My recollections of Air Cmde Peter Maynard Wilson, PVSM, VrC.

>AIR CMDE P M WILSON , PVSM VRC.

VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT

My Recollections of Pete Wilson

By Wg Cdr (Retd.) Kukke Suresh VrC, VM.

I read with great interest all that has been written about Pete Wilson. He is a legend and one of the finest professionals who served the IAF with such distinction. If one were to recollect everything and write about Pete Wilson, it would fill volumes. I had the privilege of serving under him during 1971, from April till after the war. I observed his thoroughness and dedication from close quarters. Enough has been written about his professionalism, his preparation for the war and how he created enormous deception by playing scout games (during the war). Apart from all that, what impressed me most, his impeccable integrity, human touch and a very fine sense of humour.

Talking about integrity, Pete had no car of his own. He used to take his family to church on Sundays, in a Service Car. He had ensured that payment was made to the govt at the prevailing rates, for use of the car. He never ever spoke about it but everyone in AF Station Jamnagar knew that Pete just does not misuse Service transport. All IAF courier aircraft going to and coming from abroad passed through Jamnagar. Crew usually stayed a night at the Station. Pete never ever accepted either a drink of Scotch whiskey or cigarettes like Dunhill, Rothman’s from those returning from a foreign trip. He continued to smoke Indian cigarettes (Panama) and had his Rum.

Pete had the courage to present a mess bill to the AOC-in-C Western Air Command who had visited and stayed at Jamnagar. Names of both AOC-in-C, WAC and his Staff Officer were reflected in the "Unpaid Mess Bill Return" the following month for not having cleared their bills. Submission of the return of unpaid mess bills to Comd HQ is a requirement that is in existence even today. He could do this only because of the moral authority and integrity he possessed. How many would have had this kind of courage?

Peter Wilson from his days in Congo as part of the ONUC (UN Force in Congo). He was a Squadron Leader at that time.

At Jamnagar there used be a weekly briefing attended by all officers of the Station. There used be a lecture on a professional subject, by one of the officers, after the briefing. At end of the lecture, Pete usually took that officer to his own office for further discussion the subject. On one those briefing sessions, after I had delivered a lecture, he promptly took me to his office. While we were in the middle of our discussion, the Chief Engineering Officer (C Eng O) came in a panic and in cold sweat. Pete asked him as to why was he in such a state? Promptly came the reply that the SMSO from Comd HQ had asked the C Eng O to send a lot of sea products like fish, prawn etc, in an aircraft that was expected to pass through Jamnagar. C Eng O stated that he had acceded to a similar request a few months ago and had sent the items, paid for from his own pocket. How to comply with the present request? Where would the money come from? Pete in own cool way told the C Eng O to relax and not to send anything at all. He then called up Comd HQ and spoke with the SMSO and told him politely that the aircraft would not carry the things he had asked for, as there were no funds to buy them. The fact that C Eng O had spent his own money the previous time and the need to reimburse the same was emphasised by Pete. Nothing went in the aircraft and within a few days the amount that had been spent earlier by the C Eng O was also cleared.

Pete was also known to some as sleepy eyed dreamy Wilson. As mentioned earlier his sense of humour was unique and some of his sayings and writings that I remember are described in the following paras.

Pete used to describe the method of flying a Sukhoi-7 - "left leg to push the throttle, right leg forward to apply right rudder, pull back the same leg to apply left rudder, both hands on the control column to manage heavy controls."

I had a tyre burnt during landing run after my first solo in a Gnat Mk I. First to reach the scene was Pete who kept laughing, "Ha Ha Ha" He said, "I guess nobody told you that the Gnat did not have a maxret unit in its brake system, hence you were braking excessively without realising it". Well there was no further action.

In May, 1971 there was a major armament exercise at Jamangar and one aircraft each from all current types with the IAF took part. Various types of armament were fired/dropped over the range on realistic targets. Prior to commencement, there was a Mass briefing for all participating aircrew. Chief PC Lal was present. I had assisted Sherwin Tully who conducted the detailed briefing about the planned exercise. The need to observe safety precautions and to stick to the laid down safety heights for various weapons (to obviate any untoward incident), was emphasised by Sherwin. At end Pete got up said "Well you heard Sherwin about the need to stick to safety heights, please do so without exception. My seniority is protected while I am not sure of the seniority of all you gentlemen". PC Lal did not say a word but just smiled.

After the war, there was a debrief at Comd HQ with all the Base Commanders. It was reported that most of the Commanders while patting themselves on the back, spoke about conduct of the war from their base and the lessons learnt. As usual there were many claims and all kinds of conclusion. When his turn came, Pete narrated a story about a Scientist who came to the most Scientific conclusion. Here it goes.

"There was Scientist who got hold of ‘Flea’ and trained it to obey ‘words of command’. When the flea was asked to jump, it would jump. The Scientist then started to follow the progress, measuring the distance covered by the flea and recording the data. After a few weeks, he decided to experiment further, he removed front legs of the flea and asked it jump. Flea did jump but the distance covered was less and this data was promptly recorded. After a few more weeks, the Scientist extended the experiment and this time removed hind legs of the flea and asked it jump. The flea did not move. So promptly the Scientist came to the most Scientific conclusion "when you remove all the legs of a flea, it goes deaf". "

Needless to say as to how well Pete conveyed what he had to. PC Lal was present at this meeting.

Number 13 is considered unlucky and there are many who shun this number and do not fly on the 13^th, particularly if it also happens to be a Friday. Pete as Station Commander used "ONE THREE" as his Call Sign to remove superstition. Even today no one that I know of in the IAF uses this number as Call Sign.

Air Force Station Jamangar had made a request for positioning a helicopter on permanent basis for rescue purposes. This was an essential requirement particularly when the air-to-air range was active, where aircraft carry out live firing 10 NM from the coastline between Porbandar and Dwaraka. The request while being processed got in to the quagmire of red tape and someone from Comd HQ wrote back asking for a statement of case to be submitted (19 copies) with full justification for the need of a rescue helicopter. Pete wrote a three line reply that must still be in the achieves of WAC, "The geographical location of this AF Station is known to your HQ. The type of flying and the exercises carried out from this base are also well known to your HQ. Hence I have no justification". Within three days after the letter was received at the Comd HQ, a helicopter arrived at Jamnagar for rescue duties.

Group Captain Peter Wilson recieving the PVSM from the President, Shri VV Giri after the 1971 War.

Pete Wilson had his own friendly persuasion and carried people very well and thus the teamwork on the station was amazing. I still remember, a situation after an unpleasant accident. The court of inquiry wanted to blame the CO and Flight Commander of the Unit. Pete took it on himself by writing to the Presiding Officer of the court that the "discredit if any should go him as he was the Captain of the team on the Station". How many would have this kind of conviction?

He was very conscious of the environment and had totally banned shooting of partridges etc on the airfield. Pete got posted out of Jamnagar in Mar 1972 and as a part of his farewell, he flew an air combat sortie with each one of us in a Hunter. Sundaresan used to describe Pete Wilson as a "Banyan Tree" which he truly was.

Much later, in 1977, I once again worked with Sundaresan, Station Commander Pathankot. Sundaresan followed the footsteps of Pete Wilson and for every given situation there was a Wilson method.

Note:

The above article was written by Wg Cdr Suresh as a response to K Sree Kumar's article "Encounters with Veterans: Air Cmde Peter Wilson PVSM VrC" . All the photographs reproduced here are from Air Cmde Wilson's collection which have been procured via K Sree Kumar.