BSF honours ex- IAF Flying Officer at Attari

Vir Chakra awardee and former Flying Officer KC Kuruvilla was honoured by the Border Security Force during the flag-lowering ceremony at Attari check-post here today.

HN Joshi, Commandant, BSF (Operations), honoured him. Other officials were also present on the occasion.

Flying Officer KC Kuruvilla was part of a 18-member group of retired Air Force officials who visited the joint check-post to witness the retreat ceremony. Kuruvilla, who retired as Air Commodore, displayed great courage and exemplary bravery during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. He remained a prisoner of war (PoW) for a year before he was repatriated in December 1972. He was captured on December 6, 1971.

Sharing his experience, Kuruvilla said that it was a nostalgic moment for him as he had come through the Attari-Wagah land route when he was repatriated after a year of captivity as PoW in Pakistan.

A 26-year-old Flying Officer then in 222 squadron of the Indian Air Force, Kuruvilla was assigned a crucial mission to launch a strike in Dera Baba Nanak area where the Pakistani army had put up a heavy machine gun which was preventing the advance movement of Indian Army. The machine gun was located near Jassar village across the Ravi river.

In his third attempt, he flew his aircraft at 300 feet above the ground and destroyed the target but his aircraft was hit by ground fire. He ejected from his aircraft but fell in the territory of Pakistan where he was made captive three hours later by a Pakistani patrol party. Constables of Pakistani patrol wanted to kill him but a Baluchi Havildar saved him.