Have
you taken part in the 1971 War as an IAF Serviceman and would llike to share your
experiences? Do you know anyone who has taken part and would like to write about their
stories? Read more on how you can help.
The Bharat-Rakshak History Project aims to publish comprehensive
operational histories of the Indian Air Force. Following the completion of the 1965 Air
War History Project, and its publication in the form of a published book, The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965, the
Bharat Rakshak IAF History team has started the 1971 Air War History Project. The history
of the 1971 air operations promises to be a gigantic undertaking, and we need all the help
we can get from from IAF veterans willing to share their experiences of this conflict.
| We are looking for
information on the following Squadrons East : Nos 4, 16, 17, 30, 37, 221
West: Nos 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 18, 21, 23, 26,
27, 31, 45, 47, 101, 106, 108 |
How
can I help?
If you served in the Indian Air Force
during the 1971 war, we are interested in hearing about your service whether in flying,
ground operations, intelligence, logistics, maintenance, medical support etc. No matter
what your position in the IAF hierarchy, we are interested in hearing from you. We would
like to emphasize: we are interested in the activities in the non-flying components of the
IAF and from non-commissioned personnel. As examples we would be interested in hearing
about the code-cracking efforts during the 1971 war, the innovations and modifications
that ground-bound personnel came up with which made a difference to the fliers, work done
by logistics personnel in maintaining the flying operations and so on. As an example of
the kind of historical material you could supply, you might want to check out our pages on
the 1965 Air War project.
These could include photographs, squadron diaries, station diaries, personal journals,
diaries, or just the willingness to answer questionnaires. No contribution is too large or
too small. As examples of pieces we have been able to compile in the past, do check out the historical record 20 Squadron in the Ops
or a pilots account of the Longewala battle.
Please consider taking a moment to contact us using our Feedback Form.
Who is
Bharat-Rakshak and why is it collecting this information?
For more information on Bharat
Rakshak, its background and its membership, profile and interests please check here.
You can also read about the IAF history team-members, PVS Jagan
Mohan and Samir Chopra.
You can also read the reviews and reports on the 1965 Air War
history project. Reviews by the current CAS, ACM Tyagi, AM Vinod Patney (Retd.), and
renowned aviation historian Walter Boyne can be found in the link provided.
I'm not a veteran, but I'd like to help
If you know a veteran of the Indian Air
Forces such as a family member, a neighbour or family friend, please consider encouraging
them to visit our website and see some of our work, or you can solicit the relevant
information and send it to us. We can compose a questionnaire that is relevant to
the person you want to meet and e-mail it to you. It will serve as a guide for
your conversation.
How do I contact
you?
You can email us using our Feedback Form .
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