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Four years after it was formed, the first flight of the then Royal Indian Air Force took off for its maiden operational deployment at Peshawar in 1936. The pilots flew so well that senior British army officers preferred to fly with the Indian officers rather than with those from the Royal Air Force (RAF), to which the flight had been attached.
While the IAF has grown exponentially, since the first six trail blazers earned their wings at Cranwell in the United Kingdom 82 years ago, and is now among the world's largest and finest air forces, not many would be familiar with the challenges of the initial years. This book is a compilation of such narratives. Some of these provide a glimpse into the past, bringing out in the open what happened during the formative years, especially at the airman's level. It is also about the relationship with the British when the initial batches of Indian airmen and even officers had to battle racial bias, poor pay, primitive facilities and the overbearing attitude of the RAF. The author, a senior journalist and an aviation specialist, shares with the readers hopes and aspirations, fears and frustrations, innovations and professionalism and the grit and dedication of the men, who built with blood and sweat the sinews of a new service. Here are stories of overcoming odds and evolving combat leadership. In the 27 chapters that chronicle the IAF's first 15 years, the author draws extensively on official records, news reports, first-hand narratives, personal interviews and eyewitness accounts that make for an interesting read for enthusiasts of aviation or military history. Many of the narratives come from those who served the force at high ranks in the post-Independence India. Some of the accounts of wartime operations and aerial combats that the IAF was involved in are gripping, while a few anecdotes that pop up now and then highlight the lighter side of service life.
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The deployment was
crucial as British got a first-hand impression of the work done by the
founding fathers of the Indian Air Force. Former RAF Air Chief Marshal
Basil Embry, who was commanding 20 Squadron at that time, to which the
Indians were attached, wrote, "I regarded it as a privilege to
have them serving under me. It was the first time that the Indian Air
Force had seen active service, but they quickly acclimatised
themselves and built up a fine reputation."