Fort William Kolkata

I got the opportunity to visit a fort which is located in my city, this is a scoop type fort on the western part of Kolkata city just next to Ganga. It was built in 1696. I got the opportunity to start visiting this fort when I was a school student and at the same time, I was a cadet of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Junior Division, Army Wing. Our weekly training was at the Brigade Parade Ground. The NCC office is located at this Fort. I was a less regular visitor of the Fort after our NCC training. I have the opportunity to fire the first .22 bore rifle at the short firing range at his fort. This firing range is not functional now.

It was seeing an army family who was living in this fort I thought  I should join the Indian Army. My friends Salil Chakraborty and Sabyasachi Mazumder were all NCC cadets of the 2nd Bengal Battalion NCC and we were students of Taltala High School which is located at central Kolkata. The NCC troop of our school was quite active in this training. We were sincere about the turnout and used to feel proud to be a cadet. The wet canteen of Army units where we could get some snacks 'pakora' was a tasty favorite item.

The NCC training and camp was very attractive for me that continues even in my college life as a senior division cadet. I got the scope to attain the attachment with Regular Army, it was with the 20th Maratha Light Infantry, the duration was about a month, the location was in North Bengal and we had a tough time during the rain, our kitchen was dug in where rainwater was a problem to drain out the same we had to face the bite of leach. I was selected for Republic Camp at New Delhi in 1970. I got the Basic and Advance Mountaineering training from Mountaineering Institute and Allied Sports, Manali and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Darjeeling respectively.

As a Senior Division NCC Cadet, I joined two camps which were in Fort William. There is a Holiday Home and Army Officers Institute.


In May 1984 an Army Exhibition was held during the month of May. I was then recommissioned in the Territorial Army. I was posted to 107 Infantry Stallion (TA) as a Company Commander,it was part-time soldiering. In civil was working with the State Bank of India, posted at Kolkata. I was associated with this exhibition.  Two stalls were given to HQ Territorial Army Group Eastern Command. and there was a) Bengal Contribution for India's freedom struggle & b) Bengal contribution to Indian Armed Forces.

We had collected some photographs from  Netaji Research Bureau, Kolkata The Indian National Army songs were available in audio cassettes. These songs were played during this program.

Fort William Kolkata is active where the Head Quarter of Eastern Command is located. The residence of General Officer Commanding of the Bengal Area is there.  The Kendriya Vidyalaya, library stadium, swimming pool, gymnasium, golf course,  cinema hall, banking, Indian Post facilities are there. I still visit this fort, it is now 55 years I am visiting this fort.


Eastern Command at face Book