Fifty years ago, 94 brave young Indian men took a leap of faith to form the country’s first Indian naval battalion.

While they were not the very first Indian members of the navy (34 men had trained at Saldanha Bay in 1974), the South African Indian Corps Battalion was the first official unit, formed under Commander MN Heyns in 1975.

Among them was then 22-year-old Tongaat carpenter Danny Ramanna, who saw the naval posting as an opportunity to develop new skills.

“We Indians have always been a seafaring people and I think after the Saldanha Bay group the commanding officers saw we were fit, capable and could be useful,” said Ramanna.

“Guys came from all over the country, including four or five from Tongaat and two or three from Stanger.”

The men were trained in basic combat, firearms and naval procedures, often conducting drills off the Durban coast and in Simon’s Town.

“I never saw active combat in my four years with the battalion,” Ramanna recalled.

“The closest we came was during the 1976 Soweto riots, when the entire armed forces were put on high alert. We weren’t allowed to leave the base and had to be prepared to move out at any moment.”

Ramanna said there was some resistance to the Indian battalion from fellow naval personnel, but that the group banded together to overcome challenges.

“There was one particular English captain who gave us a really hard time,” he said with a wry smile.

“But we were very proud to be the first Indian battalion in the navy. We felt like we were part of something and we had plenty of good times.”

Ramanna left the battalion as an able seaman in 1979. That same year, it was renamed SAS Jalsena, a name still widely used today. A popular Facebook group by the same name is filled with stories from those who served.

“We try to get as many people as we can together once a year for a meet-up. It’s good to stay in contact with the guys who are still with us.”

Following his time in the navy, Ramanna worked at the Durban University of Technology for most of his career. Now retired and living in Tongaat, he enjoys a quieter life.

An avid musician, he shares Bob Dylan-inspired 1970s covers on TikTok under the handle @danny.ramanna.

Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.

Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.