] when the battalion refused to obey its British officers.

As [[Independence Day (India)|Indian Independence]] approached, he was recalled to India by then Commander-in-chief of British India, [[Claude Auchinleck|Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck]].

==Role in independent India==
He returned to India in 1947, during the [[Partition of India|Partition]], as member of the committee to agree to the allotment of weapons, equipment and regiments that were to remain in India, or to be allotted to Pakistan. Soon after the commission was completed, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Major-General]] in September 1947 and was then assigned the command of the [[Indian 4th Infantry Division|4th Infantry Division]] and also to take over the Punjab Boundary Force, dealing with the exodus and intake of refugees fleeing to their respective countries. In 1948 he was one of the active officers in the actions against the forces of [[Pakistan]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|conflict]] over [[Kashmir]]. His next appointment was command of the [[Indian 19th Infantry Division|19th Infantry Division]] in [[Kashmir|Jammu & Kashmir]] where he succeeded in driving the raiders and the Pakistan Army out of the Kashmir Valley. Personally leading the attack in the forward-most tank, the [[Military operations in Ladakh (1948)#Capture of Zoji La|surprise attack on Zoji La]] on 1 November 1948 by a brigade with [[M3 Stuart|Stuart Light Tanks]] of the [[7th Light Cavalry]],<ref name="Amazing">{{cite book |title=Thimmayya:An Amazing Life |last=Khanduri|first=Chandra B. |year=1969 |publisher=Centre for Armed Historical Research, United Service Institution of India, New Delhi through Knowledge World |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-87966-36-X |page=137 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWXfAAAAMAAJ |access-date=6 August 2010}}</ref> succeeded in driving out the entrenched raiders and [[Pakistan Army]] regulars and the eventual capture of [[Dras]], [[Kargil town|Kargil]] and [[Leh]]. 

Thereafter, Thimayya served as the [[Commandant of the Indian Military Academy]], Dehra Dun. On 1 January 1950, he was promoted to substantive major-general from his rank of brigadier.<ref name="maj_gen_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=70 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1950/O-2343-1950-0013-108724.pdf |date=24 June 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> On 1 October 1951, Thimayya was appointed Quartermaster General.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=195  |date=13 October 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> The experience gained by him in Japan stood him in good stead when he was specially selected by the United Nations to head the [[Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission]] in Korea. It was a very sensitive and delicate task dealing with unruly Chinese and Korean prisoners. Here again, through sheer charisma, impartiality, firmness and diplomacy, he completed this task to the satisfaction of the world body. He returned to India and was promoted to [[General Officer Commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]], [[Southern Command (India)|Southern Command]], with the rank of [[Lieutenant-General]], in January 1953. In 1954, he was awarded the [[List of Padma Bhushan Award recipients (1954–1959)|Padma Bhushan]] for Civil Service. He took over the reins of the Indian Army on 7 May 1957.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060416/spectrum/main1.htm|title=When an Army Chief almost quit|website=The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum|date=16 April 2006|access-date=2017-06-26}}</ref>

==Chief of Army Staff==

General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya assumed charge of the Indian Army, as the 3rd Chief of the Army Staff, on 7 May 1957. He briefly resigned his post in 1959 over a dispute with [[V. K. Krishna Menon]], the then [[Minister of Defence (India)]]. Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru refused to accept his resignation and persuaded him into withdrawing it. However, little action was taken on Thimayya's recommendations and he continued as the Army Chief till his retirement on 7 May 1961, completing 35 years of distinguished military service. Hence retired from the army in 1961, almost 15 months before the Chinese invasion of India in November 1962.<ref name=":0" />

==After retirement==
After retirement from the Indian Army, the United Nations sought his services yet once again when he was appointed as the Commander of UN Forces in [[Cyprus]] ([[UNFICYP]]) in July 1964. He died during his tenure at UNFICYP in December 1965 and his mortal remains were flown to Bangalore for the last rites. 

The street perpendicular to East Street (a road parallel to MG road in [[Pune]]), Richmond Road in [[Bangalore]], and the main road through [[Larnaca]]/Cyprus (East to West) were renamed as Gen Thimmayya Road in his memory. The road perpendicular to Hunsur Road in Mysore is also named as General Thimmayya Road. 
The Republic of Cyprus, also honored him by issuing a commemorative stamp in his memory in 1966.<ref name="ph">{{cite web|url=http://www.philatelism.com/details.php?issueid=24|title=Cyprus Stamp Issue: General Thimmayya |access-date=29 December 2009}}</ref> The General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Trust, a Trust instituted by some Old Boys of [[Bishop Cotton Boys' School]], annually hold the General K S Thimayya Memorial Lecture Series in his memory.<ref>{{cite web|title=General K S Thimayya Memorial Lecture Series|url=http://genthimayya.org/|publisher=Old Boys of Cottons|access-date=9 September 2014}}</ref> General Thimayya enjoys an unmatched legacy in the Indian Army. Of all the eulogies for him, the late [[Premindra Singh Bhagat|Lieutenant General Premindra Singh Bhagat]], VC (Retd.) summed it up best, "A General Thimayya is not born in every generation. The likes of him there will seldom be a soldier. The General is a man's man, the Army his soul and his soul the Army."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://genthimayya.org/general-thimayya/|title=General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya|publisher=General Thimayya Memorial Trust}}</ref> General Thimayya's house "Sunny Side" in [[Madikeri]] has been converted into a museum and a war memorial.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 April 2019|title=When General Thimayya's Grandson Comes Calling At 'Sunny Side'|url=https://starofmysore.com/when-general-thimayyas-grandson-comes-calling-at-sunny-side/|newspaper=Star of Mysore}}</ref> It was inaugurated in February 2021 in the presence of the President and Chief of Defence Staff.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=6 February 2021|title=President inaugurates museum dedicated to pride of Kodagu General Thimayya in Madikeri|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2021/feb/06/president-inaugurates-museum-dedicated-to-pride-of-kodagu-general-thimayya-in-madikeri-2260521.html|access-date=2021-02-11|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations==

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan=4|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award‐star|ribbon=Padma Bhushan Ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=India_General_Service_Medal_1947.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Indian_Independence_medal_1947.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award‐star|ribbon=Dso-ribbon.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_-_1939-45_Star.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_-_Burma_Star.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon_-_War_Medal.png|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Padma Bhushan]]
|colspan="2"|[[General Service Medal 1947]]
|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[Distinguished Service Order]]
|[[1939–1945 Star]]
|[[Burma Star]]
|[[War Medal 1939–1945]]
|}

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-1a.svg|35px]] || [[Second lieutenant#United Kingdom & other Commonwealth countries|Second Lieutenant]] || [[British Indian Army]] || 4 February 1926<ref name="commission_Gazette"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-1b.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|Lieutenant]] || British Indian Army ||4 May 1928<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33396 |date=22 June 1928 |page=4268 |supp=y |nolink=y}}</ref> 
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || British Indian Army  ||4 February 1935<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34142 |date=15 March 1935 |page=1810 |nolink=y}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || [[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] ||British Indian Army || 1941 (acting)<br>1 April 1942 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/><br>4 February 1943 (substantive)<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36042 |date=4 June 1943 |page=2579 |supp=y |nolink=y}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-4.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] || British Indian Army  ||19 May 1944 (acting)<br>19 August 1944 (temporary)<br>1 October 1946 (war-substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-5.svg|35px]] || [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] || British Indian Army  || 1 April 1945 (temporary)<ref name="Quarterly_Army_List">{{cite book|pages=220q–r|title=The Quarterly Army List: December 1946 (Part I)|publisher=HM Stationery Office|year=1946}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1928-1953) OF-6.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] || British Indian Army  || 1 April 1945 (acting)<ref>{{cite book|pages=2511a–c|title=The Quarterly Army List: December 1946 (Part I)|publisher=HM Stationery Office|year=1946}}</ref><br>1 October 1946 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_Special_List_47"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || Lt General || [[Indian Army]]  || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-7.svg|35px]] || [[Major general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] || Indian Army  || September 1947 (acting)<br>1 January 1950 (substantive; seniority from 4 February 1949)<ref name="maj_gen_subs"/><ref name="insignia" group="note"/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major-General]] || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=227  |date=11 February 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-General]] || Indian Army || January 1953
|-
|align="center" |[[File:General_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]]  || [[General (India)|General]]<br>(COAS) || Indian Army || 8 May 1957<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=124  |date=18 May 1957 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1957/O-2121-1957-0020-96186.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|}


==References==
;Footnotes
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
;Citations
{{Reflist|30em}}
;Bibliography
* "1962: The War That Wasn’t" by Shiv Kunal Verma, Publisher: Aleph Book Company
*{{citation|first1=Vijay Kumar|last1=Singh|title=Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers|author-link = Vijay Kumar Singh|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7619-3322-9|publisher=SAGE}}
*{{citation|first1=Satinder|last1=Sharma|title=Services Chiefs of India|year=2007|isbn=978-81-7211-162-5|publisher=Northern Book Centre}}

==External links==
* [http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/indo-china-conflict-how-nehru-menon-conspired-against-army-chief-thimayya/story-HANyf9zP7rC4k5dhLkSaAO.html How Nehru, Menon conspired against army chief Thimayya]
* {{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
|before = [[S. M. Shrinagesh]]
|title = [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]
| years = 1957–1961
|after = [[Pran Nath Thapar]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command]]
| years = 1956–1957
| before = Sant Singh
| after = [[S. P. P. Thorat]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command]]
| years = 1955–1956
| before = [[S. M. Shrinagesh]]
| after = [[Pran Nath Thapar]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title =  [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command]]
| years = 1954–1955
| before = Kalwant Singh
| after = Kalwant Singh
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command]]
| years = Jan 1953 - Aug 1953
| before = [[S. M. Shrinagesh]]
| after = Kalwant Singh
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[Commandant of the Indian Military Academy]]
| years = 1950 - 1951
| before = Thakur Mahadeo Singh
| after = [[Mohinder Singh Wadalia]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Chief of Defence Staff (India)}}
{{Chief of the Army Staff India}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1954–59}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thimayya, Kodandera Subayya}}
[[Category:1906 births]]
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[[Category:Bishop Cotton Boys' School alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|Thimayya, K. S.]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
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[[Category:Commandants of Indian Military Academy]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta]]
[[Category:Indian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]