EPILOGUE: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

The cease-fire bought with it the retrospective look at what has been achieved and what had not. Now as we leave the circumstances and the account of the war, one wonders what happened to all the major players of the war?, Not just the commanders, but the pilots, airmen and ground crew who contributed their mite in what was their greatest contribution in defence of the country. Where are they now? What have they achieved subsequently? Were they recognized? Or just cast away in the by lanes of history? This chapter attempts to look into this aspect. Individually.

The peace that came to the sub-continent was an uneasy one. Six years later the same nations drew closer to another war, the force that had a blooding in 1965 now looked to another seemingly indecisive war. It is noteworthy that most of the officers who took part in the 1965 conflict contributed again in the 1971 conflict. Squadron Commanders became Air Base Commanders, Section Commanders became Squadron Commanders. And each of them bought with him to his post the experience of fighting a war. This time they would not repeat any mistakes that their predecessors had done.

Between 1965 and 1971, the IAF inducted considerable number of aircraft. Most of the earlier outdated aircraft like the Vampire, Ouragan and the Mysteres were now replaced with the new, snazzy Russian jets like the Su-7 and the MiG-21FL. Supplementing this influx of foreign aircraft was the induction of the ingenious HAL HF-24 Marut fighter bomber, a result of the design bureau led by the famous Focke-Wulf fighter designer, Dr. Kurt Tank. Add to this the manufacture of the Gnat in large numbers and by the beginning of 1971, India had over 700 combat aircraft ready for the frontline service. This, in spite of phasing out of the Ouragans in 1967, and withdrawing the Vampires from frontline squadrons in 1966.

In 1971 only two of the original six Mystere squadrons were operational, the remaining switched over to the Su-7s or the MiG-21s. Not that the Pakistanis were worse off, they beefed up their F-86 Sabres by inducting some 90 Sabres and about a 100 MiG-19s. The prize addition being some 28 of the French Mirage III delta wing fighters. These were more than a match for the MiG-21 and the existing fleet of the Starfighters were beefed up with a detachment of another 12 Starfighters of the Royal Jordanian Air Force No.9 Squadron which were sent after the conflict has commenced.

We will not go into the details of the 1971 ops here suffice to say that the scale of operations in 1965 pale in comparison with the scale of operations flown in the first two days of the Bangladesh conflict. Whereas the IAF flew some 3000 sorties throughout the 22 days of the 1965 conflict, the IAF in 71 flew 1000 sorties in the first two days.

Whereas the PAF of 1965 commemorates September 7th as PAF Day in view of the pitifully small number of Indian aircraft shot down over Sargodha (five), the IAF lost thrice that number in the first two days of the war, yet in the end its enemy was left devoid of any feeling of victory or otherwise. Mainly because of the losses Pakistan suffered on the ground and in the air, which are estimated to be even more. It was a sense of defeat from the word Go!. The credit goes to the Indian Air Force for its dogged pursued-ness of counter air sorties into West Pakistan.

Taking the brunt of the losses again were the Hunters, which lost an estimated 18 aircraft in counter air strikes. This is partly due to the reason, that the IAF pushed them to the limit, even attacking airfields like Peshawar and Radar Stations like Sakesar, which erstwhile, only the Canberras had attacked in 1965. Faced with a new combination of MiG-19s and Mirage IIIs armed with better air-to-air missiles, waiting for them, the Hunters suffered heavily.

So did the Canberras, losing an estimated four of them while only one was lost in the air in 1965. The Gnats maintained their excellent track record, coming out with the lowest attrition rate of all. The Mysteres were all but withdrawn from service in 1971, and only performed a tactical role. Still three of them were lost to anti-aircraft fire.

The 14 days conflict ended with the IAF flying over 7000 sorties and losing approximately 60 aircraft in the bargain. The PAF flew about 3028 sorties and was estimated to have lost a minimum of 50 combat aircraft in the assault. A confirmed radio intercept after the war, put the PAF losses being reported as 72. Considering nearly 20 aircraft were lost in the eastern wing alone, a figure of 50+ is not far off the mark.

The real achievements of the IAF is not in terms of number of Pakistani aircraft destroyed but also in terms of tactical and strategic victories. The blunting of the Pakistani offensive at Longewala, destruction of the Pakistani armoured reserves in the Changa Manga forest, the damage caused to the Pakistani war industry with the damage of the Sui Gas Plant, Sakesar Radar, the Badin Signal Unit, Attock Refinery, the Mangla Dam, The list goes on.

The PAF Flew 2363 Sorties thru out the 1965 War. The breakup given under

And according to their own admissions, the PAF lost 19 aircraft, an attrition rate of 0.81%, assuming their admissions are correct. If we take the Fiza'ya figure of 25 aircraft the same goes up to 1.05%, which is almost at par at the severe Israeli attrition rate of 1.1 during the Yom Kippur War.

In 1971 the PAF flew 3028 sorties and admitted a loss of 34 aircraft which works out to be a staggering rate of 1.12%. That is if you assume that the PAF is truthful in its admissions. If you take a conservative estimate of a loss of 54 aircraft then it climbs to 1.78%, hardly the kind of a rate to sustain even for a month or so.

The credit for inflicting this kind of damage and achieving these activities goes to the commanders at the helm of various commands during the war.

Air Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal, VCAS during 1965, succeeded Arjan Singh as Chief of Air Staff in 1967. P.C. Lal, a keen strategist and planner benefited from his first hand view of the 1965 conflict. He knew about the various failures of the IAF and took corrective steps in that direction. Now he also had a team to back his plans.

Lal received the Padma Vibhushan to add to his Padma Bhushan from 1965. After retirement he spent time with Indian Airlines and HAL. After retiring from public life, he died in 1982 while compiling his memoirs. His book, since published "My Years with the IAF" clearly ranks as as a classic in Indian military writing. It gave the first account on the IAF that detailed its role in 1971.

Air Marshal M.M. Engineer MVC, DFC who was the DCAS now, took over the Western Air Command. One of the highest decorated pilots of the air force with a MVC and a DFC, He led the WAC through the conflict of 1971. He received the Padma Bhushan to add to his PVSM, MVC and DFC. Engineer was bypassed for the top post, CAS, when O.P. Mehra became the Air Chief, which he accepted and lived a retired life at Pune.

Air Marshal H.C. Dewan, who flew bombers from England during World War 2 was the AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command.

Most of the Squadron Commanders of 1965 found themselves as the Airbase Commanders or senior Staff Officers with Important Commands/Units in the 1971 War and some of them distinguished themselves in their new capacities.

Wing Commander M.S.D. Wollen, the CO of the MiG-21s gave his command to Wing Commander S.K. Mehra (later CAS), and went on to become the Station Commander at Tezpur AFB, where he got an opportunity to watch his previous command take part in the 1971 conflict. He received the Param Vishist Seva Medal for his part in 1971. He rose to the rank of Air Marshal and before his retirement, his last assignment was the MD of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Wing Commander W.M. Goodman MVC, the CO of No.31 Squadron, which flew Mysteres, retired as an Air Commodore and is now settled in Australia.

Wing Commander Prem Pal Singh, CO No.5 Squadron, was awarded the MVC and was the Air Officer at Central Air Command, receiving the AVSM for his part in 1971 War. He retired as an Air Marshal.

During the 1971 War, Group Captain P.M. Wilson was Station Commander Armament Training Wing, Jamnagar. He was responsible for planning strikes on Karachi Oil Tanks, Mauripur Airfield, Badin S.U. and the reconnaissance of the Kutch area and desert. He was also responsible for the air defence of the area. To help him in this task were the Hunters from the OCU, a MiG detachment from No.47 Squadron and a few Gnats.

The Hunters led by Wing Commander D.M. Conquest made very successful attacks on the oil tanks and the aircraft at Mauripur and the S.U. at Badin. These were confirmed by gun camera evidence. Mig-21's attacked Badin S.U. with rockets and 23mm cannons and there was one direct hit on the operations block with a salvo of rockets. They were also responsible for the air defense of Jamnagar airfield and in this role, shot down the leader of a two aircraft F-104 strike.

Wing Commander H.S. Gill commanded this squadron and was shot down by anti-aircraft at Badin. The Hunters in an interrupted mission on Talhar airfield north of Badin, shot down two Sabres. Gun camera results of this engagement were not conclusive, but the aggression shown by the IAF pilots were worth their awards. Wilson too received the PVSM. He retired as an Air Commodore and after his retirement migrated and settled down in London, UK.

Incidentally one of the pilots flying the Hunters to Talhar was Sqn. Ldr. F.J. Mehta, who took part on the first day of the 1965 war flying Vampires. Mehta along with his wingman shot down a Sabre each to earn the Vir Chakra. Later on in the war, Mehta operated from Jaisalmer, where another 1965 veteran, Wg. Cdr. Mian Niranjan Singh was flying. Singh, who led the disowned raid on Kurmitola, was commanding No.27 Sqn. before the war. By the outbreak he was posted to the OCU at Jamnagar during the 1971 War. Singh went along with the detachment to Longewala.

Fate saw to that F.J. Mehta and M.N. Singh flew on an operational sortie in the same aircraft. Both of them were on a ground interdiction sortie in a Hunter trainer to the Naya Chor area, when they were intercepted by a Sabre. Mehta and Singh have the unique distinction of engaging in air combat in a trainer. During the combat, one of the Sabres crashed trying to follow the Hunter through its evasive maneuvers. Unfortunately Singh was not granted the kill after the war, even though Mehta's VrC citation acknowledges the fact as Mehta's second kill.

M.N. Singh later retired as Group Captain and emigrated to the US. Mehta finished the war and went on to Command the No.27 Flaming Arrows Sqn. He retired from the air force in 1979, and in 1982 had the unique distinction of getting caught in another air war, when he was on a civilian deputation to Basra, in Iraq and the Iran-Iraq war flared up. Mehta is now settled in Hyderabad.

Mehta's colleague in the Vampire strike, Flt. Lt. K.D. Mehra, flew Hunters during the 1971 war. Mehra was shot down by Sabres over Dacca on the first day of the war. He ejected in hostile territory and with the help of the Mukti Bahini, evaded the Pakistani forces for over a week before reaching back to Indian Lines. Injuries forced him never to fly again.

Sqn. Ldr. "Marshal" Dhar, who has the credit of flying the first sortie of the 1965 War, went on to the rank of a Wing Commander and took over one of the new MiG-21 squadrons. He was awarded the Vir Chakra (VC) for his leadership on the first day of the war, becoming only the second Vampire pilot to receive the award. He did not take part in the 1971 War, a MiG-21 crash claimed his life.

Wg. Cdr. D.A. La Fontaine, CO No.14 Sqn, was a Group Captain during the 71 Conflict. He was the Chief Instructor Flying at Dundigal, and on the outbreak of the war was posted to Bombay to help out in the Civil Airliner operations. Later on, he went on to succeed Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre as the commander of the Air Force. He was responsible for induction of the state of the art aircraft like the MiG-29 and the Mi-35. It was in his tenure, the IAF found itself supporting Army operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The retired Air Chief Marshal is now living a quiet life at his farmhouse in Medak in Andhra Pradesh.

Of the gallantry award winners of the 65 conflict, four members subsequently excelled themselves by earning a Bar or a further decoration in the 1971 Conflict. Three Vir Chakra awardees earned a Bar in 1971, and one MVC awardee earned a Bar, till date and probably for a long time to come the only double MVC in combat against Pakistan.

Flying Officer V.K. Neb VrC., the pilot of No.7 Sqn who shot down the Sabre over Halwara, added another Sabre to his tally in the skies over Kurmitola, in December '71. He was serving with No.17 Sqn and was part of a strike to Dacca airport. His formation was intercepted by Sabres and subsequently, Neb shot down one of the Sabres in his Hunter and earned another Vir Chakra.

Keeping him company over the skies of Tejgoan and Kurmitola was Sqn. Ldr. B.K. Bishnoi VrC, from No.20 Sqn, which flew Hunters in 1965. In 1971, he was the CO of No.28 First Supersonics Sqn., with the rank of Wg. Cdr., which flew MiG-21FLs. He led the first raid on Tejgaon, tangled with Sabres, rocketed transport aircraft on the ground, flew the famous Runway Busting missions and the now legendary mission on the Government House at Dacca which forced the resignation of Governor Malik. Bishnoi received his second Vir Chakra and went on to become a Air Vice Marshal later on.

Flt. Lt. V.K. Bhatia VrC, of No.1 Squadron, which flew Mysteres, graduated to flying the newly acquired Su-7s, under the No.32 Thunderbolts Squadron. As a Sqn. Ldr. in 1971, he led a devastating attack on Shorkot road airbase in West Pakistan on the first day of the war.

His formation of four Sukhoi's destroyed two Sabres, two Canberras and one Mirage III in what was one of the most successful counter air strikes of the war. Bhatia pushed himself into flying four attacks on Shorkot in two days, evading Sidewinders from Sabres and MiG-19s, on occasions losing two of his wingmen in the process and ending the war with an impressive tally of sorties. For his part in the 1971 conflict, he got the Bar to the VrC. Subsequently he went on to MiG-21s and climbed up the command ladder to become the AOC-in-C of CAC, in the rank of Air Marshal.

The most wonderful follow through was done by Sqn. Ldr. Padmanabha "Bob" Gautham, MVC. Promoted to command the No.16 Sqn, Gautham was again in the thick of the action in the Liberation war, leading his Canberra formation in night raids on Tejgaon, Chittagong, Jessore and even attacking main airbases in the west like Mianwali and Murid airfields.

He received the only Bar to a MVC awarded in conflict against Pakistan and the second Bar to the Air Force. He was probably the only Canberra pilot to be decorated in operations thrice. His first decoration came with the award of a VM for flying in Congo, where he destroyed a Fouga Magister at Kolwezi, flying as No.2 to Wg. Cdr. A.I.K. Suares. The two MVCs against Pakistan followed this.

This promising officer was destined to be a bright star in the Air Force, however fate had decided otherwise. After the conflict in December 1971, Gautham took over as the CO of the No.2 Wing at the Air Force Station in Lohegaon, Poona. Lohegaon had No.8 Sqn flying MiG-21FLs, No.35 Sqn flying Canberras B(I) 58s, No.6 Sqn flying L-1049 Super Constellations & Canberras and a SAM-2 squadron.

On the 25 November 1972, Gautham took off in a MiG-21FL belonging to No.8 Squadron. Immediately after takeoff, the engine flamed out due to a malfunction. An ejection was out of question, as the seat needed at least 425 feet to deploy successfully and realizing that the ejection may not succeed, he decided to force-land the MiG-21.

Probably the fact he managed to dead-stick a MiG-17 successfully during his deputation days to the Egyptian Air Force gave him the much-needed confidence. He skillfully landed the MiG-21 down in the fields past the runway. The aircraft landed level and skidded along the soil. But there was an irrigation bund across the path, to which the MiG struck head-on, collapsing the airframe. When the rescue crew reached the site, they found Gautham dead due to massive internal hemorrhaging. His body was intact without any disfiguration, but the highest decorated pilot in the air force at that time was dead. A great loss to the Indian Air Force.

Lot of other decorated members from 1965 found themselves on the frontline again in 1971. Foremost among them being the Sabre Slayers. Sqn. Ldr. 'Johnny' Greene VrC, commanded No.2 Squadron and led the squadron without any loss through the conflict. He was involved in action once again, including a futile chase of a F-104 on the second day of the war. Greene received the Vayu Sena Medal (VSM) for his part. His wingmen too, have also graduated into commanding squadrons. Greene became an Air Marshal subsequently earning a PVSM and an Ati Vishitst Seva Medal (AVSM).

Among his pilots in the section he led in 1965, Fg. Off. Janak Kapur rose to become a Air Marshal, like Greene, and was the AOC-in-C of Eastern Air Command. Trevor Keelor retired as a Wing Commander from the Air Force.

Trevor's brother Denzil led a much more eventful life. Going on to No.45 Squadron flying the MiG-21, Denzil was caught by ack-ack fire over Chamb and had to eject from his damaged bird, injuring his spine in the process. He fell in No-Man's land, lying on his back and unable to move in a marshy area. He could only wait for help to come, whether from the enemy or from our own troops.

His Guardian Angel was on duty that day, and a patrol from a Kumaon battalion got to him first, and carried him back. After the war he commanded No.4 MiG-21s at Tezpur. His adventures did not end there. In 1978, he was flying a MiG-21U, the canopy of the aircraft flew off in mid-flight. He quickly regained the control of the aircraft and landed back at his airbase.

He vowed never to fly again with his helmet visor up. For this effort, he earned, for showing exemplary gallantry, the Kirti Chakra in 1979, the MVC equivalent for gallantry not in the face of the enemy and rose to the rank of Air Marshal. Now retired, he served with Air India for some time.

Denzil's compatriots with the No.45 MiGs in '71 included one Gnat veteran of the '65 War, Flt. Lt. Janak Kapur, who had finished training in Russia after the war on MiG-21s and was seconded to this detachment in the war. Kapur survived a ground strafing while taking off in his MiG-21 on December 9th, and ended the war with 20 uneventful sorties. Kapur went onto become an Air Marshal in the air force commanding the Eastern Air Command.

Denzil's wingman, Vinay Kapila, flew with the No.47 Sqn in 1971. No.47 Sqn who were flying MiG-21s sent a detachment of six MiG-21s to Jamnagar under Gp. Capt. P.M. Wilson. He flew quite a number of missions, including one which intercepted F-104 Starfighters over the Rann of Kutch.

This was the first successful encounter between the Mach 2 rivals and His wingman bought down one Starfighter, which came down in the sea. Kapila also flew missions to Badin and targets in Sind, during which his Sqn. Cdr. was shot down and Killed. He rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal with a AVSM under his belt.

Flt. Lt. Virendra Singh Pathania, was posted to No.18 Squadron (Gnats) as its commanding officer, was in the thick of the action against the Sabres over Srinagar in 1971. He managed to damage one of the raiders severely over the Kashmir Valley and added more shine to the Sabre Slayer title. One of his pilot's was Fg. Off. N.J.S. Sekhon who won his Param Vir Chakra entangling with F-86s over Srinagar. Pathania retired as a Wg. Cdr.

Sqn. Ldr. A.S. Sandhu, VrC, the first pilot to do a dead stick landing in a Gnat, was posted to the No.28 First Supersonics Sqn., flying MiG-21s. He was one of the pioneers in training the squadron in its new geographical setting in the east, flying as a Senior Section Leader to Bishnoi. Identified with leadership material, he was given his own command, back to No.23 Sqn., where he earned his spurs, flying Gnats at Pathankot in June 1971.

However one September day in 1971, four months before the war, when Wg. Cdr. A.J.S. Sandhu, took off in Gnat IE1045 from Pathankot, the Gnat's engine failed and Sandhu was killed in the crash. The pilot who was marked as Lack of OLQ during his training days and subsequent rose to an Excellent Grading in his ACR was now another fallen bird.

Ironically the Gnat in which the dead stick landing was done, IE1202, flew with No.2 Sqn. in 1965 and was also one of the Gnat's which scored a Sabre kill, was lost a year before when Flt. Lt. K. De ejected after systems malfunctioned. All now that remains of Sandhu's exploits in peace and in war is his legacy.

Fg. Off. M.R. "Manna" Murdeshwar, who flew as wingman to Johnny Greene was a Squadron Leader on the Staff of Eastern Air Command during the 71 War. Well involved in behind the scenes planning or the air offensive in the eastern sector, Manna went on to fly MiG-21s and command No.108 Squadron. Before retiring as a Group Captain from Staff College.

One pilot of No.23 Squadron who certainly had his revenge was the disgraced Sqn. Ldr. B.S. Sikand. After repatriation from a Pakistani POW Camp, he was reinstated. He was then subsequently given command of No.22 Sqn., which flew Gnats in the eastern front.

The ignominy of letting his Gnat be captured intact by the Pakistanis, was wiped off the slate in 1971, when on 22 November 1971, his Squadron's Gnats intercepted and shot down three F-86 Sabres over Boyra, on the East Pakistani border. Capturing two of the pilots, (including the current PAF Air Chief - Air Chief Marshal Parvez Medhi Qureshi). No.22 Squadron subsequently lent a hand in the fighting, coming out with flying colors, and Sikand started off with a clean slate. He became an Air Marshal later on earning an AVSM.

Sikand's POW mate in 1965, Flt. Lt. K.C. "Nanda" Cariappa, of No.20 Squadron, which flew Hunters, was also in the Eastern Sector. He had a unique distinction of commanding a Helicopter Unit. His unit flew in officials for the cease-fire talks and he had the privilege of witnessing the surrender ceremony. Cariappa was another pilot who became a AOC-in-C retiring as a Air Marshal.

Another pilot who experienced the Pakistani's hospitality was Sqn. Ldr. O.N. "Piloo" Kacker of No.27 Sqn. After his expletive ridden departure from his Hunter near the skies of Sargodha, Kacker had to spend four months in captivity before repatriation. Afterwards he joined the No.10 Flying Daggers Squadron, in which he flew the HF-24 Marut indigenous fighter as a Section Leader. He took over command of the same squadron in 1971.

No.10 was a pioneer squadron involved in flying the Marut and growing up with it in it's evolutionary stage. Keeping in mind the lack of airfields in Rajasthan in 1965, Uttarlai was one of the new airfields activated there and the No.10s moved in newly. After some days of flying, the runway started breaking up and No.10 Sqn. ceased flying.

Air HQ on getting to know about this sent two Air Marshals to inspect the airfield. The Air Marshals upon inspecting it declared it fit and insisted to Kacker that the squadron should have no problem in operating there. Kacker known for his short temper walked off in a huff saying, "The Air Marshals are talking through their hats. If they want me to fly…Then I will fly."

Kacker's wingman recalls that he was in a flying rage when the two Maruts were taking off. Kacker burst the nose wheel on take off and decided to do an emergency landing. Then one of the Marut's engines shut down due to ingestion of rubber and the aircraft struck the top of a dune surrounding the runway after failing to recover from the sudden loss of power. Kacker, too was destined not to take part in the 1971 War, exactly after five years since the start of the 1965 conflict, he died in his gleaming Marut at Uttarlai. The circumstances behind his last flight strike one as tragic, almost comical.

Among the Hunter pilots from Halwara, Flt. Lt. D.N. Rathore, VrC., became another Air Marshal retiring as the AOC-in-C of Central Air Command. So did two of the victim pilots on Alam's legendary sortie, Sqn. Ldr. M.M. Sinha and Flt. Lt. A.S. Lamba, VrC.

Lamba in fact achieved a miraculous escape while testing a Gnat. He had to eject in the Srinagar Valley. After retiring from the air force as an Air Marshal, he was once pulled up by a DGCA official for flying a propeller-driven Pushpak at low-level over an airfield at a neck-breaking speed of 100 mph! Probably the officer in question did not knew that Lamba used to fly aircraft six times that speed at low level in hostile territory!

Fg. Off. A.R. Gandhi VrC, of No.7 Sqn too rose to higher rank. He was Station Commander of Gwalior, when No.7 Battle Axes, now equipped with Mirage 2000s, came under his command. His wingman, Flt. Lt. P S Pingale VrC, rose to the rank of an Air Marshal, on way commanding an Air Force Station in Hakimpet for a brief period.

A quirk of fate found the old friends together again in 1998. Air Vice Marshal A.R. Gandhi was posted to Air Headquarters to take over as Director Personnel (Officers), where his post was handed over by Air Marshal P.S. Pingale. Pingale went on to the post of Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of Southern Air Command (SAC).

It was not just the Indian pilots who undertook missions subsequently. The Pakistani pilots & personnel too had to wear war paint six years later and fight for their nation. Some of them fought for their country for a second time, while others were not allowed to fight at all. It is noted that many pilots who fought with the PAF with determination and fervour were Bengali in origin.

However, post military crackdown and Bengali air crew attempts to sabotage or defect to India, the PAF grounded the Bengali pilots, who roughly made up 10% of the Air Force. And the ground support crews were withdrawn from service. Thus the PAF that went to war in 1971 was already crippled internally. In 1971, the Air Chief was Air Marshal Rahim Khan. Most of the Squadron Leaders were either Wing Commanders or Group Captains in 1971.

The Starfighter Pilot who shot down Devayya, Flt. Lt. Amjad Hussain, a recipient of the Sitara-e-Juraat, again flew Starfighters in 1971. He was part of a mission to attack Amritsar airfield and his F-104 was downed by anti-aircraft fire. Amjad Hussain ejected, for the second time in combat with India. But this time he was destined to spend more than an year as a POW.

After repatriation, Amjad became an Air Vice Marshal in the PAF. Hussain's comrade and senior, Sqn. Ldr. M.H. Middlecoat, another recipient of the Sitara-e-Juraat, was promoted to Wing Commander and was on deputation to Egypt when the 1971 War broke out. Middlecoat was recalled to Pakistan, and hastily deputed to a detachment of Jordanian Starfighters operating out of Karachi.

On December 12th, Middlecoat on a strike to Jamnagar was shot down by a MiG-21. He ejected into the Arabian Sea, but was never found. Some pieces of the F-104 Starfighter were recovered from the sea, 25 years later, but Middlecoat became a shaheed, though of a different faith. He is a testament to the fact that even non-Muslims fought for Pakistan.

The Squadron Leader who led the daring attack on Pathankot, Sajjad 'Nosey' Haider was a Group Captain in 1971. Even though having a desktop job, he could not resist operational flying. He tried his hand in flying the newly acquired Mirage IIIs. And in one sortie he got involved in air combat with a Hunter near Narowal. And claimed it shot down with a Sidewinder. Though it remains to be confirmed from Indian records.

Cecil Choudary led a charmed life. His escape from the ill-fated Halwara mission and numerous combat missions in 1965 did not deter him from flying operationally in 1971. This time the anti-aircraft gunners made no mistakes.

Indian ground fire damaged his Sabre so badly that he ejected in No-Man's land in Chamb. He made it back to Pakistani lines and was up & flying the very next day. And even claimed a Su-7 in air combat. After the war, he was deputed to Iraq as an Instructor. He retired as a Wing Commander.

The highly debatable Pakistani "Ace-in-a-Day" M.M. Alam did not fly in 1971 even though he was in the Flying Cadre. Alam served till 1982, when he retired from the PAF as an Air Commodore. His crusade to make the PAF "Dry" (Alcohol Free) was well known throughout the services. He was both appreciated as well as despised for his convictions. Today Alam lives a quiet life in Karachi, some describe him as a practicing Mullah, others as a reserved withdrawn pilot.

Alam's ill-fated wingman during his last air combat, Mohammed Shaukat, now repatriated to Pakistan did not fly in 1971, possibly due to reason that he was a Bengali. Shaukat elected to join Bangladesh after the War and flew with the lone fighter squadron flying Sabres with the Bangladesh Air Force.

In a strange quirk of fate, Shaukat was deputed by the BAF to attend the Junior Command course with the IA, giving him another opportunity to enjoy the Indian hospitality, but this time as an invited guest. Shaukat retired from the BAF and subsequently was the MD of Biman National Airways.

Flt. Lt. Syed Saad Hatmi, became a Wing Commander of a MiG-19 squadron in 1971. He scored a confirmed kill this time, shooting down a Hunter over Sakesar the second day of the war. He went on to claim additional kills that put his total at five. Just as debatable as Alam's nine kills.

Eric Hall, the Station Commander of Chaklala, rose to the second top position in the PAF. Becoming an Air Vice Marshal and VCAS. The only time that a Christian rose to such a high rank in the Pakistan Air Force. Becoming the Chief of Air Staff was Hakimullah, who was credited for force landing Sikand and his Gnat. Wg. Cdr. Shamim, the CO of the No.32 Sabre Wing at Sargodha, who led the abortive raid on Amritsar rose to the highest post in the PAF, that of the Chief of Air Staff.

The memories of 1965 soon faded away and was remembered only by the soldiers and airmen who participated directly in the conflict. Fresh memories of the jubilant victory of 1971 soon dominated the Indian population's mind and 1965 was relegated to the backburner. It took a commissioned chronicler's version of the 1965 air war to rejuvenate the interest for quite unusual reasons.

Interest in the 1965 air war was reborn 23 years later when the Indian Government made an announcement of a posthumous Maha Vir Chakra to Sqn. Ldr. Devayya in January 1988, almost a quarter century after the incident. The investigation that took place prior to the announcement of the award stirred quite a few memories. IAF Officers like O.P. Taneja, and others were interviewed, and Pakistani sources cross-checked and it was arrived at the truth.

Strangely, even though the loss was one admitted by Pakistan at that time, it was explained away as an accident. The incident received its prominence in 1972 when Amjad Hussain explained in an interview with John Fricker that a Mystere had actually shot him down and it was not as the Pakistani's earlier claimed an accident. Fricker wrote about the incident in Battle for Pakistan - an exclusive account of the PAF in the 1965 War. And most international sources reported the loss as shot down by a Mystere.

Therein lies the mystery. None of the Mystere pilots claimed to have air combat that too with a F-104 Starfighter. And two were lost over Sargodha. The only one lost in the morning roughly coinciding with the timing reported by Fricker was Devayya's. Thus the Indian Government came to a conclusion that Amjad Hussain was shot down by Devayya, who himself crashed soon after.

Devayya's widow, Mrs. Sundari Devayya, received the fifth and the last Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) awarded to the air force for the 1965 war in April 1988, nearly 23 years later. It has been said that soldiers and airmen have been awarded the MVC for something far less commendable. And one cannot but postulate that if Devayya's valour had come to light during the war itself, it could well have resulted in the first Param Vir Chakra to the IAF. It is significant to note that this is the only MVC awarded posthumously for the IAF.

Incidentally, the official history of the 1965 War which was being compiled by the Air Force at that time, which was supposed to have generated the research behind Devayya's feat is yet to see the light of the day, even after ten years.

Air Marshal Shivdev Singh, then AOC-in-C Eastern Air Command, later moved on to the VCAS post and retired soon after, receiving the PVSM for distinguished service. The AOC-in-C Western Air Command, Air Marshal Raja Ram too retired. Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, after handing over command to P.C. Lal led a quiet life. Spending some time as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and various other gubernatorial posts.

Today more than 30 years after the war, it still continues to raise passions. Pilots recount the terrible conditions in which they operated, the kills they got, the comrades they lost. Soldiers recount the harassment from the air or the thrill of killing an enemy tank.

There are some remnants to remind people of this conflict, like the desolate M-48 Patton lying at the corner of a perimeter at the MCEME or the lone Gnat beckoning visitors at the PAF's Karachi Museum. Rafique's Sabres wreck still lies exposed to the elements in one corner of the IAF Museum, even as faded photos and clippings recount those heady days in the visitor's gallery.

As do the etched names on the wall at the far end of the gallery reminding the visitors of the 19 daring pilots and 21 airmen who gave their lives in the name of India a distant September, three decades back.

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