Trivia: The two Chiefs who led the @IAF_MCC during the 1960s demitted the office of the Chief nearly 4 to 6 months prior to the official retirement date, proceeding on leave. This oddity was not repeated but remains a mystery. This thread is a brief exploration. #IAFHistory (1/6)
Aspy Engineer relinquished office 4 months prior to his retirement. Born on 15 Dec 1912, he had time till 30 Nov 1964 to serve till the age of 52 as was the prevalent policy for a Chief (in the rank of Air Marshal. Air Chief marshal rank was created later). 2/
Aspy continued to though hold the Honorary A.D.C (Air) to the President post all the way to his retirement date. Aspy had served as Chief for 3 yrs, 8 months and even the "Max of 4 years in an Air Rank" rule of that time was not the hurdle. Arjan Singh was just 47 and had time.3/
Fast forward to 1969, Arjan Singh demitted office to PC Lal on 15 July 1969. He had served in the rank of Air Chief Marshal for 3.5 years and had been Chief for nearly 5 years. He was a little over 50 years old at that stage (born 15 Apr 1919). 4/
Arjan Singh's retirement date is 6 months later, buried in a gazette. The date itself is perplexing. On 15 Jan 1970, he was 3 mths short of 51 yrs. Thoguht, on that day he completed 4 years in the rank of Air Chief Marshal- possibly an extension not given/sought. 5/
Arjan Singh's successor, PC Lal, did not go on leave pending retirement. But his date of retirement remains odd too! Born on 6 Dec 1916, he was just a month over 56 when he retired on 15 Jan 73, nor had he completed 4 years in the Air Rank... (6/6)
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
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/
My thread today concerns a community of just 0.06% of India's population. Parsis, Zoroastrians, Bawas, call them what you want - their per capita contribution to India's growth remains outsized & the IAF is no exception. We celebrate their service. #IAFHistory (1/25)
It's almost poetic that the Parsi Faravahar symbol bears wings. While it embodies profound spiritual meaning, as an IAF historian, it's hard not to see the striking parallels. If I've erred in my interpretation, I humbly seek forgiveness. 2/
In my first, and likely sole, thread dedicated to any community, I believe it's crucial to begin by immersing in the data before embarking on a journey through the extraordinary luminaries that the Parsi community has bestowed upon the IAF. 3/