Number Name Branch Died in Service? Picture?


Air Marshal Anand Ramdas Pandit

Service No & Branch 1707 F(P) (Orig: GD(P))
Date of Birth: 21 Jun 1921 Commissioned: 14 Sep 1941 Course: 8 Course
Service End: Retired on 31 Mar 1977 Superannuated Died on 15 Jul 2005 (84 Years age) Flying Hours : 3800 Nick Name :
Qualifications Held :
Remarks :
Promotions Gazetted
Fg Offr : 14 Mar 1943Acting Flt Lt : 01 Apr 1946Flt Lt : 15 Aug 1948Acting Sqn Ldr : 26 May 1947
Sqn Ldr : 15 Aug 1949Wg Cdr : 01 May 1953Acting Gp Capt : 26 Mar 1959Gp Capt : 01 Apr 1962
Acting Air Cmde : 05 Aug 1963Air Cmde : 01 Oct 1965Acting AVM : 25 Sep 1969AVM : 01 Oct 1970
Acting Air Marshal : 01 Apr 1973C-in-C : 04 Mar 1972
Training and Other Courses Attended
5 DSSC (Wg Cdr) - 01 Apr 19523 NDC (Gp Capt) - 30 Apr 1963
Badges Qualified
   
Google the Bharat Rakshak Website for : "A R Pandit"

Offr Cdt

Plt Offr

Fg Offr

Flt Lt

Sqn Ldr

Wg Cdr

Air Cmde

AVM

Air Mshl
Notes:1)Branch is at retirement and may not match with branch at Commission 2)Notional seniority is reflected in dates of substantive rank.

Appointments, Postings & Other Service Particulars

DatesRankUnitLocationAppointmentPhoto
14 Apr 1941 - 24 May 1941Off CdtInitial Training School (Officers)Lahore Trainee
04 Sep 1941 - 14 Feb 1942Acting Plt OffrNo.1 Service Flying Training School (India)Ambala Trainee Pilot
15 Feb 1942 - 04 Dec 1942Plt OffrNo.2 SquadronKohat Squadron Pilot to 22AACU
06 Dec 1942 - 12 Feb 1943Plt OffrNo.22 Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation UnitDrigh Road Fm 2Sqn to 151OTU
28 Apr 1943 - 15 Jul 1945Plt OffrNo.1 SquadronBairagarh Squadron Pilot Attd fm 151OTU
16 Jul 1945 - 29 Aug 1945Fg OffrNo.3 SquadronSt Thomas Mt Squadron Pilot
29 Aug 1945 - 03 Apr 1946Fg OffrNo.1 Squadron Squadron Pilot To UK for Victory parade (AirHQ)
26 Aug 1946 - 25 May 1947Flt LtNo.2 SquadronKohat Adjutant
26 May 1947 - 10 Jul 1947Sqn LdrNo.1 SquadronPeshawar Commanding Officer
11 Jul 1947 - 31 Aug 1947Sqn Ldr2 Equipment DepotCotton Green (Mumbai Commanding Officer
28 Sep 1947 - 09 Dec 1947Sqn LdrNo.3 SquadronPune Commanding Officer
11 Nov 1947 - 02 Aug 1948Sqn LdrRIAF Depot PH Section
03 Aug 1948 - 11 Nov 1949Sqn LdrEmbassy of India, PakistanIslamabad Air Advisor
- 01 Oct 1950Wg CdrNo.2 Air Force AcademyJodhpur Chief Instructor
12 Nov 1949 - 16 Sep 1951Wg Cdr1 WingSrinagar Station Commander
17 Sep 1951 - 15 Oct 1951Wg CdrAir Head QuartersDelhi Director, Intelligence
09 Oct 1952 - 07 Oct 1956Wg CdrAir Head QuartersDelhi Deputy Director, Staff Duties
08 Oct 1956 - 14 Apr 1957Wg Cdr1 Tactical Air Support GroupJallandhar Senior Air Staff Officer
15 Apr 1957 - 24 Jul 1958Wg CdrConversion Training UnitHakimpet Chief Instructor
25 Jul 1958 - 17 Mar 1959Wg CdrJet Training WingHakimpet Chief Instructor
26 Mar 1959 - 30 Jun 1962Gp CaptTraining CommandBangalore Senior Air Staff Officer
03 Aug 1963 - 11 Jan 1966Air CmdeEastern Air CommandShillong Senior Air Staff Officer
13 Jan 1966 - 24 Nov 1967Air CmdeSchool of Land and Air WarfareSecunderabad Commandant
25 Nov 1967 - 14 Dec 1967Air CmdeJoint Air Warfare SchoolSecunderabad Commandant
04 Jan 1968 - 23 Sep 1969Air CmdeAir Head QuartersDelhi Director, Transport Operations
24 Sep 1969 - 14 Jul 1971AVMWestern IndiaPune Air Officer Commanding
15 Jul 1971 - 03 Mar 1972AVMMaritime Air OperationsBombay Air Officer Commanding
04 Mar 1972 - 08 Apr 1973AVMTraining CommandBangalore Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
01 Apr 1973 - 29 Feb 1976Air MarshalMaintenance CommandNagpur Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
01 Apr 1976 - 31 Mar 1977Air MarshalPSO: Planning, Air HQDelhi Vice Chief of Air Staff
 
Incomplete Information? Additions? Corrections? Please download Template File and follow instructions.

Awards and Decorations


Number of Awards: 3
   
Distinguished Flying Cross
Fg OffrAnand Ramdas Pandit1707 GD(P)Award Date Announced 23 Jan 1945
Details : Flying Officer Anand Ramdas Pandit while serving with No.1 (RIAF) Squadron during World War II, proved himself to be an accomplished tactical reconnaisance pilot and completed 169 sorties totalling 206 hours in 2 months. His outstanding daring and determination had been the cause of his bringing back very valuable information on most occassions. The photographs secured by him had been highly commended by the Fourteenth Army. His keenness and enthusiasm for operational flying was exemplarary. For the above acts of gallantry he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Additional Citation: Flying Officer Pandit has completed a large number of operational sorties. Many of these have been flown during the monsoon period and over jungle covered mountainous terrain. He has, throughout, displayed the greatest enthusiasm and skill in his work as tactical reconnaissance pilot. His outstanding courage and determination have enabled him to secure valuable information and photographs.

Notes: Public Record Office Air 2/9043 has citation drafted when he had flown 169 sorties (206 operational hours).

Unit : 1 Squadron
Reference : London Gazette 36905 dated 23 January 45, Page 527 (Citation Courtesy: Hugh Halliday)
Ati Vishist Seva Medal
Air CmdeAnand Ramdas Pandit1707 F(P)Award Date 26 Jan 1969Announced 26 Jan 1969
Details :

Air Commodore Anand Ramdas Pandit was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1941. He saw active service during World War II and was awarded Distinguished Flying Cross. He attended Defence Services Staff College in 1951-52, Indoctrination Course at Air Force School of Aviation Medicine in 1958 and the National Defence College Course in 1962-63. He has held various staff and command appointments While commanding an IAF Squadron, he has flown various types of aircraft and has varied flying experience. Subsequently, he was appointed Chief Instructor at the Jet Training Wing, and in this capacity, he successfully trained a large number of jet pilots. From 1963 to 1966, as the Senior Air Staff Officer of the Eastern Air Command, he was instrumental in swiftly achieving the targets of air maintenance task for the Command. The high standard of instructional level at the School of Land Air Warfare is largely the result of the improvements effected in the syllabus by this officer in 1967.

Unit : EAC
Reference : GoI19690126
Param Vishist Seva Medal
Air MarshalAnand Ramdas Pandit1707 F(P)Award Date 26 Jan 1977Announced 26 Jan 1977
Details :

Air Marshal Anand Ramdas Pandit AVSM, DFC (1707) was commissioned in the Flying (Pilot) of the IAF in September 1941. In World War II he distinguished himself as a fighter Recce Pilot and was awarded the DFC. He graduated from Defence Services Staff College and, later, successfully attended the National Defence College. He has served with distinction in various operational, Command and Staff appointments at different units and Formations. Apart from being the Director of Operations at Air Headquarters, he was the Air Officer Commanding Headquarters Western India for three years, responsible for joint planning and conduct of all air operations with the Navy. Thereafter, he served extremely creditably as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, making a significant contribution in the Training of officers and Airmen of all branches and trades. During his assignment as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command for three years from March 1973 to February 1976, Air Marshal Pandit was able to improve the efficiency of that Command. With painstaking efforts, initiative and exceptional devotion to duty, he pursued various projects with untiring zeal and ensured their successful completion on scheduled. Despite shortage of spares, he was able to improve the performance of Base Repair Depots in the overhaul of engines and aircraft. In the Equipment Depots he was able to introduce new ideas and improve their functioning by streamlining the procedures and removing irritating bottlenecks. During his long service of 35 years, in every assignment or task entrusted to him he achieved excellent results and displayed deep sense of loyalty and responsibility. Presently, he is holding the appointment of Vice Chief of the Air Staff, responsible for preparation and review of Air Force plan framing the Air Staff requirements, formation of training policies and control of Air Force projects. In this he has been able to bring many improvements and economy having far reaching effects. Air Marshal Pandit has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Unit : VCAS
Reference : GoI19770126

Accidents and Incidents: 6

DateAircraft TypeTail NoPilot/CrewUnitRemarks
18 Nov 1943Hurricane II BAP882Fg Offr Anand Ramdas Pandit
1 SqnEngine failure on re
21 Mar 1944Hurricane II BHM139Fg Offr Anand Ramdas Pandit
1 SqnTyre Burst on TO. Be
28 Sep 1944Hurricane IICKZ447Fg Offr Anand Ramdas Pandit
1 SqnEngine lost power, b
09 Sep 1946Spitfire VIIIMT872Flt Lt Anand Ramdas Pandit
2 SqnFL outside airfield
11 Jun 1947Tempest IIPR646Sqn Ldr Anand Ramdas Pandit
5 Sqdn RAF5 RAF ac uc collapse
11 Nov 1947Tempest IIPR836Sqn Ldr Anand Ramdas Pandit
3 SqnInjured in Crash at

Articles from Main Site

With the Tigers in Burma - Air Marshal A R Pandit by Amit Javadekar -
My IAF Training Days 1941 by Air Marshal A R Pandit -

The data in the header section of this page comes from the Gazette of India - Click here to see the source
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.