During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Flight Lieutenant Kuldip Singh Bajwa was serving with an operational Squadron in the Eastern Sector. On the 4th December, 1971, he was No. 4 of the formation which attacked a heavily defended airfield. Short of the target, he was the first pilot who noticed that his formation had been attacked by three Sabres. He immediately took appropriate steps and saved the threatened aircraft. In a subsequent strike on Tejgaon on the same day where he was No. 2 in a two aircraft formation, he found his leader being attacked by a Sabre. He again exercised effective control and informed his leader to execute a timely Break. At this stage he was fired upon by the enemy. His aircraft was damaged and it went out of control close to the Ground. Rather than abandoning the aircraft over enemy territory he brought his aircraft under control, a few feet off the ground and decided to make an attempt to take the aircraft to base. He flew the damaged aircraft over a distance of 150 nautical miles and landed it safely at the base. Subsequently, he executed several highly effective missions in the face of heavy ground fire. He attacked and damaged a number of enemy ammunition dumps, many gun positions, tanks, ferry boats, trains, bunkers, buildings and effectively straffed enemy concentration areas.

Throughout, Flight Lieutenant Kuldip Singh Bajwa displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.