On 15th September 1965, Flight Lieutenant Pradyot Dastidar was detailed as the navigator of a target-marking aircraft to lead a massive attack on Peshawar airfield. This mission was a difficult one and called for the highest skill and accuracy on the part of the navigator.

The route passed very near bridges that were defended by the enemy with antiaircraft guns. There was hardly moonlight and the whole area was full of haze. The visibility was so bad that Flight Lieutenant Dastidar saw the airfield only when he was directly overhead. As soon as he dropped a flare to see the target, the anti-aircraft guns opened up a heavy barrage. Undaunted by the shells and tracers he made a steady run and marked the target for the bombing stream coming behind. Then he turned around to see his bomb, while the anti-aircraft guns were firing and shells were bursting around him. After sighting the target-indicating bomb, he passed the bombing index to the leader of the stream. He left the vicinity of the airfield only after he had confirmed that the leader of the stream had received and understood the bombing index.

In this mission and in seven other missions, Flight Lieutenant Pradyot Dastidar displayed courage and skill of a high order.