Anchit Gupta Profile picture
Mar 7 5 tweets 2 min read
Mystery Trivia: The @IAF_MCC Service numbers for officers were put in place only in Oct 1942 (10+ years after formation) and unlike RAF/RFC that started with the number 1, IAF started with the service number 1551. Why 1551 remains a mystery (and an itch)? #IAFHistory (1/5)
Prior to Oct 1942, the Air Force Lists only carried the names, organized in seniority with no reference to any service number. Possibly, the small size of the IAF did not require an elaborate numbering system. (2/5)
Via an Air Force order, all officers appearing in the Air Force List of Oct 1942 were given a service number starting from 1551, in descending order of seniority. Implicitly, officers that died or left prior to Oct 42, never had a service number. We counted 93 such officers!(3/5)
From 1942 to 1950, the service numbers were preceded by the words "IND" to reflect IAF and not confuse with other commonwealth countries who operated together and had the same commission. On 26 Jan 1950, the "IND" was dropped. (4/5).
In the 1980s, IAF added a "check suffix" to service numbers, an alphabet to avoid confusion when using service numbers for data entry via a crude, yet a clever system in the pre-computer era. (5/5)

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More from @AnchitGupta9

Mar 8
MiG-21 (Fishbed, Vikram, Trishul, Bison, Mongol) and the innumerable variants in @IAF_MCC 's long service history have consistently been a conundrum for enthusiasts. This thread attempts an (over)simplified evolution of the MiG-21 types in IAF service. #IAFHistory #MiG21 (1/27) A unique formation flight o...
MiG-21F-13 Type-74 Fishbed-C was the first in IAF. 6 of these were acquired in Mar 1963 & served till 1968. F= Forsirovannyy ("Uprated") and 13 denotes the K-13 Air-to-Air Missiles it carried. They carried the serial numbers BC-816 to BC-821. (2/27) Image
Powered by the R-11 engine, pitot tube was below the engine intake,unlike subsequent types, where it was on top.The armament was the K-13 missile & one 30mm cannon. Designed for intercepts, its short endurance, lack of radar & poor single shot kill probability was a problem(3/27) Image
Read 27 tweets
Mar 5
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, Aspy and Ronnie Engineer, all awarded the D F C. Jang
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)
Read 18 tweets
Feb 27
"THE RESERVE AND AUXILIARY AIR FORCES ACT, 1952", asked civil volunteers to be called up as pilots/ technicians in case of trg, aid of civil power, or @IAF_MCC service. 7 Aux AF sqns were formed between 1955-67. 220 officers commissioned. This is their story. #IAFHistory (1/16)
First to be formed - 51 (Delhi) Aux Sqn in Nov 55 at the Safdarjung-based Delhi Flying Club. Originally on the HT-2 & Harvard, they converted to Vampire Mk52 in 1959. It was commanded by BK Stidston - Flying instructor from CFS, UK & at FIS, Chief flying instructor at AFA. (2/16)
Just Like Stidston, a number of regular IAF officers commanded various sqn's (The CO and instructors in AAF sqn were always regular IAF officers). Eg. BS Sikand (of Boyra battle fame), Alfred Anthony (4 Sqn, Burma), Chatrath (First CO 221 Sqn, VrC).(3/16)
Read 16 tweets
Feb 24
On 5 Sep 60, @DefenceMinIndia VKK Menon made a lengthy stmt in Parliament. A Dakota ac of @IAF_MCC was shot down over Purr vill in Nagaland on 26 Aug. While the wreckage was located, the crew was missing. This is the story of the crew, released 21 months later. #IAFHistory (1/16) Pic's Courtesy: Gavin Young...
On 14 Aug 1960,Naga hostiles attacked the Assam Rifles post at Thuda(Phor/Purr vill). The monsoon was at its height & rivers were in full spate. The attack was launched after destroying bridges on all the rivers. As the attk contd, the AR's supplies & ammo began running out(2/16)
Two Dakotas, ex-Jorhat, likely 49 Sqn were assigned the task of dropping supplies at the post. Ac had to fly low, amidst small arms fire at them. One ac was able to drop water but neither was successful in helping replenish the post. Both had bullets holes (3/16) Image
Read 16 tweets
Feb 22
Air Mshl Douglas George King-Lee, AVSM PVSM is the oldest surviving Air Mshl of the @IAF_MCC . He was commissioned in 1944 & served in WWII. This thread lives through his exciting career that culminated with a tenure as AOC-in-C of Eastern Air Command in 1983. #IAFHistory (1/12)
Born and raised in Nagpur, he was selected for the 27th Pilot Course & reported to Initial Training Wing Poona in 1943. He did his basic training at EFTS, Jodhpur on the Tigermoth, and was commissioned in Nov 44. He earned his wings at 1 SFTS Ambala flying the Harvard. (2/12)
In Sep 45, he was thrown at the deep end with his first posting to 8 Sqn, flying the Spitfire at Mingaladon, Burma. He remained with sqn for a year & on return was based at Trichinopoly and Kolar where he experienced an accident on take-off (3/12)
Read 12 tweets
Feb 21
#OTD in 1930, Air Mshl S Raghvendran was born in the village of Perinkolam but spent his early years in Ooty. He went to RIMC, Dehradun in 1942 and was selected for @IAF_MCC in 1947. "Rags" retired as Vice Chief in 1988 after serving for 41 years. He passed away in 2020. (1/7) Image
Rags had an illustrious career - He commissioned with the 51st Course. He was a flying instructor soon after and spent tenures in AFA & Iraq. Apart from a/c in IAF, he flew the Yak-18 & Hunting Jet Provost. He served as Flt Cdr with 5 Sqns- 2 Vampire, 2 Toofani,and a Hunter (2/7) Image
1n 1958, he was sent to Fighter Combat leaders Course (Equivalent of Top Gun school) in UK and scored an astonishing 74% in air-to-air firing (25% was considered enough). He put this learning to great use for the IAF and penned his thoughts here - bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/19… (3/7)
Read 7 tweets

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