C B Ponnappa
| Cheppudira Biddayya Ponnappa | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 May 1894 Coorg |
| Allegiance |
 British Raj India
|
| Service/branch |
 British Indian Army Indian Army
|
| Years of service | 1919-1952 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
Brigadier Cheppudira Biddayya Ponnappa (1894 -?) was an Indian army officer during the British Raj who, in 1919, was in the first batch of King's Commissioned Indian Officers and who later served during the Second World War.
He was born in Coorg and was a maternal uncle of General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya. Ponnappa and his brother were educated at St. Aloysius College (Mangalore), graduating in 1915.
After World War I concluded in 1918, Indian leaders at that time raised a demand to grant Indians the King's Commission in the British Indian Army. That year Ponnappa, along with K M Cariappa (future Commander-in-chief of India), was selected for the first batch of Indian commissioned officers that underwent rigorous pre-commission training. In 1919, Ponnappa joined the first batch, consisting of 29 KCIOs (King's Commissioned Indian Officers), at The Daly College (renamed as the Training school for Indian cadets) in Indore. They were granted temporary King's commissions on 1 December 1919.
He then joined the 116 Marathas regiment and was posted in Tekrit in Iraq. He appeared to have taken part in some minor actions against Arab forces as he was mentioned in despatches. On 21 May 1921 he and his unit were sent to Lahore to assist local authorities in trying to suppress an agitation among Sikh Akali factions. At that time Ponnappa applied for leave to go home to get married. His battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Marsh refused him permission. So he approached Major General Black, the commandant of the Daly College cadet wing and secured leave. When he returned in the summer of 1922, he realised that Col. Marsh had been displeased and had given him an adverse annual report recommending that Ponnappa should not be retained in the Indian army. Despite this Ponnappa passed his captain's exam in 1926. On 4 October 1923 he was transferred to the 5th Royal Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry. The battalion was transferred to Quetta where Ponnappa was made battalion quarter master and later had to face problems with Colonel Franks as well.
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