Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh no more

[S Bajwa]

Sikhfoundation.org in california has recently started publishing a magazine about Sikhism. They had an excellent article about Sikhs in Indian Air force! here are some of the classic pictures of IAF as well as picture of Air Chief marshall Sardar Dilbagh Singh.<P><BR>Sardar Dilbagh Singh in Mig-21<P><A HREF="http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... ILBAGH.JPG" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... AGH.JPG</A> <P>Sardar Arjan Singh - Air Chief marshall<BR> <A HREF="http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... ALBAGH.JPG" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... AGH.JPG</A> <P><BR>Classic pictures of early IAF days<P> <A HREF="http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... y/PICS.JPG" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... ICS.JPG</A> <P>some of the pioneers of IAF at Air conference of IAF squadron in 1943 at New Delhi.<BR> <A HREF="http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... onfer1.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... er1.jpg</A> <P>Sardar Dalip Singh Majhitia with Hurrican IIC<BR> <A HREF="http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... hithia.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... hia.jpg</A> <P>Sardar Harpreet Singh Basra currently flies Mirage 2000H bi-sonic fighter<BR> <A HREF="http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... /BASRA.JPG" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/im ... SRA.JPG</A> <P><BR>May god bless soul of Sardar Dilbagh Singh.<P>Sandeep Singh<P><BR>[This message has been edited by sbajwa (edited 10-02-2001).]<p>[This message has been edited by sbajwa (edited 10-02-2001).]

[Rupak]

Sandeep for a better group photo see:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Legends/Legends.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Legen ... ds.html</A>

[S Bajwa]

You are right! the first picture is Arjan singh the first air chief marshall.<P>Dilbagh singh is the second one (with Mig-21). ( I have fixed the error)<P>you can use them with reference to<BR>Magazine called "Nishaan" article is "High Flight - Sikh pioneer of aviation." (excerpts from Pushpinder Singh Chopra's forthcoming book).<P>Squadron Leader Harpreet Singh Basra is son of Air Marshall Darshan Singh Basra AOC-in-C southern command in Thiruvananthapuram. (both father and son are currently serving IAF)<P>Rupak those pics are excellent.<P>Thanks<BR>Sandeep<BR><p>[This message has been edited by sbajwa (edited 10-02-2001).]

[Arun_S]

God bless his soul, and solace to all people whose life was touched by him.<P>I fondly recall him when he was the Air Officer Commanding for the AF Wing at Lohgaon (Pune) around 1973, those days my dad was flying Super-Connies in the 6 Sqn at Poona. Of course those days I was studying at elementary grade at Kendriya Vidyalaya-Lohgaon. <P>He was a very good officer and patriot.<P>Good bye ACM Dilbaugh Singh ....<BR>

[Jagan]

May his soul rest in peace.<P>

[Babui]

Sandeep - these are great photos. Thanks for scanning them.<BR>Rupak - in the group photo - is that the Mehar Singh who was the pilot who flew the first Dakota into Srinagar with 1 SIKH ?<BR>My condolences to Dilbagh Singh's family - he served his country well.

[Rupak]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Babui:<BR><B>Rupak - in the group photo - is that the Mehar Singh who was the pilot who flew the first Dakota into Srinagar with 1 SIKH ?<BR></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Babui<P>That is indeed Mehar Singh of Dakota fame.<P>Rupak<P>

[Kuttan]

IIRC, the second Param Vir Chakra of the 1965 war was awarded (also posthumously) to the Sikh IAF officer who flew a lone Gnat against an attacking force of PAF Sabres over Srinagar, and shot down some of them before being shot down himself. He knew the odds when he took off: no other IAF fighter was able to take off at that time. <P>Any recollections?

[Jagan]

<P>Naraynan, you must be talking of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon. You might want to check the "Duty Unto Death" on the BR Main Page ..or the Gallantry Award Section in the IAF Page for more info.

[Jagan]

<A HREF="http://www.tribuneindia.com/20010211/nation.htm#11" TARGET=_blank>http://www.tribuneindia.com/20010211/nation.htm#11</A>

[S Bajwa]

Yup! Narayanan! Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon is the only ParamVir Chakra from IAF. (others from Army and I believe none from Navy).<P>His Gnat is still displayed at a Chowk in Ludhiana with a copy of Paramvir Chakra citation engraved on a stone. (Chowk is right on the GT road so if you are going towards Amritsar,Kashmir, you will see it).<P>Sandeep <P>[This message has been edited by sbajwa (edited 11-02-2001).]<p>[This message has been edited by sbajwa (edited 11-02-2001).]

[Jagan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sbajwa:Gnat is still displayed at a Chowk in Ludhiana with a copy of Paramvir Chakra citation engraved on a stone. (Chowk is right on the GT road so if you are going towards Amritsar,Kashmir, you will see it).<BR>[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Sandeep, <P>Would it be possible to get a scanned picture of the Gnat/Plaque from Ludhiana from any sources you know?<P>Jagan<P>

[S Bajwa]

Jagan! sure! give me one month.<P>Thanks<BR>Sandeep

[Kuttan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>1971 War and not the 1965 War.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>OK, OK, I read the account. Thanks. I thought the Gnats and Sabres were already history by 1971, but I guess that doesn't make sense because it was just 6 years after '65. It just seemed like a VERY long time in those days Glad to see that the essentials of the story are pretty-much as I read in those days in the Indian Express. <P>This was one of the things that really struck me in the past decade: the wartime stories I read as a kid in Indian newspapers and heard on AIR turned out to be substantially accurate. Imagine a kid who grew up in TSP in the same period getting out of TSP and going through the same evaluation process (assuming that my contemporaries over there were not lobotomized, which appears unlikely). This is why I get SO mad to read those cynical bozos of the "modern" desi media disbelieving all GOI official statements. 20 years from now we'll read TSP declassified documents (found when sifting through I'bad ruins) that show that 2500 NLI troops DID die in Kargil, the Indian death toll was as we reported, TSP DID plan to threaten India with nukes in the grand Kargil plan until POK-2 stymied them, 99% of those killed by IA in KAshmir from 1989-2002 were indeed TSPA or mercenaries. Mush DID plan to invade Delhi through Kashmir with his paratroopers from Skardu, etc. etc.

[JE Menon]

May more like him be born.

[CPrakash]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mukesh:<BR><B>...anyone get a picture of Nirmaljit Sekhons bronze statue at Ludhiana.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Is there a bronze statue there? thought it was just a plaque and an aircraft there.<P>

[Thareja]

Sareen Sahib,<BR>I can see(and feel) the tearful emotions in your excellent post. Thanks for sharing that with us.<P>May God bless ACM Dilbagh Singh. May his soul rest in peace!!!!!<P>Subhash

[Khalsa]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sbajwa:<BR><B>Yup! Narayanan! Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon is the only ParamVir Chakra from IAF. (others from Army and I believe none from Navy).<P>His Gnat is still displayed at a Chowk in Ludhiana with a copy of Paramvir Chakra citation engraved on a stone. (Chowk is right on the GT road so if you are going towards Amritsar,Kashmir, you will see it).<P></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Bajwa sahib, did they not move it to a location just outside ludhiana because of the damage and illegal use of chowk by animals and other homeless people as a shelter area.<P>