Rajendrasinhji attended
Rajkumar College, Rajkot, then at
Malvern College. Having resolved upon pursuing a military career, he joined the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1921, he was commissioned as a
Second lieutenant onto the Unattached List for the Indian Army. He spent a year attached to the 3rd battalion the
King's Royal Rifle Corps and then joined the Indian Army and was posted to the
2nd Royal Lancers. As a
King's Commissioned Indian Officer, he held various ranks and offices in the
British Indian Army and served with distinction during the
Second World War. General Rajendrasinhji became the first Indian to be deputed to serve as
Military Attaché to
Washington DC in 1945–46.
Second World War In 1941, Rajendrasinhji was sent to the
Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre as a squadron commander of the 2nd Lancers. In April 1941, his
brigade, the
3rd Indian Motor Brigade, was surrounded at
Mechili by numerically superior Axis forces. Being encircled, the allied forces were left with no option but to hazard a headlong foray through the enemy forces, into the desert. Rajendrasinhji's squadron took the rearguard position during this operation. While the vanguard suffered much loss of life by a German tank attack, Rajendrasinhji's squadron was not seriously impacted. He led his squadron in a charge through the enemy ranks, and they gained respite in the safety of some nearby hills. The squadron essayed further action on the enemy forces after nightfall and achieved considerable success; indeed, it returned to base with sixty prisoners of war. For his courageous leadership and determined action, Rajendrasinhji was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1941. He was the first Indian to be honoured with this decoration during the Second World War. Returning to India in October 1942, Rajendrasinhji was appointed commandant of 2 Royal Lancers in 1943. He was then appointed GOC-in-C
Southern Command (1948–53), following the retirement of
Lt. General E. N. Goddard.
Operation Polo, which resulted in the integration of
Hyderabad State with India, was executed during his term in office as GOC-in-C (South). As the senior-most serving officer in the army, Gen. Rajendrasinhji was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army on 14 January 1953, following the retirement of
General (later
Field Marshal)
K. M. Cariappa. Rajendrasinhji received the rank of General on the same day. With effect from 1 April 1955, the
President of India was constitutionally designated the Commander-in-chief of the
Indian Armed Forces. Rajendrasinhji then became the first head of the Indian army to be designated
Chief of Army Staff. He held that office until his retirement from service on 14 May 1955 and was succeeded by
Gen. S.M. Srinagesh. == Death ==