Air Mshl Minoo Merwan Engineer - the most decorated & battle-hardened @IAF_MCC officer who participated in all campaigns from WWII to the 1971 war and yet, remains much less spoken compared to his contemporaries. This is his service story. #IAFHistory (1/17)
Born in 1921 at Karachi in a Zoroastrian family where his father was the Div Eng for the Northwestern Railway. The sixth of the siblings & third brother to join the IAF, Minoo was low down in the sibling ‘food-chain’. He had a tough time keeping up with his brothers. (2/17)
Minoo had a jovial self & went to Elphinstone College, Bombay. He was commissioned with the 4 PC, a lot of 72, with many illustrious names. After training, he was posted to 2 CDF at Juhu flying Wapitis & in 1943 to 6 Sqn under Mehar Singh on the Hurricane IIB. (3/17)
In Dec 43 he took over as Flt Cdr of 3 Sqn based at Kohat & operating detts at Miranshah & was actively involved in the air action/ bombing of tribal areas in the NWFP. For his role, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) a feat two of his bros also achieved. (4/17)
His citation reads - "As Flt Cdr, he led many successful attacks in support of the Army, most of the time bombing and strafing in difficult country within a few hundred yards of our own troops. At all times he has shown outstanding ability and skill in leading his flight" (5/17)
Between Nov 45 and May 47, he commanded 8 Sqn at Mingaladon & 4 Sqn while it was in Miho, Japan flying Hurricanes and Spitfires. In May 47, he was promoted to Wg Cdr - 1 of the 5 from his course. He was posted to take over a newly formed RIAF stn Arkonam. (6/17)
RIAF Depot was to function for holding non-effective personnel. It was also to train RIAF recruits & hold the AF band. It was to absorb the Records office (AFRO now) & Central Accounts Office (AFCAO Now) - a predecessor to AFS New Delhi & a critical role for IAF. (7/17)
27 year old, Minoo found himself hauled to the north into the Kashmir Valley as the first Commander of 1 Wing wef March 48, based at Jammu, at that time with full control of all J&K ops (akin to AOC J&K today). He would earn a Maha Vir Chakra for his role in managing Ops (8/17)
Minoo was now amongst the most decorated IAF officers & was being groomed for staff appointments. After 1 Wing, he took over as Wg Cdr (ops) at AirHQ, the second in command of the Ops Dte. In May 49, he was sent to Andover, UK for higher command course with PC Lal. (9/17)
On return in 1950, he picked up rank of Gp Capt & would have two long tenures.4 years as SASO, Trg Cmd & 5 years as Stn Cdr, 2 Wing, Poona (concurrently 2 TAC). Under his command-Trg Cmd took over charge of all flying trg & Poona inducted Liberators, Vampire & Canberra. (10/17)
In 1959, he was posted as SASO of Opl Command (now WAC) on promotion to Air Cmde. He would find his way to the Eastern sector in 1962 with the Chinese aggression building steam. The EAC was then at Calcutta and Engineer was tasked to form a new Group at Tezpur (11/17)
It was here, that Minoo would earn his PVSM -managing transport and Helicopter operations from the front and leading sorties himself. After the war, he was promoted to Air Vice marshal and took over as the AOC-in-C of EAC, then at Shillong (12/17)
From 1964-69, Minoo was the Deputy chief (equivalent to Vice Chief today). He oversaw the 1965 war, revamped the DCAS office introducing concepts of offensive and air defense arms. He would also be promoted to Air Marshal. But his last hurrah was still to come(13/17)
From 1969-73 he was AOC-in-C WAC & found himself in the hot seat during the 1971 war, leading the conflict on the western front. It is to his credit, he would lead such high-pressure appointments for long periods. Govt awarded him Padma Bhushan for his role in 1971 War. (14/17)
The Flyer in Minoo never took a back seat.Just a month short of retirement, he flew in the republic day flypast in a MiG-21. Here he is seen standing by a MiG-21FL after landing. Minoo proved the ‘eternal warrior’. Below a jovial, genial exterior, he hid a steely resolve. (15/17)
He thus remains the most decorated IAF officer ever - a DFC (Top Left) for WW2, a Maha Vir Chakra (2nd in Group) for the Kashmir Operations, PVSM for 1962 Ops and the Padma Bhushan (Top right) for the 1971 India-Pakistan War. (16/17)
In 1990, Maharashtra government honored him with the ‘Gaurav Puraskar.’ On retirement, he plunged into different challenges such as CEO of an advertising agency which he ran in failing health till his death in 1997. (17/17)
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?
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.
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
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/
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
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/
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
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/
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/
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)
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/
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
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/
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/