Group Captain Surinder Singh has been a staff officer in-charge of air operations at Headquarters Western Air Command since 17th July, 1964. A very experienced Canberra pilot and a former Canberra Squadron Commander, he was made responsible for planning bomber operations during the recent campaign. Planning of even training sorties in peace is very time consuming and complex process; planning of bomber operations in war is even more so when factors like enemy anti aircraft and fighter defences, entry into and exit from the enemy area, low level night navigational problems and war load, which are normally not come across in peace, have to be worked out in the minutest detail to ensure successful execution. Throughout the period of operations, Group Captain Surinder Singh worked hard with serious purpose; he not only planned the sorties but briefed the squadron and Flight Commanders personally. The excellent work he turned in is reflected in the unqualified success of our bomber operations.

Group Captain Surinder Singh has rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Surinder Singh was commissioned in the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in September, 1944. He has served in a number of fighter and fighter bomber squadrons of the Air Force and is a qualified Flying Instructor. Later, he converted on to Jet Bombers and served in two Canberra Squadrons, having also commanded one of them. He has also held various Staff and Command appointments. He is one of the few officers who has commanded more than one operational wing. For his distinguished service, he was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in January 1966. After attending the Imperial Defence College Course abroad, he came back to India to command an Air Defence Control Centre. He worked with great devotion and determination to improve the Air Defence Organisation in his sector. He visited all the Air Defence units and instilled in them the urgency of getting the entire air defence organisation up to the highest peak of efficiency. He planned and introduced a special low level reporting system in his sector; he trained all the personnel necessary for that organisation and also personally visited every site selected by him for these success of his work both in peace time and during hostilities can be gauged by the with which intruding Pakistani aircraft were intercepted. Air Commodore Surinder Singh has rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.