Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh,
DFC (15 April 1919 – 16 September 2017) was a senior
air officer
An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force, air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth nations ...
of the
Indian Air Force. He served as the 3rd
Chief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969, leading the Air Force through the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was the first and only officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be promoted to
five-star rank
A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...
as
Marshal of the Indian Air Force, equal to the army rank of
Field Marshal.
Singh attended the
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...
at the age of 19 and graduated in 1939. He joined the
No. 1 Squadron IAF and served in the
North-West Frontier Province. In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he commanded this squadron during the
Arakan Campaign and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1945, he attended the
RAF Staff College, Bracknell. After the
Partition of India in 1947, he led the first fly-past of Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) aircraft over the
Red Fort in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
. He then commanded
Air Force Station, Ambala at the rank of
Group Captain. In 1950, after completing the staff course at
Joint Service Defence College
The Joint Service Defence College (JSDC) was a training academy for British military personnel from 1983 to 1997. It has since been amalgamated into the Joint Services Command and Staff College.
History
The college was established as the Combined ...
,
Latimer, Buckinghamshire
Latimer is a village that sits on the border between Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, England. In 2013, the civil parish of Latimer was renamed, Latimer and Ley Hill. The parish, forming part of the Buckinghamshire district of Chiltern, includ ...
, he was promoted to the rank of
Air Commodore and took over the
Operational Command. He commanded the Operational Command in two stints. In 1958, the post was upgraded to Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at the rank of Air Vice Marshal.
After attending the
Imperial Defence College
The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...
in 1960, he served as the Air Officer in charge of Administration at Air Headquarters. In 1963, he took over as the
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and then as the
Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Singh assumed office as the Chief of the Air Staff, on 1 August 1964. For his distinguished service in commanding the IAF during the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he was awarded the
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without ...
and in 1966 became the first IAF officer to be promoted to
Air Chief Marshal.
After retiring from the IAF, Singh served as a diplomat, politician and advisor to the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
. He served as India's
Ambassador to
Switzerland, the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
and
Liechtenstein from 1971 to 1974 and as the
High Commissioner of India to
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
from 1974 to 1977. He then served as the
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi from 1989 to 1990. In January 2002, the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force was conferred on Singh, the first and only officer of the IAF to receive the honour.
Early life and education
Singh was born on 15 April 1919 in
Lyallpur (now Faisalabad),
a town in the erstwhile
Punjab Province of
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
(in present-day Pakistan), into a Punjabi
Jat Sikh family of
Aulakh clan. Men from the family had joined the armed forces, in keeping with community traditions, and Singh was the fourth generation of his family to join the British Indian armed forces.
Singh's father was a
Lance Daffadar
Lance daffadar is the equivalent rank to corporal in Pakistan, Indian and British Indian Army cavalry units, ranking between acting lance daffadar and daffadar. In other units the equivalent is naik. Like a British corporal, a lance daffadar wears ...
in the
Hodson's Horse at the time of his birth, and retired as a full
Risaldar in the Cavalry, serving for a time as
ADC to a Division Commander.
His grandfather
Risaldar Major Hukam Singh served in the
Guides Cavalry between 1883 and 1917,
and great-grandfather,
Naib Risaldar Sultana Singh, was among the first two generations of the
Guides Cavalry enlisted in 1854; he was martyred during the
Afghan campaign of 1879.
Thus, after three generations of men serving in the lower and middle ranks of the army, Singh was to become the first member of his family to become a commissioned officer.
Singh was educated at
Montgomery,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
(now Sahiwal, Pakistan) and was a well-known sportsman.
Singh then attended the
Government College Lahore
The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002.
Overview
In 1864, Gov ...
. He was the Captain of the College swimming team and set four Punjab and four University records in swimming. He also won the All-India One-mile swimming event in 1938.
Singh entered the
RAF College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...
in 1938. At the College, he was the Vice Captain of the swimming, athletic and hockey teams.
Military career
World War II
Singh was commissioned as a
Pilot Officer in December 1939, after topping the Empire Pilot training course among his batch of Indian Cadets. He joined
No. 1 Squadron which was then stationed at
Air Force Station Kohat in the
North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and flew
Westland Wapiti
The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service.
First flying in 1927, the Wa ...
biplanes. The Squadron was conducting operations against the tribal forces in NWFP, in which he participated. While flying with the squadron in NWFP, Singh's
Hawker Audax
The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...
was shot down by the Pathans. He crashed in a dry stream in the midst of a fight between British troops and the Pathans. He was not hurt and within two weeks he was flying again in the same area. According to Singh, fighting in the NWFP prepared the squadron for the fight against the Japanese. He then was transferred to the newly-formed
No. 2 Squadron for a brief period. He was transferred back to No. 1 Squadron in the rank of
Flying Officer. By this time, the squadron had been re-equipped with
Hawker Hurricane aircraft.
In 1943, Singh was promoted to acting
Squadron Leader and became the
Commanding Officer of
No. 1 Squadron.
Frustrated with watch and ward duty, Singh wanted to be in the thick of action. He met the
Commander-in-Chief, India,
General (later
Field Marshal)
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, (21 June 1884 – 23 March 1981), was a British Army commander during the Second World War. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he rose to become Commander ...
during his visit to
Kohat in the
North-West Frontier Province and requested him to send the squadron to fight the Japanese. The squadron was then inducted into the war and moved to
Imphal in early 1944.
Singh led
No. 1 Squadron into combat during the
Arakan Campaign in 1944.
He was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in June 1944. He was presented with the DFC by
Lord Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander,
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during the Second World War.
History Organisation
The initial supreme commander of the theatre was General Sir A ...
at
Imphal. Singh later said about the award, ''“For a young man to get such a medal in front of his own squadron is a great satisfaction. I was a part of the squadron, and they were my part."''
The citation for the DFC reads as follows:
Singh relinquished command of No. 1 Squadron in December 1944, handing over to
Squadron Leader Ramaswamy Rajaram
Air Marshal Ramaswamy Rajaram, DFC (1917–1969) was a senior officer in the Indian Air Force. He died in harness while serving as the Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force. He was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Wester ...
, who led the squadron for the rest of the
Burma Campaign.
Singh almost faced a
court-martial in February 1945 when he tried to raise the morale of a trainee pilot (later rumoured to be the future
Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh) by conducting a low level air pass over a house in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
.
In his defence, he insisted that such tricks were needed for every cadet to be a fighter pilot.
Later that year, he commanded the Indian Air Force Exhibition Flight.
In February 1945, Singh was promoted to the rank of
Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
and in August, he was selected to attend the Staff course at the
RAF Staff College, Bracknell in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. On his return, he commanded the
Air Force Station Kohat and
Air Force Station Risalpur.
Post Independence
As part of the celebrations for
Independence Day on 15 August 1947, Singh, by then an acting
Group Captain, led the first fly-past of RIAF aircraft over the
Red Fort in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
.
Singh then assumed command of the frontline
Airbase Air Force Station, Ambala. He led the airbase during the
Partition of India. Singh subsequently moved to Air Headquarters in 1948 and tenanted the appointment of Director of Training. In 1949, Singh attended the
Joint Service Defence College
The Joint Service Defence College (JSDC) was a training academy for British military personnel from 1983 to 1997. It has since been amalgamated into the Joint Services Command and Staff College.
History
The college was established as the Combined ...
at
Latimer, Buckinghamshire
Latimer is a village that sits on the border between Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, England. In 2013, the civil parish of Latimer was renamed, Latimer and Ley Hill. The parish, forming part of the Buckinghamshire district of Chiltern, includ ...
in the United Kingdom.
On his return to India, in December 1950, Singh was promoted to acting
Air Commodore and assumed command of the
No. 1 Operational Command (later rechristened Western Air Command).
In late 1952, Singh moved to the Air Headquarters and was appointed Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel and Organisation. This appointment was later upgraded to
Air Vice Marshal and then to
Air Marshal, and is now termed Air Officer-in-charge Personnel (AOP). He simultaneously held the appointment of
Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station New Delhi. Singh served in this appointment for three years, until December 1955.
Promoted to substantive Air Commodore, Singh again served as the AOC Operational Command, for the second time. In 1956, Singh led a squadron of
Toofani jet fighters to
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
on a goodwill mission. Singh also served as the
Chef de Mission of the Indian Contingent for the
1956 Summer Olympics held at
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Australia.
In May 1958, Singh was promoted to the rank of
Air Vice Marshal and continued as the head of the Operational Command. The appointment was upgraded to Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) Operational Command. He led the Operational Command until November 1959, handing over command to Air Vice Marshal
Erlic Pinto. Singh has the distinction of being the longest serving head of the Operational Command. He led the Command for a total of six years in two stints - December 1950 to December 1952 and December 1955 to November 1959.
Singh was selected to attend the
Imperial Defence College
The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...
and proceeded to
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in early 1960. After completing the year-long course, he returned to India and assumed charge as the Air Officer in Charge Administration at Air Headquarters. He tenanted this appointment through the
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War took place between China and India from October to November 1962, as a major flare-up of the Sino-Indian border dispute. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tibet ...
. By the end of the war, Singh took over as the
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS), and in August 1963, he took over as the
Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). As the VCAS, Singh was the overall commander of the joint air exercises ''"Shiksha"'' with the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
(USAF),
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) and the
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) which was held in India.
Chief of the Air Staff
In May 1964, the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
decided to appoint Singh as the
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), succeeding
Air Marshal Aspy Engineer,
DFC. On 1 August 1964, Singh was promoted to the rank of
Air Marshal and took over as the 6th Chief of the Air Staff. When appointed as
Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, he was around 45 years old.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
In August 1965, as part of
Operation Gibraltar
Operation Gibraltar was the codename of a military operation planned and executed by the Pakistan Army in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir in August 1965. The operation's strategy was to covertly cross the Line of Control (LoC) an ...
, Pakistan attempted to infiltrate forces into
Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against Indian rule. This was followed by a full-scale war between India and Pakistan in the Western theatre. In September, Pakistan launched
Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam was a key military operation of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It refers to a plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army in May 1965 that consisted of an attack on the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashm ...
in which an armoured thrust targeted the
Akhnoor and Chhamb regions in Jammu. The Indian Air Force responded to an urgent call for air strikes against the
Pakistani Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...
. Singh was summoned into the
Defence Minister Y B Chavan
Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan (Marathi pronunciation: əʃʋənt̪ɾaːʋ t͡səʋʱaːɳ 12 March 1913 – 25 November 1984) was an Indian politician. He served as the last Chief Minister of Bombay State and the first of Maharashtra after l ...
's office with a request for air support. With a characteristic nonchalance, he replied ''"in an hour."'' True to his word, the armoured thrust was hit in an hour by the IAF. Although the IAF suffered some losses early on, it bounced back and scored strategic victories during the conflict
.
The war ended with a ceasefire being declared by both nations on 23 September. Singh led the IAF during the war showing unparalleled leadership and remained cool and inspirational throughout.
Singh was awarded India's second-highest civilian award, the
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without ...
for his leadership during the war.
On 15 January 1966, in recognition of the contribution of the IAF, the post of the CAS was upgraded to the rank of
Air Chief Marshal. Singh became the first Officer to hold the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
On 7 June 1966, with the retirement of
General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, Singh took over as the
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (Chairman COSC) is a position in the Indian Armed Forces, usually held by a four-star officer serving as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian military. The position holder chairs the Chiefs of ...
, a post he held until he retired. In 1967, in a rare honour to a non-British Service Chief, Singh was invited to receive the salute as the reviewing officer of the
passing out parade at his alma mater, the
RAF College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...
.
After heading the IAF for almost five years, the second-longest term as
Chief of the Air Staff in history, Singh retired in July 1969, at the age of 50.
Diplomatic and Political career
In 1971, after his retirement, Singh was appointed India's
Ambassador to
Switzerland, the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
and
Liechtenstein.
He
presented his credentials to the
President of the Swiss Confederation,
Rudolf Gnägi on 2 April 1971.
After a three year stint at
Bern, Singh then took over as the
High Commissioner of India to
Kenya
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, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
in 1974. Singh spent three years heading the High Commission of India at
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
, till 1977. Subsequently, he served as a member of the
National Commission for Minorities from 1978 to 1981.
Singh also served as the
Chairman of the
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi from 1980 to 1983 and was a Director of the
Grindlays Bank
The historic overseas bank was established in London in 1828 as Leslie & Grindlay, agents and bankers to the British army and business community in India. Banking operations expanded to include the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and elemen ...
from 1981 to 1988.
On 12 December 1989, Singh was appointed
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi by the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...
. He served in the position for a year, till December 1990.
Promotion to Marshal of the Indian Air Force
On 25 January 2002, the Government of India announced that the rank of
Marshal of the Indian Air Force was to be conferred on Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, DFC, with effect from 26 January 2002, in recognition of the most valuable services to the Air Force and the Nation. The rank is the highest in the Indian Air Force. It is equivalent to
Field Marshal and is held for life. The
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...
,
K. R. Narayanan conferred the
Five-star rank
A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...
on Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh and handed the Marshal's baton in a ceremony at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23 April 2002.
Personal life
In 1948, Singh married Teji Singh, a lady of his own community and similar family background, in a match
arranged
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchest ...
by their families. They were married for 63 years before her death in April 2011. In 1949, their first daughter Amrita was born. Three years later, her brother Arvind Singh was born and the Singhs' youngest child Asha followed another three years later. Teji Singh was the maternal aunt of actress
Mandira Bedi
Mandira Bedi (born 15 April 1972) is an Indian actress, fashion designer, and television presenter. She gained recognition by playing the titular role in the 1994 television show, '' Shanti'', which was telecast on India's national channel, Door ...
.
Later years and Death
Singh's health declined in his final years, and he frequently made references to growing old and the passing away of many of his friends. In July 2015, then aged 96 and using a wheelchair due to a temporary indisposition, he was among the many dignitaries to lay a wreath at the base of the coffin carrying the mortal remains of former President
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at
Palam Airport. He paid his last respects to President Kalam at Palam Airport on 28 July. He remained active even at 98, continuing to take tea and to play golf twice a week at the Delhi Golf Club.
Singh suffered a cardiac arrest at his New Delhi residence in the early morning of 16 September 2017 and was rushed to the Army Hospital, Research and Referral, in New Delhi, where his condition was stated to be critical. He died at 7:47 p.m. (
IST) that evening.
After his passing, his body was returned to his home at 7A Kautilya Marg in New Delhi, where numerous visitors and dignitaries offered their respects, including President
Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, Defence Minister
Nirmala Seetaraman and the three service chiefs of the
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...
.
Accorded a state funeral by the Indian government, he was cremated at Brar Square in New Delhi on 18 September with full military honours, including a military flypast by IAF fighter jets and helicopters. The
National Flag flew at
half-mast
Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...
in Delhi.
Legacy
Singh was the first officer to have kept his flying rank until he became CAS. He had flown over 60 different types of aircraft from Pre-WWII era biplanes to
Folland Gnat
The Folland Gnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to the rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft, it wa ...
s and
de Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by ...
s. He also had flown in transports like the
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an American aircraft, a member of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. The L-1049 was Lockheed's response to the successful Douglas DC-6 airliner, first flying in 1950. The aircraft was also produc ...
. Singh remained active and worked for the welfare of air force veterans, contributing twenty million rupees from his personal wealth to set up a trust to this end. He was considered a father figure of the service.
The Air Force Sports Control Board organises an annual ''Marshal Arjan Singh Memorial All India Hockey Tournament''. The IAF celebrated the birth centenary of the Marshal in April 2019. Events over a period of one year were planned across the country. The celebrations started with a seminar at Air Headquarters titled "Air Power in the 2040s: Impact of Technology", as a tribute to his vision of the Air Force.
The then
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa also unveiled a bust of the Marshal at Air Headquarters.
Air Force Station Arjan Singh
On 14 April 2016, at an event to mark the Marshal's 97th birthday, the then
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha announced that the Indian Air Force
base at Panagarh in
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
was being renamed to Air Force Station Arjan Singh in honor of the Marshal's service. The airbase was constructed in 1944 by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
in the
China Burma India Theater during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the same theatre that Singh served in during the war.
Awards and decorations
* Sources:
Dates of rank
* Sources:
See also
*
Field Marshal K M Cariappa
'
Field Marshal (India), Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Chief of the Army Staff (India), Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. He led Indian forces on the Western Fron ...
*
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
External links
Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh – Indian Air Force Official WebsiteBook on Arjan Singh: Marshal of The Indian Air Force (Hardcover)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Arjan
1919 births
2017 deaths
People from Faisalabad
Punjabi people
Indian Sikhs
Indian marshals
Chiefs of Air Staff (India)
Vice Chiefs of Air Staff (India)
Marshals of the air force
Sikh warriors
Lieutenant Governors of Delhi
Military personnel from Punjab, India
Air marshals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in civil service
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Ambassadors of India to Switzerland
Ambassadors of India to the Holy See
High Commissioners of India to Kenya
Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Indian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)