Английская Википедия:24 Indian pilots (1940)

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Файл:Indian pilots arrival in London, 1940.png

First group of Indian pilots arrive in London, 8 October 1940

In 1940, 24 Indian pilots, also known as the X-squad, were sent to the UK for operational training and squadron service with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR).

The pilots included Ranjan Dutt, Erlic W. Pinto, Hari C. Dewan, Mahinder Singh Pujji and Man Mohan Singh. Of the 24, 16 qualified as pilots and six were posted to non-flying duties. Eight completed further training as fighter pilots and served in RAF squadrons after the Battle of Britain. Others were selected for Bomber/Coastal Command.

Eight were killed during training or in action. Some of those who survived became Air Marshalls in the Indian Air Force (IAF) after independence.

Recruitment

In 1940, the Air Ministry requested the British Government in India to send Indian pilots for further training in England.Шаблон:Efn On 8 August 1940, 24 mostly newly qualified Indian pilots were recruited from Lahore and Ambala to join the RAFVR. They left Lahore for Bombay (now Mumbai) on 3 September 1940, and departed India as one group at the end of September 1940.Шаблон:Efn

UK

The group arrived in England on the P&O liner SS Strathallan on 6 October 1940 and headed for RAF Uxbridge on 8 October.Шаблон:Efn Their arrival was given widespread media coverage. When they reached a London train station, they were greeted by Sir Louis Leisler Greig and the photographer William G. Vanderson. Each were also individually welcomed by the Air Minister, Sir Archibald Sinclair, who handed each a note concluding "We shall be proud to have you fighting by our side". They were conducted by J. M. R. Jayakar.

After a month the group had tea with the King before being divided in two.Шаблон:Efn Most were posted to No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School RAF at Prestwick to train on Tiger Moths. Advanced training was completed at No. 9 Service Flying Training School at RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire, and they received their wings on 16 April 1941. Of the 24, six were posted to non-flying duties. Eight had qualified for fighter training at No. 56 OTU at RAF Sutton Bridge. They included Dutt, Pujji, Mehta, Gnanamuthu and Nazirullah. They mostly served in RAF squadrons after the Battle of Britain for around three months in 1941. Others were selected for Bomber/Coastal Command.

At first they received 425 rupees per month and an annual oversees allowance of £25, which was raised to £100.

Deaths and legacy

Eight were killed during training or in action. Dewan, Pinto, Shivdev Singh and Dutt later became Air Marshalls in the Indian Air Force after independence.

In 2014 a statue of Pujji was erected in Gravesend, Kent. Man Mohan Singh's name is remembered on the Darwin Military Museum Memorial Wall, Australia.

List of pilots

List of 24 Indian pilots seconded to UK 1940

Pilot	Comment	Image	References
Kenneth Joseph Bhore	Arrived in England at age 27 years. Later joined Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
Kali Prasad Chaudhury	Born to K.N. Chaudhury, Of Ballingham, Calcutta, India. Served in No. 10 Operational Training Unit RAF. Killed in action at age 26 years on 18 June 1941; aircraft lost. Memorial at Golders Green Jewish Cemetery .
Kanwar Haveli Shah Chopra	Born 18 December 1915, died 6 October 1954.
Rustom Nariman Dastur	Born to Nariman Pestonji Dastur and Hoiabai Nariman Dastur, of Bandra, Bombay, India. Killed in action at age 22 years on 31 August 1941. He is buried at Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery.
Hari Chand Dewan	Arrived in England at age 18 years. Later became Air Marshal and head of the Eastern Air Command in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
Ranjan Dutt	In England he flew Hurricanes with No. 32 Squadron RAF, and upon return to India flew Lysanders. Died in 2009.
Mohit Mohan Ghose	Recruited at age 25 years.
Anandaraj Samuel Gnanamuthu	Born to Captain G. D. Gnanamuthu, Civil Assistant Surgeon, of Kollegat, Coimbatore District, India. Died 11 July 1941 at age 22 years.
Harbans Krishan Khanna	Born 15 May 1919. Died 31 Aug 1941.
Chander Parkash Khosla	Killed in action. He is commemorated at Air Forces Memorial
Mian Mohd Latif	Arrived in England at age 21 years.
Ali Raza Khan Pasha	Born 12 January 1917, died in service 18 June 1941. He is buried in the Muslim section of Brookwood Cemetery, UK.
Hukum Chand Mehta	Died during an accident while training on 3 November 1941. He is commemorated at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne cemetery
Edwin Nazirullah	For a while served No. 32 Squadron RAF. Later joined PAF
Erlic Wilmot Pinto	Served in the UK from 1940 to 1942. Graduated from RAF Staff College, Andover. In 1959, became Air vice marshal, India.
Mahinder Singh Pujji	Born in 1918, died in 2010.	Файл:MahinderSinghPujjiStatueGravesend.jpg
Om Prakash Sanghi	Arrived in England age 25 years.
Satya Pal Shahi	Retired in 1973
Gurbachan Singh	Died in crash on 12 April 1941 after hitting telephone wires
Shiv Dev Singh	Arrived in England at age 20 years. He made 22 operational flights over Germany occupied territory. Later became Air Marshal and then Vice of Air Staff in post-independent India. Credited his fame to looking like Man Mohan Singh.
Tarlochan Singh	Born 28 Jul 1915. Killed whilst training.
Man Mohan Singh	Older than the others, they referred to him as "cha-cha". Killed in action.	Файл:Man Mohan Singh (died 1942).jpg
Ganjam Subbaramaiah	First to die.
Chaman Lal Tandon	Arrived in England age 21 years

Gallery

• Arrival in the UK[40]

  Arrival in the UK

• Tea time

  Tea time

• 19 of the pilots studying maps[41]

  19 of the pilots studying maps

External links

• Шаблон:YouTube (British Pathé)
• Шаблон:YouTube (British Pathé)
• Шаблон:Cite web