View source for Leslie Mungavin

{{Short description|Pakistani admiral}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Rear admiral (Pakistan)|Rear Admiral]]
| name          = Leslie Mungavin
| honorific_suffix = [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|SPk  SK]] [[Tamgha-i-Basalat|SBt]]
| native_name   = 
| native_name_lang = 
| image         = 
| caption       = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1925|3|22|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Bombay]], British Raj<ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HGV7-4LW2 India Births and Baptisms: Leslie Norman Mungavin]</ref>
| death_date    = {{death year and age|1995|1925}}
| death_place   = [[Wandsworth]], London, England<ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZ8-YLF5 England and Wales Death Registration Index: Leslie Norman Mungavin]</ref>
| placeofburial = [[Arabian Sea]]
| placeofburial_label = 
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname      = ''Jack''<br>''Munga Khan''
| birth_name    = Leslie Norman Mungavin
| allegiance    = {{flagicon|British India}} [[British India]] {{small|(1945-47)}}<br />{{flagicon|PAK}} [[Pakistan]] {{small|(1947-78)}}
| branch        = {{navy|British India}}<br />{{navy|PAK}}
| serviceyears  = 1945–1980
| rank          = [[File:13-Pakistan Navy-RADM.svg|20px]] [[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|20px]] [[Rear admiral (Pakistan)|Rear Admiral]]
| servicenumber = PN No. 282{{rp|293}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Gazette of Pakistan|date=1978|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9LpPAQAAMAAJ&q=rear+admiral+tanveer+ahmed+SBt|accessdate=10 September 2017|author1=Pakistan}}</ref>
| unit          = [[Pakistan Navy#Branches|Naval Operations Branch]]
| commands      = [[Vice Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|Vice Chief of Naval Staff]]<br>[[Naval attaché]], [[List of diplomatic missions of Pakistan|Pakistan Embassy, London]]<br>[[Commandant|Cmdnt]] [[Pakistan Marines]]
| battles       = *[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
*[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
**[[Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971]]
| battles_label = 
| awards        = [[File:Sitara-e-Pakistan (SPk) (1957-86).png|40px]] [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]]<br>[[File:Sitara-e-Khidmat (SK) (1957-86).png|40px]] [[Sitara-i-Khidmat]]<br>[[File:Sitara-e-Basalat Pakistan.svg|40px]] [[Sitara-e-Basalat]]
| spouse        = Joy Beatrix
| relations     = George Mungavin (father)
| laterwork     = Chairman [[Pakistan National Shipping Corporation]]
| signature     = 
| website       = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}

'''Leslie Norman Mungavin''' {{small|[[Sitara-e-Pakistan|SPk]], [[Sitara-i-Khidmat|SK]], [[Sitara-e-Basalat|SBt]]}} (22 March 1925 – 1995), known as '''"Jack"''' was a [[Two-star admiral|two-star]] rank [[admiral]] in the Pakistan Navy, and [[Defence diplomacy|defence diplomat]]. He is widely known for voluntarily leaving his diplomatic post in [[London]] to command combat units during the [[India-Pakistan War of 1971|1971 war with India]].<ref name="PN Book Club Publication, Shah">{{cite book|last1=Shah|first1=Mian Zahir|title=Bubbles of Water: Or, Anecdotes of the Pakistan Navy|date=2001|publisher=PN Book Club Publication|location=Karachi, Pakistan|isbn=9789698318031|pages=487|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=goDfAAAAMAAJ&q=Leslie|accessdate=15 August 2017|language=en|chapter=The Wit of Mungavin}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Arshad |first=Sameer |title=Asia's highest cross in Pakistan: A fitting tribute to selfless Christian community |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/gray-areas/asias-highest-cross-in-pakistan-a-fitting-tribute-to-selfless-christian-community/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

He also served as [[Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (Pakistan)|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]].{{rp|354}}<ref name="S. Low, Marston & Company 1977">{{cite book|last1=Jane|first1=Frederick Thomas|title=Jane's Fighting Ships|date=1977|publisher=S. Low, Marston & Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eNkqAQAAMAAJ&q=leslie+mungavin+SK|accessdate=15 August 2017|language=en}}</ref>

== Family and ancestry ==
Leslie Norman Mungavin was born in Bombay (now [[Mumbai]]) on 22 March 1925 into a family of [[Irish descent]].<ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HGV7-4LW2 India Births and Baptisms: Leslie Norman Mungavin]</ref> His great great grandfather, James Mungavin, was born in [[Castleconnell|Castleconnel, Ireland]] and is said to have emigrated from [[County Clare]] to [[Indian subcontinent|India]] in 1825 to work on the railways during British colonial rule.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Family tree of James Mungavin |url=https://gw.geneanet.org/ioanni1644?lang=en&n=mungavin&p=james |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=Geneanet |language=en}}</ref> His son, James St. John Mungavin, joined the [[British Indian Army]]. The Mungavin family settled in the [[India|British Raj]] and became part of the [[Anglo-Indian]] [[Christian]] community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FIBIS Database - Powered by The Frontis Archive Publishing System |url=https://search.fibis.org/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_dataset&id=678&s_id=779&sort=7632&st=210&np=12&tn=332 |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=search.fibis.org}}</ref> 

Leslie’s father is believed to have been George Leslie Coltman Mungavin, who continued in the railway service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leslie Norman Mungavin - Ancestry® |url=https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/results?firstName=leslie&lastName=mungavin |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=www.ancestry.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Family tree of George Leslie Coltman Mungavin |url=https://gw.geneanet.org/ioanni1644?lang=en&n=mungavin&p=george+leslie+coltman |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=Geneanet |language=en}}</ref> Leslie was one of seven siblings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mungavin Family |url=https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland/clare/drumcliff/message-board/mungovan-family-drumcliff-ennis |access-date=26 May 2025 |website=Ireland Reaching Out}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Arif |first=Hasan |date=31 March 2023 |title=Plural Pakistan: Christians in the Armed Forces |url=https://mypluralist.com/2023/03/31/hindus-pakistan-military/ |access-date=26 May 2025 |website=MyPluralist}}</ref> 

==Military career==

Leslie Mungavin joined the [[Royal Indian Navy]] in 1945 and transferred to the [[Pakistan Navy]] after the [[Partition of India|partition]] in 1947, where his career in the navy progressed well till his retirement as [[Vice Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|VIce Chief of Naval Staff]] at the rank of Rear Admiral.<ref name=cv>[http://www.dharkan.ca/archive/fall2006/DharkanFall2006.pdf Dharkan Fall 2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414164651/http://www.dharkan.ca/archive/fall2006/DharkanFall2006.pdf |date=2010-04-14 }}</ref> He specialized in [[navigation]] at the training establishment {{HMS|Dryad|shore establishment|6}} in the [[United Kingdom]].{{rp|425–426}}<ref name="PN Book Club Publication, Shah" /><ref name=war >[http://www.indiandefencereview.com/military-and-aerospace/December-1971-Indo-Pakistani-conflict-at-sea---II.html Indian Defence Review 21 June 2011]</ref> In 1950s,  he commanded {{ship|PNS|Alamgir|1958|6}} and the Pakistan Navy flagship {{ship|PNS|Babur|1956|6}}.<ref name=cv />

In 1964, [[Commander (rank)|Commander]] Mungavin was the [[commanding officer]] of PNS ''Babur'', and participated in the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965|second war]] with India in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aqil |first=Tariq |date=2023-08-27 |title=Plight of Pakistani Christians |url=https://pakobserver.net/plight-of-pakistani-christians/#:~:text=have%20been%20martyred%20thus%20far,the%20front%20in%20the%20Bangladesh |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Pakistan Observer |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1970, [[Commodore (rank)|Cdre.]] Mungavin was posted as [[Military attaché|Military]] and [[Naval Attaché]] at the [[High Commission of Pakistan, London|High Commission of Pakistan]] in [[London]], where his services and negotiation skills merited him a [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]] award.<ref name=cv />{{rp|249}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jane|first1=Frederick Thomas|title=Jane's Fighting Ships|date=1971|publisher=S. Low, Marston & Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KscqAQAAMAAJ&q=leslie+mungavin+|accessdate=15 August 2017|language=en}}</ref> 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 [[1971 Indo-Pakistani war|Western Front of the Indo-Pakistani war]] against India in 1971.{{rp|427–428}}<ref name="PN Book Club Publication, Shah" /><ref name=":0" /> Furthermore, he was noted for his skills in negotiation which earned him to be decorated as and merited him with a [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]].<ref name=cv /> Mungavin was praised for his impressive adaptability.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sirohey |first=Iftikhar Ahmed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IHjAAAAMAAJ&q=Lodhi |title=Truth Never Retires: An Autobiography of Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey |date=1995 |publisher=Jang Publishers |language=en}}</ref>

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]].<ref name="Pakistan Marines (Global Security.org)">{{cite web |last=Pakistan Marines (Global Security.org) |title=Pakistan Marines |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/marines.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613001010/https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/marines.htm |archive-date=13 June 2018 |access-date=17 April 2012 |work=Global Security.org |publisher=Pakistan Marines (Global Security.org)}}</ref> Under his leadership marines operated [[Patrol boat|gunboats]] and [[Amphibious vehicle|amphibious vehicles]] although they suffered losses due to Indian air and naval superiority.<ref>{{cite book |title=Pakistan Defence Review: 1971 |publisher=Services Book Club |year=2000}}</ref>  Mungavin was captured at the [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|liberation of Chittagong]] and held as a prisoner of war until repatriation.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date= 6 September 2017|title=The White of the Flag: Contributions of Non-Muslims for National Defence of Pakistan |url=https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/defense-security/white-flag-contributions-non-muslims-national-defense-of-pakistan/ |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research}}</ref> Mungavin was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Basalat]] for his valor in the 1971 war.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Ct3uarDLgUC |title=Sainik Samachar: The Pictorial Weekly of the Armed Forces |date=1973 |publisher=Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence |language=en}}</ref>

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]].{{rp|234}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sirohey|first1=Iftikhar Ahmed|title=Truth Never Retires: An Autobiography of Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey|date=1995|publisher=Jang Publishers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-IHjAAAAMAAJ&q=+mungavin|accessdate=15 August 2017|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|354}}<ref name="S. Low, Marston & Company 1977"/> 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.<ref>[https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?dt=2476&rid=180333&dl=1345 US Department of State EO Systematic Review 6 JUL 2006]</ref> From January 1979 to April 1980 he served as the Chairman of the Board of the [[Pakistan National Shipping Corporation]].{{rp|188}}<ref>{{cite book|title=International Shipping and Shipbuilding Directory|date=1979|isbn=9780510497149|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1fghAQAAMAAJ&q=leslie++mungavin+admiral|accessdate=15 August 2017|language=en}}</ref>

== 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 (D-182)|PNS Babur]] and scattered there.<ref name=cv />

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*Shah, Mian Zahir (2001). "The Wit of Mungavin". Bubbles of Water: Or, Anecdotes of the Pakistan Navy. Karachi, Pakistan: PN Book Club Publication. p.&nbsp;487. {{ISBN|9789698318031}}. Retrieved 15 August 2017.

{{Pakistan Navy Staff Chief}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mungavin, Leslie}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Indian Navy officers]]
[[Category:Pakistani Christians]]
[[Category:Admirals of the India–Pakistan war of 1971]]
[[Category:Pakistan Marines]]
[[Category:Pakistan Navy rear admirals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sitara-e-Pakistan]]
[[Category:Naval attachés for Pakistan]]