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Maha Vir Chakra Awardee List for the year 1971
A total of 4 Awards are listed.
Maha Vir Chakra : 4 |
 Maha Vir Chakra | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wg Cdr | Ramesh Sakharam Benegal 4220 F(P) | Unit : No.106 Squadron | Award Date 17 Dec 71 | Announced 18 Dec 71 | |
| Details : |  As the Officer Commanding of an Operational reconnaissance squadron [No.106 SR Squadron, Canberras] he has carried out a very large number of missions over enemy territory and has obtained vital information about enemy Air Force and other installations. These missions have entailed flying unarmed and unescorted vary deep into enemy territory and to heavily defended targets. The information brought back from these missions has facilitated the planning of Army, Air Force and Naval operations and has thus directly contributed to the attrition of the Pakistani war machine, It is further to the credit of Wing Commander Benegal that he has never returned from any of these innumerable missions without having achieved his object in full measure. While flying repeatedly deep into enemy territory in an unarmed aircraft he has displayed gallantry, devotion to duty and professional skill of the highest order. | ||||
| Reference: | Gazette of India , 12th February 1972 - No.20 - Pres/72 dated 20th January 1972 | ||||
| Maha Vir Chakra | |||||
| Wg Cdr | Vidya Bhushan Vasisht 4584 F(P) | Unit : No.44 Squadron | Award Date 03 Dec 71 | Announced 18 Dec 71 | |
| Details : |  Wing Commander Vasisht, the Commanding Officer of an operational squadron [No.44 Squadron, Antonov An-12] , led a group of heavy bombers of his squadron to attack an important enemy fuel and ammunition dump at Changa Manga forest on the night of December 3. 1971. In spite of very heavy enemy ground fire. the pressed home the attack, and caused severe damage to the target. Again, on the next night, he led another raid to the same target and succeeded in causing further heavy damage in the face of intense enemy ground fire. On the night of December 5, 1971, he led a formation of his bombers, this time to attack enemy positions in the Haji Pir Pass in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The difficulties and dangers of this operation were due as much to the great volume of ground fire in the target area, as to the hazards of flying his large aircraft and leading his formation at low level through mountainous terrain. In spite of these hazards. Wing Commander Vasisht pressed home tha attack and achieved marked success in hitting the enemy's positions. In addition to these, he had led many other missions deep into enemy territory where opposition could be expected from fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft fire. In all these raids Wing Commander Vasisht completed the tasks to him without any loss to our aircraft. He has displayed inspired leadership, exceptional devotion to duly, and conspicuous bravery in repeatedly leading attacks against heavily defended enemy targets, night after night. | ||||
| Reference: | Gazette of India , 12th February 1972 - No.20 - Pres/72 dated 20th January 1972 | ||||
| Maha Vir Chakra | |||||
| Wg Cdr | Harcharan Singh Manget 4666 F(P) | Unit : No.32 Squadron | Award Date 04 Dec 71 | Announced 18 Dec 71 | |
| Details : |  As the Commanding Officer of a fighter bomber squadron [No.32 Squadron, Sukhoi-7] he has undertaken a number of interdiction and close support missions and also many photographic reconnaissance sorties, without fighter escort, deep into enemy territory. The information brought by him from the reconnaissance sorties has been of great value to the Army and the Air Force in their operational planning. While on a strike mission his aircraft was hit thrice by intense anti-aircraft fire but he pressed forward until he found that the other aircraft in his formation had also suffered serious damage. At this point enemy interceptors came on the scene. Despite this, he extricated his formation from the hazardous situation and led it safely back to base. On landing it was found that his aircraft was extensively damaged and major portions of the control surfaces completely shot away. Only superb flying skill and courage of the highest order could have brought such a badly damaged aircraft back to a safe landing. His leadership of the mission in those circumstances was outstanding. He has displayed gallantry determination and professional skill of the highest order. | ||||
| Reference: | Gazette of India , 12th February 1972 - No.20 - Pres/72 dated 20th January 1972 | ||||
| Maha Vir Chakra | |||||
| Sqn Ldr | Madhabendra Banerji 4898 F(P) | Unit : No.101 Squadron | Award Date 17 Dec 71 | Announced 18 Dec 71 | |
| Details : |  Squadron Leader Banerji, a senior pilot in a fighter bomber squadron [No101 Squadron, Sukhoi-7], led no fewer than 14 missions in S-22 aircraft within the first week of the present war against enemy targets, most of them in support of our Army in the Chhamb battles. During these missions, he destroyed two enemy tanks and two guns. On three occasions, he was personally responsible for attacking the enemy in the face of heavy ground fire, thus relieving pressure on our own troops. He has displayed bravery and skill in repeatedly returning to the fray in the face of extremely heavy ground fire. | ||||
| Reference: | Gazette of India , 12th February 1972 - No.20 - Pres/72 dated 20th January 1972 | ||||
The Awards Database presented here was made possible by the kind generosity of Air Marshal Bharat Kumar, author of Courage & Devotion to Duty : A Chronicle of IAF's Honours and Awards (1932-2008). Air Marshal Bharat Kumar had very graciously given permission to reproduce the citations from the book on this website.
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Note: All the data available here is publicly available in the Gazette of India, published by the Indian Government, or from public domain sources, press releases about Awards and Right-To-Information (RTI) Requests. Additionally data shared by veterans is added to the page with permission. No data with respect to serving officers below the rank of AVM is displayed. Information in Gazette of India and Award citations and photographs as released by the Indian Air Force are the only details displayed.