imported>MarceloCoode04 at 08:13, 20 January 2026

2026-01-20T08:13:05Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral]]
| name = James Wilfred Jefford
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|CBE}}
| succeeded = [[Vice admiral (Pakistan)|VADM]] [[HMS Choudri|H.M.S. Choudri]]
| preceded = ''Office established''
| order = [[Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Navy]]
| death_date = {{Death year and age|1980|1901}}
| birth_date = 1901
| citizenship = {{flag icon|British India}}[[British India]] <br/>{{PAK}}
| battles = [[World War II]]<br>
[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]]
| rank = [[File:British Royal Navy OF-8.svg|15px]][[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|30px]] [[Vice-Admiral]]
| serviceyears = 1922-1953
| image = Cdr J W Jefford & Lt P S Mahindroo Singh 01.jpg
| caption = Cdr J W Jefford, RIN, with his Navigating Officer Lt Cdr [[P. S. Mahindroo|Mahindroo]] on aboard HMIS Godavari
| term_start = 15 August 1947
| term_end = 30 January 1953
}}
[[Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral]] '''James Wilfred Jefford''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (22 March 1901 – 1 January 1980) was the first [[Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|Commander-in-Chief]] of the [[Royal Pakistan Navy]], serving from its inception in 1947 until 1953. Most of his early career was in the [[Royal Indian Navy]].

Jefford served in the [[Royal Navy]] as a [[midshipman]] during the [[First World War]] and was commissioned into the [[Royal Indian Marine]] as a sub-lieutenant on 23 March 1922.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32719/supplement/4486 The London Gazette, 13 June 1922]</ref> He was successively promoted to lieutenant, RIM (23 March 1925)<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33054/page/3795 The London Gazette, 5 June 1925]</ref> to lieutenant-commander, RIN, to acting commander, RIN, in 1940 and to substantive commander, RIN (10 January 1941).,<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35196/page/3533 The London Gazette, 20 June 1941]</ref> On 10 September 1946, Jefford was promoted to captain, RIN, and to commodore, RIN the following year.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37782/page/5480 The London Gazette, 8 November 1946]</ref>

On the inception of the [[Dominion of Pakistan]] in 1947, Commodore Jefford transferred to the special list of the [[Royal Navy]] and was appointed [[Flag Officer]] commanding the new Royal Pakistan Navy with the acting rank of rear-admiral (15 August 1947).<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38041/page/3739 The London Gazette, 8 August 1947]</ref> He retired from the Royal Indian Navy on 1 September 1948 with the rank of captain, but retained his acting rank of rear-admiral and his place on the special list of the Royal Navy while commanding the Royal Pakistan Navy.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38565/page/1386 The London Gazette, 18 March 1949]</ref> His title was upgraded to Commander-in-Chief in 1950, and he was promoted to substantive rear-admiral that year. He was promoted to a CBE in the 1951 New Year Honours list (from an OBE conferred in 1947).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39108/supplement/45|title = Page 45 | Supplement 39108, 29 December 1950 | London Gazette | the Gazette}}</ref> Vice-Admiral in the Royal Pakistan Navy, in 1953, the same year that his command was terminated.<ref name=who>'JEFFORD, Vice-Adm. (retd) James Wilfred', in ''Who Was Who'', (A. & C. Black, 1920–2008)</ref>

He was Chairman of the Penang Harbour Board from 1955 to 1957 and also of the [[Penang Port Commission]] from 1956 to 1957, when he retired.<ref name=who/>

During the [[Second World War]] he commanded [[HMIS Indus (U67)|HMIS Indus]] and [[HMIS Godavari (U52)|HMIS Godavari]].<ref name=who/>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.paknavy.gov.pk/ Official website of Pakistan Navy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430203704/http://www.paknavy.gov.pk/ |date=30 April 2009 }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-new|reason=[[Pakistan Navy]] established}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|Commander-in-Chief, Royal Pakistan Navy]]|years=1947 – 1953}}
{{s-aft|after=[[HMS Choudri]]}}
{{end}}

{{Pakistan Navy Staff Chief}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefford, James Wilfred}}
[[Category:Chiefs of Naval Staff (Pakistan)]]
[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:Pakistan Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Royal Navy vice admirals]]
[[Category:Royal Indian Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire]]

James Wilfred Jefford - Revision history

imported>MarceloCoode04 at 08:13, 20 January 2026