Anchit Gupta Profile picture
Jan 26, 2022 8 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Republic Day special! Haider Raza - The forgotten Airman. Commissioned @IAF_MCC as a pilot with the 2nd Pilot Course in 1940, he later moved to Pakistan Air Force, from where he left as the Vice Chief. Not before he had made his mark...His story.. (1/7)
Born on 23 Sep 1916 in Chapra, United Provinces to Mary (Lyng) Raza and Syed Mustapha Raza, he chose to move to PAF on partition, even though his brother continued to serve with the Indian Army. He though spent his last years and died in the USA. (2/7)
He saw service with 1 Sqn and was the first non-white Commanding officer of 10 Sqn of the @IAF_MCC . His last posting before the partition was as Officer-in-Charge Flying of Kohat, the only station open to Indians to command and control. (3/7)
Raza's first 4 years were with 1 Sqn, where he rose to be B Flight Commander (Seen in pic) and served in Imphal - Kohima (where this pic was taken). He was one of the only two pilots to fly two tours of operations with 1 Sqn in Burma. (4/7)
The Japanese offensive in Burma proved relentless, and 1 Sqn was withdrawn to India. On the way, Haider Raza became separated from the unit, but fought on alone, bombing and machine-gunning the Japanese invaders for two weeks. At one point he signalled headquarters...(5/7)
‘This one-man guerrilla war is great fun, but I only have one shirt and one pair of shorts and that isn’t enough for two weeks in the jungle.’ Realizing Raza had been forgotten, his superiors ordered him to fly back, where the young pilot was mentioned in despatches (6/7)
Raza left PAF as its vice chief in 1962 and migrated to the USA. @vayusena tracked down his grave to St James Church, Lothian, Maryland. As per his last wishes he wanted to be next to his best friend of his later years Harold McKnight. (7/7)

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More from @AnchitGupta9

Oct 13
1/8: Reflecting on the success of India’s Radar & Communication Indigenisation Project, I had to ask—why did it succeed while other aviation projects, faced significant delays, despite similar govt mechanisms?

Sharing my key takeaways 👇
2/8: Objective clarity was the cornerstone of RCPO. The primary goal? Plugging air defence gaps.This target was broken down into milestones spanning a decade. Indigenisation followed. Of the initial ₹185 Cr budget, ₹105 Cr was for foreign eqpt—a decade later, this had reversed
3/8: Breaking down objectives into visible milestones was a game-changer. RCPO had deliverables every 2-3 years: set up X nodes, design/ install Y radars, and build Z software. When stakeholders can see progress they benefit from, confidence and support skyrocket.
Read 8 tweets
Mar 18
For a long time, I wondered why the Chief of the @IAF_MCC was called the "Chief of Air Staff" and not the "Air Force Chief" or something similar. Well, at least I am finally enlightened. Sharing this brief of my exploration. (1/7)

#IAFHistory Image
The early 20th century witnessed a significant transformation in military structures, driven by the harsh realities of the Boer Wars (1899-1902). Reflecting on the conflict's challenges, the concept of "Staffs of the Services" emerged. 2/
These staff comprised officers with specialised qualifications tasked with reflective work, including acquiring and digesting extensive information, studying war possibilities, and preparing plans for potential scenarios. 3/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Mar 2
Jamangar Air Force station is in news these days. Jamnagar holds a very important place in @IAF_MCC. A topic worthy of a longer thread, but a few milestones are mentioned here.

A short thread (1/13) #IAFHistory Image
Jamanagar was not an Air Force Airbase before Independence, though the Jam Saheb was popular in the aviation circles. Post-independence, IAF was searching for a air firing and bombing range. After a search - it settled up Jamnagar and called it Armament Training Wing (ATW). 2/
The Jam Saheb was very fond of the Air Force and helped it immensely. It had an air to ground range at Sarmat and and air to air range in gulf of Kutch near the coastal strip of Jodhya - Balachandi. ATW was visited by Squadrons for training for a few weeks in rotation. 3/
Read 13 tweets
Feb 14
Air Marshal Ravinder Nath Bharadwaj, PVSM, MVC, VM, affectionately nicknamed "Mummy", passed away at 89 yesterday.

He was awarded MVC during the 1971 War, attacking Pakistan's airfields in the west. He was one of the only two Sqn Ldrs to receive this award(1/9)

#IAFHistory Image
From the 66th Pilot Course, he was commissioned in 1955 & joined the fighter stream. In 1961, he qualified as a Pilot Attack Instructor, the modern-day "Top Gun". The CO of PAI School, Nobby Clarke, gave the nickname "Mummy" for his sweet demeanour. It stuck for life. 2/ Image
Mummy also served in training extensively - He served as an instructor in Iraq & was with the OTU, training hunter pilots before the 1971 War, which earned him a Vayu Sena Medal, too. he continued his role in training later in life in staff appointments. 3/ Image
Read 9 tweets
Jan 6
While researching the initial lot of Cranwell graduates, I came across a name that caught my eye. This name was that of a certain Mr WHJ Wilkinson CIE ICS, whose name figures in most entry forms of the @IAF_MCC Cadets who went to Cranwell. The name did intrigue me a lot. (1/18) Image
My subsequent research revealed the story of a man who lived a very interesting life in India. It is a story that needs to be told, even if not directly related to #IAFHistory. It also has some gaps (gaps that I hope will be filled by crowdsourcing). 2/
Walter Hugh John Wilkinson was born in 1874 & went on to study at Oxford. Joining the ICS as a Political Officer, the 23-year-old arrived in India on 29 Nov 1897. His first five years were spent in various capacities in Bombay.. 3/
Read 19 tweets
Dec 17, 2023
What was it like to be in the @IAF_MCC in 1933?
This narrative captures the essence of that first year, viewed through the eyes of the early aviators. Little did they know their journey would demand courage and sacrifice. (1/20) #IAFHistory Image
The first Indian Air Force officers completed their education at RAF College Cranwell in July 1932. They spent a few months training in England. Subsequently, in April 1933, they returned to India to create the first flight of the No 1 Squadron. 2/ Image
Flight Lieutenant Cecil "Boy" Bouchier assumed command of this Flight. Boy Bouchier was a distinguished WWI veteran honoured with the DFC, AFC, and Polish and French Crosses. He volunteered for this role when no other British officer was prepared to lead. 3/ Image
Read 20 tweets

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