Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

No. 23 Squadron - After taking over Command

Hierarchy of No 23 Sqn soon after taking over on 15 April 1959. Officers in the photo : F/Os Ambady, Bakia, F/L JN Jatar, S/L Raghavendran, F/L Loughran, F/Os MM Sharma and Pran Chabra.

Anniversary Bash

23 Sqn Anniversary Party in Airmen's mess. Sqn Ldr Raghavendran, OC and F/O Ahuja in picture

Anniversary Bash

23 Sqn Anniversary Party in Airmen's mess in 1959

Anniversary Bash

Sqn Ldr Raghavendran second from left and Jatar, the flight commander Jatar with cheroot

Anniversary Bash

Natha Singh Bajwa (Libs), W/C Creamy Blunt ( OC Flg), S/L Raghavendran(OC 23) and W/C Jaspal Singh (OC 35 Canberra Sqn)

Anniversary Bash

The Anniversary Party of No.23 Squadron underway. Combined Anniversary party for No 17 and 23 Sqn. in Poona. No 17 was the mother sqn for 23 and got hived off on the anniversary day.

Anniversary Bash

Raghavendran and S/L Kutty Abraham, an ex member of No. 23 Sqn

First Armament Meet of Operational Command

c1959 - First Armament Meet of Operational Command IAF, The only operational command of the IAF at that time. Sqn Ldr Raghavendran receiving the Trophy for the best all round subsonic Squadron from Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee. Looking on AVM Arjan Sing

Trophy Winners of the First Armament Meet of Operational Command

1959. Group Captain HC Dewan with the Trophy winners from his Station. Standing L to R: Banerjee(23), NB Menon (Canberras), Jaspal singh (Canberras), G/C Harry Dewan, Johnny Bhasin (17), Raghavendran (23), Pop Verma (Liberators), Ian Loughran(23

Anniversary Bash

23 Sqn Anniversary Party in Airmen's mess in 1959

Farewell Party to 'Digger' Digby.

15 April 1959: Farewell party to Sqn Ldr CHL Digby. Standing L to R: Mukuty, Banerjee, Saleem, Tommy Taylor, Raghavendran (Incoming CO). Gotla, Digby, Krishnaswamy, Khanna, Bhasin, Chabra, Ahuja, ??, Choudhry. Sitting L to R:

1959. 23 Sqn get together in Poona.

Doc Saleem, Goraya, Sahgal, Krishnaswami, Raghavendran, Badia, Banerjee, Hariharan and Pathania

Harry Dewan

Boss Panther with "Happy Harry" Dewan. Dewan would later retired as Vice Chief of Air Staff, having commanded the Eastern Air Command during the 1971 War

23 Sqn Party 1959

Ahuja, Sahgal, Raghavendran, Banerjee and Thapen Kumar Choudhry.

23 Sqn Party at Poona (1959)

AS Bakshi (Super Connies), Johnny Bhasin(OC 17), Hank Dutta (OC 6 Sqn) and Raghavendrqn (OC 23 Sqn)

23 Sqn Party 1959

Squadron Party at Poona in 1959, while still on Vampires. Pape Bhasin Chug lugging.

23 Sqn Party 1959

Poona. 23 Sqn party. Still on Vampires. In pic. Arora, Pant, Jatar, Bhasin, Mehra, Ahuja, Badia, Raghavendran(CO) and Ambady

"Boss Panther"

Sqn Ldr Raghavendran in flyng regalia as the first Gnat Squadron CO

First Gnats in the Squadron

1960. 23 Sqn. Ambala. The first set of gleaming Gnats to arrive, all ferried in by us from HAL Bangalore. If the wind were favourable, we would do it with one hop at Kanpur.

First Gnat in 23 Squadron

1960. 23 Sqn in Ambala. With First Gnat to arrive. Standing L to R: MM Sharma, Badia, Raghavendran, Jatar, Ambady, Banerjee, Baldy Mehta. Sitting L to R: Pran Chabra, TAK Taylor, Choudhry.

Some did not make it to Gnat flying.

Erlich Pinto's Visit to the Gnat Squadron

March 1961. Ambala. AOC in C Erlic Pinto visits The Gnat Squadron and gets a look at the cockpit.

Station Party at Ambala - After Gnat Conversion

1960. Ambala. Station Party. Sqn in base Nos 23 on Gnats, and 7 and 27 on Hunters. In Pic. Trevor Keelor, Kit Carson, Karan Yadav, Banerjee, Dice Dhiman, Natty Nadkarni, Moghe, Mazumdar and Ambady

Flt Lt R K Mehta (RIP)

R K "Baldie" Mehta in his newly acquired Gnat 'g' suit outfit. Mehta was killed in a Gnat Accident on 9 Nov 1960 and was awarded the Kirti Chakra

Gnat Conversion at Kanpur.

Boss Panther in Kanpur for Gnat Conversion

Gnat Handling Flight

1960. Kanpur. Gnat Handling Flight. The Three pioneers from No.23 Sqn who went to convert on to Gnats. Baldie Mehta, JN Jatar and Raghavendran

23 Squadron Mascot

Stuffed Panther Mascot of No.23 Squadron - This was presented by Sardar D S Majithia, a former IAF officer during World War Two.