Wing Commander Amar Jit Singh Sandhu VrC, VM (23 January 1933 – 24 September 1971) was an Indian Air Force officer and fighter pilot.[1][2] He was awarded the Vir Chakra award and the Vayusena Medal. He is credited with shooting down a Pakistan North American F-86 Sabre in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.[3][4][5]

Wing Commander

Amar Jit Singh Sandhu

VrC, VM
Nickname(s)AJS Sandhu
Kala Sandhu
Ajax Sandhu
Born(1933-01-23)23 January 1933
Lyallpur, British India
Died24 September 1971(1971-09-24) (aged 38)
AllegianceIndia India
Service/branch Indian Air Force
Years of service1954 - 1971(Died in service)
Rank Wing Commander
Service number4705 F(P)
Commands held
No. 23 Squadron, Gnat Unit
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1965
Awards Vir Chakra
Vayu Sena Medal

Early life

Sandhu was born on 23 January 1933 in Layllpur, Punjab, British India. His family moved to Sirsa,[6] Haryana (then Punjab), India after the Partition of India in 1947.

Military career

Sandhu was commissioned in May 1954 in the Indian Air Force's Flying Branch as a fighter pilot. He was promoted to flying officer one year later.[1]

Vayu Sena Medal

Squadron Learder Amar jit Singh Sandhu receiving the Vayu Sena medal from the head of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh

In 1964, Sandhu was a flight lieutenant who was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for carrying out a deadstick forced landing in March 1964 after his Gnat aircraft experienced an engine flame out, followed by electrical failure. He chose to land the plane rather than ejecting. This was the first successful deadstick landing of a Gnat.[7]

The citation for the Vayu Sena Medal noted that by landing the plane, Sandu not only saved the plane but also allowed the diagnosis of the cause of the flame out.[1]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Sandhu took active part in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 from September 1–22, 1965 as part of No. 23 squadron.

He was part of the four aircraft formations sent out to ambush Pakistan Air Force aircraft on 3 September, where the first IAF aerial victory occurred, and took part in several aerial skirmishes.[8][9]

Sandhu was flying the Folland Gnat at that time, which was not armed with 30mm ADEN cannon. The Pakistan Air Force had F-86 Sabers and a squadron of F104 Starfighters. Both these PAF aircraft were armed with missiles.[10]

In Indian Air Force museum, New Delhi
IAF Folland Gnat ("Sabre slayer")

On 18 September, Sandhu was able to outmanoeuvre and shoot down a Pakistani Sabre.[3][11] He was awarded the Vir Chakra award for this action.

Vir Chakra

The citation for the Vir Chakra Medal notes that he flew "repeated missions in the Chhamb sector and over the Pasrur and Lahore areas, all the time seeking out enemy aircraft and engaging them," and cites his "admirable skill, courage and judgment" in shooting down the Sabre jet.[2][1][12]

In Victor Bingham’s book, Folland Gnat: Sabre-Slayer and Red Arrow, published in 2000, he credits Sandhu with two kills on 18 September:[13] [14]

The opposite combat view was that on interception the Gnat section led by Squadron Leader A Sandhu, carried out a half roll, built up speed and climbed out. Sandhu aimed for a deflection shot on the first Sabre and saw shots strike home; then seeing another Sabre he reversed to the left and within 270 degrees in the turn came in line with the enemy aircraft, a quick burst … and the Sabre burst into flames and exploded.

Command of a fighter squadron

Sandhu was promoted to wing commander and given command of No. 23 Squadron on 30 November 1970.[1]

Death

Sandhu was flying in a Gnat at night out of Pathankot airbase on 24 September 1971; he was killed when his aircraft crashed.[1] He was 38.

Legacy

A chapter is dedicated to Sandhu in Wing Commander Dhiredra S Jafa's book, Death Wasn't Painful: Stories of Indian Fighter Pilots from the 1971 War,[15][16] where he is referred to by the nickname “Kala Sandhu."

Several articles have also been written about him[17] and he is mentioned in several other articles about the IAF.

In official history of the Indian Air Force of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he is mentioned as being the third pilot from No. 23 Squadron to have shot down a Sabre.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Service Record for Wing Commander Amar Jit Singh Sandhu 4705 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  2. 1 2 Directorate of Printing, Government of India (1965-03-13). Gazette of India, 1965, No. 27.
  3. 1 2 B., Harry (September 2, 2006). "IAF COMBAT KILLS - 1965 INDO-PAK AIR WAR" (PDF). 1. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ↑ "Indian Air-to-Air Victories since 1948". 2012-12-23. Archived from the original on 2012-12-23. Retrieved 2023-05-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ↑ "IAF kills in 1965". 2006-11-05. Archived from the original on 2006-11-05. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  6. ↑ "Wg Cdr Amarjit Singh Sandhu, VrC @ TWDI". twdi.in. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  7. ↑ "Indian Air Force Gallery :: Gnat IE1202 (GT-018)". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  8. ↑ Joshi, Sameer (2019-09-06). "1965 India-Pakistan war: How IAF's heroes slayed PAF's superior Sabre fighter jets". ThePrint. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  9. ↑ "Johnny Greene | Gnat50Years". 17 April 2009. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  10. ↑ "IAF defeated PAF in 1965 War". Indian Defence Review. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  11. ↑ "Indian Aviation - HAL Ajeet, the Folland Gnat Mk II. EDIT: 1965 war IAF documentary on page 6". Team-BHP.com. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  12. ↑ "Vir Chakra (VrC), Awardee: Wg Cdr Amarjit Singh Sandhu, VrC @ TWDI". twdi.in. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  13. ↑ "Folland Gnat – Red Arrow and Sabre Slayer – Bharat Rakshak". Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  14. ↑ Bingham, Victor (2000). Folland Gnat Sabre Slayer and Red Arrow. J&KH Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 1-900511-78-9.
  15. ↑ Jafa, Dhirendra S. (2014-08-27). Death Wasn't Painful: Stories of Indian Fighter Pilots from the 1971 War. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 978-93-5150-427-6.
  16. ↑ "Book paints the stories of Indian fighter pilots from 1971 war". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  17. ↑ "The Story of Kala Sandhu - Bharat Rakshak". forums.bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  18. ↑ "Our Operations". Indian Air Force: Touch The Sky With Glory. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  19. ↑ 1965 INDO-PAK Air War, retrieved 2022-09-10
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