Anchit Gupta Profile picture
Jan 27 9 tweets 7 min read
1947 Kashmir War - Story of a crashed @IAF_MCC Dakota and the audacious recovery 34 years later. In Oct 1946, 12 Sqn became the first Transport Sqn of the IAF and converted to Dakotas. In Oct 1947, they were called upon to make daring missions into Kashmir. (1/7) A Dakota flying over the Hi...
Srinagar had a Kuccha airstrip with no landing/ nav aids. Flt Lt Clifford Joseph Mendoza was on his first flight in the area. He was flying in maintenance technicians and munitions from Agra to Srinagar to prepare Srinagar Airfield for armed forces during Kabaili Raid. (2/7) Flt Lt CJ Mendoza
The ac crashed,was never found. It appeared the pilot lost his way and strayed into Pahalgam after the Banihal Pass. It is believed that the crash occurred following engine trouble, the pilot tried to turn and in the process may have hit a peak. 25 IAF personnel were killed (3/7) Image
True to its spirit of never giving up, an IAF expedition discovered an aircraft panel in June 1980 about 15,000 feet AMSL tucked on the side of the
hill in Kishtwar - Pahalgam Area. Armed with this, in Aug 1980, another expedition was sent to find remains and wreckage (4/7)
This expedition had 7 members, including a medical officer. They searched for 9 days and finally located the Dakota and skeletons of the personnel on board. Only some bones were found, given the 33 year exposure to elements. (5/7) Illustrative Pic - An injur...
The team collected and transported the remains on their backs to a helipad 5 km away. On 11 June 1981, at 5 PM, IAF organized a mass funeral at Nigam Bodh Ghat, Delhi, solemnised by priests of all faiths, and in presence of close relations with full military honors (6/7)
IAF lost 9 officers and 23 other ranks in the 1947 Kashmir War, 3 officers and 22 men on this very sortie on 31 October 1947. A full list of those lost in the crash of MA-965 can be seen here - bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/personnel/… (7/7) ImageImage

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More from @AnchitGupta9

Feb 4
WALTON, LAHORE – The tale of the long-lost school that nurtured each of the 556 pilots and observers that were commissioned in the IAF between 1940-43, an unfortunate connection to Wg Cdr Jumbo Majumdar, DFC & Bar, and a British Scouts leader Hogg. #IAFHistory (1/12) A snippet of the Q&A in the...
A landing strip at Walton was created in 1918 and named Northern India Flying Club in 1920. In 1933, the creator of Walton Railway Training School, Sir Colonel Cusack Walton was asked to head the flying club and by 1935, this flying strip was given the name ‘Walton Airfield(2/12) Source: The Tribune
When the IAF expanded in 1939 through the introduction of the IAF Volunteer Reserve they set up "Initial Training School" at Walton. The IAFVR was comprised of officers who had undergone flying training at civil flying clubs and some were civil flying license holders. (3/12) Image
Read 13 tweets
Feb 3
Ambala, home of the Rafale, was the first @IAF_MCC Stn HQ (independent India) and was formed on 1 April 1938. This historic document sanctions its formation and the move of 1 Sqn to Ambala after 5 years at Drigh Road, Karachi. #IAFHistory (1/5) Image
The peacetime establishment of the Air Force Station HQ was 12 personnel, including three officers headed by a Wg Cdr. Ambala would end up becoming the training cradle of IAF all the way till 1951, thereafter was converted into a Fighter wing and remains so to this date. (2/5) Image
The Air Force Station HQ was necessitated by the permanent presence of two Sqns - No. 1 IAF and No. 28 (AC) RAF Sqn as explained in the note below. A Flight of No. 1 Sqn would move in June 1938 finally. Ambala mess would have 1 Sqn, IAF and 28 Sqn, RAF crest side by side! (3/5) Image
Read 6 tweets
Feb 2
Air Cmde Jagdev Chandra - The first flying instructor of the @IAF_MCC and the architect of the post-independence IAF training setup. As a father figure of training in IAF, he probably deserves more credit and publicity..tinyurl.com/2p8davra (1/9)
Jagdev Chandra was born on 6 Oct 1916 in Gujranwala in a Punjabi family, father a doctor and brother, the politician Jag Pravesh Chandra. He quit medical school to join JRD Tata as one of his first students and got his civil flying license from Nothern India Flying Club,Lahore.
He volunteered with the IAFVR and was commissioned with the 4th Pilot Course in Aug 1940. He had nearly 1,000 hours of flying when he joined the IAF. After completing his initial training at ITS, Walton, he was sent to SFTS, Ambala for intermediate flying training (3/9)
Read 10 tweets
Feb 1
The Phulkian Dynasty of Jind & @IAF_MCC - Jind had a connection to IAF like none other. Air Cmde - RHD Singh, Narendra, and JC Verma were married to three sisters, all daughters of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Gajinder Bir Singh, the 4th royal sibling, also served in the IAF(1/5) ImageImage
Air Cmde Narendra (1556) married to Devinderbir Kaur Sahiba, commissioned at Cranwell in 1934, served in NWFP 1937 and WW2, became Air Cmde in India in 1947. Was AOC No 2 Trg Group and PSO at AirHQ, died aged 39 in a Dakota Crash in 1951 as 3rd seniormost IAF officer. (2/5)
Air Cmde RHD Singh (1558) married to Brijinder Kaur Sahiba, commissioned at Cranwell in 1935, served in NWFP 1937 and WW2, CO AFS Ambala, AOC Training Cmd, PSO at Air HQ, and retired in 1960. IN 1949 he and Narendra were 2 of 5 Air Rank officers in IAF (3/5) Image
Read 6 tweets
Jan 31
The story of an @IAF_MCC pilot who later flew for the Royal Australian Air Force, in the Korea War of 1953 flying P51s and Gloucester Meteors. He was awarded DFC and the United States Air Medal for 76 daring missions even though was shot down once and force landed twice. Read on.
Charles Ronald Albert Howe was born 10 Nov 1922 in DerhdDun and educated at St Thomas' school, Achieving matriculation to Cambridge but was unable to accept the offer due to the war. He enlisted to do his duty in the war and chose the RIAF because he thought he might like flying
He was commissioned with the 16th Pilot Course in March 1943 and served with No. 9, No. 1, and No. 7 Squadrons till 1947. He was 'demobbed' as part of the reduction in service size in 1946 and left India for Australia in 1947. tinyurl.com/2mh9jsfa
Read 8 tweets
Jan 30
#MahatmaGandhi assassination & @IAF_MCC - Seargent Ram Chandra Dua and Seargent Dev Raj Singh were awarded Kirti Chakra for acts of bravery. Dev Raj Singh caught Nathuram Godse and snatched away the Pistol from the Assassin by force. Godse was carrying the loaded ..(1/3) Sgt Ram Chandra Dua
pistol and Sgt. Singh exposed himself to personal risk in grappling with him. There were 7 bullets in his pistol, and he would have gone on firing if Singh had not pounced upon him, gripping him by the wrist, swinging his arm up with one hand while raining blows on his face (2/3)
Sgt. Dua was responsible for apprehending Madan Lal who threw a bomb at #MahatmaGandhi on 20 Jan 48. Madan Lal was in possession of a grenade and Dua held onto him at the risk of his personal life. Kirti Chakras were called "Ashoka Chakra, Class II" prior to 1967. (3/3)
Read 4 tweets

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