Flying Officer Baldev Singh has been a Dakota pilot since June. 1967. He has a total of 2200 hours of which 1200 hours have been flown on operational sorties over hazardous terrain in the Eastern Sector. His flying has been accident free throughout and he has obtained a high operational status. On the 10th September, 1972, he was detailed to carry out an Air Maintenance sortie. While joining circuit at the Drooping Zone, he experienced severe vibration and smoke from the port engine. He decided to abort the sortie. The vibration further increased forcing him to feather the engine. Despite his best and repeated efforts the engine failed to feather and the aircraft started to lose height very rapidly bringing him below the safe height in the hills. He took correct and timely decision and ordered the load to be ejected so as to maintain minimum height for clearing the hills through the escape route, but the aircraft still did not maintain height. The live engine temperature started increasing rapidly and because the malfunctioning engine was windmilling, he restarted the engine maintaining partial power to counteract the drag of the windmilling propeller. After ejecting 57 bags of load aircraft maintained a slower rate of descent. After flying the crippled aircraft for one hour, under adverse conditions of weather he executed a safe landing at Base.

Flight Lieutenant Baldev Singh thus displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Air Force.