As the Commanding Officer of Signals Unit, located near Amritsar, Wing Commander Krishna Dandapani found himself in the thick of the fight from the moment the original infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir escalated into full-fledged war with the onrush of Pak armour into Chhamb. The only installation which could monitor air activity over Pakistan and the battle area, it became Wg Cdr Dandapani's task to muster the meager resources of men and spares which he had at the time and keep the unit working day and night without any break.

He organised his unit to work as a closely knit team and gave timely warnings of Pakistani air intrusions into Indian air space. The Pakistan Air Force, which was fully aware of the immense value of this unit to our Air Force, sent over wave after wave of bombers and fighters by day and by night to bomb and strafe the installation and put it our of commission. Whatever damage was caused to it was immediately repaired and the unit went on the air in a matter of hours. When the original site became known to the enemy and became untenable owing to his raids, Wg Cdr Dandapani and his men moved it under cover of darkness to an alternative site and resumed their work of monitoring the enemy air activities and warning our aircraft of the presence of enemy aircraft in the battle area and their likely intention. Short of competent Controllers, he himself directed our aircraft most of the time to intercept the enemy before he reached our front line positions and warned our fighters of his reinforcements in the air so that they could disengage themselves from the enemy before they were outnumbered.

Wing Commander Dandapani's unremitting efforts at keeping the unit serviceable at all times despite the enemy's ceaseless bombing and strafing inspired his colleagues and subordinates to a high pitch of selflessness and efficiency.

By his ceaseless efforts, his undiminished enthusiasm and tough moral fibre, he ensured the uninterrupted functioning of the unit which was one of the most valuable parts in our air defence system.