Appendix A: Pilots with No.1 Squadron during the Imphal Battle
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Moved in February to Imphal 1.Squadron Leader Arjan Singh (CO) 2.Flight Lieutenant Haider Raza (Flt Cdr) 3.Flight Lieutenant R Raja Ram (Flt Cdr) 4.Flying Officer B Krishna 5.Flying Officer A M Kapur 6.Flying Officer Rajendra Singh (KIA Sept 44) 7.Flying Officer K N Kak(KFA 1945) 8.Flying Officer N R C Murcott (KIA) 9.Flying Officer B R Rao 10.Flying Officer A C Prabhakaran (KIA July 44) 11.Flying Officer Abdul Hafeez (KIA July 44) 12.Flying Officer F P Amber 13.Flying Officer P N Sanyal 14.Flying Officer N S Masih (KIA) 15.Flying Officer S L Atal 16.Pilot Officer M N Kaisrani (KIA) 17.Pilot Officer Augustine Roy (KIA) 18.Pilot Officer M N Bulsara Joined in March 19.Flying Officer A R Pandit 20.Flying Officer T A M Andrade (KIA) 21.Flying Officer M M A Cheema Joined in April 22.Flying Officer M D Suri (KFA 1947) Joined in May 23.Flying Officer P S Gupta (KFA 1945) 24.Flying Officer Sarkar Joined in June 25.Flying Officer D F Eduljee (KIA) |
Appendix B: Flying Effort by No.1 Squadron during the Siege of Imphal
|
Month |
Sorties |
Hours |
|
February |
141 |
|
|
March |
366 |
530 |
|
April |
412 |
485 |
|
May |
372 |
493 |
|
June |
327 |
|
|
July |
310 |
|
|
1928 |
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Appendix C: Aircraft and Pilot Losses of No.1 Squadron in the air at Imphal
| DATE | AC | RANK | NAME | SERV | SNO | REMARKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03-Feb-44 | Hurricane II B | Fg Offr | S K Ibrahim | 1608 | HV415? | He landed on the katcha strip next to the paved runway and the aircraft tumbled over on its back |
| 08-Mar-44 | Hurricane II B | Fg Offr | Mohammed Nawaz Kasrani* | 1815 | BG739 | Caught fire due to possible Glycol Leak Cr Killing |
| 04-Apr-44 | Hurricane II B | Fg Offr | Noel Ruxton Clarke Murcott* | 1717 | Shot down attacking GroundTargets at Tamu Road | |
| 27-Apr-44 | Hurricane II B | Plt Offr | Augustine Roy* | 2389 | TaC/R mission of Lessami area. Roy failed to return as he went in too low shooting up a target at Ukhrul. | |
| 05-May-44 | Hurricane II B | BN208 | Engine cut on take off from Imphal | |||
| 08-May-44 | Hurricane II B | Fg Offr | Theodore Alex Manuel Andrade* | 1703 | Shot down in flames Arakan front | |
| 20-May-44 | Hurricane II B | Fg Offr | P N Sanyal | 1682 | HW806 | badly injured when an RAF Spitfire struck the Hurricane in which he was seated. Imphal |
| 21-May-44 | Hurricane II B | Fg Offr | N S Masih* | 2453 | SD by Oscars over Bishenpur Area | |
| 29-Jul-44 | Hurricane II C | Fg Offr | Antonil Chuyil Prabhakaran* | 2342 | LD651 | FTR from Tamu/Sittaung Area. Last seen cloud flying |
| 29-Jul-44 | Hurricane II C | Fg Offr | Abdul Hafeez* | 1817 | LD897 | FTR from Tamu/Sittaung Area. Last seen cloud flying |
Sources:
Gupta, SN, History of the Indian Air Force 1933-45 (Official History of the Indian Armed Forces)
Franks, Norman, Air Battle for Imphal
Shores, Chris, Air War for Burma , Grub Street
Chhina, RTS, The Eagle Strikes, CAFHR
Roopinder Singh, Arjan Singh , Rupa Series
Ranbir Singh, Marshal Arjan Singh
Operational Record Book – No.1 Squadron
Photographs Courtesy: Indian Air Force, Center for Armed Forces Historical Research, Veteran families
Logbooks: Marshal Arjan Singh, Air Marshal A R Pandit, Air Vice Marshal Haider Raza
This article was first published in an abridged format for the souvenir brought out by the WW2 Imphal society to commemorate 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Imphal.