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| Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh | |
|---|---|
| Place of birth |  Lyallpur, Punjab, British India |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Service/branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938 – Present |
| Rank | Marshal of the Air Force |
| Commands held | World War II battle Squadron Commands, Operational Command, Western Air Command, AOC-in-C of Operational Command, DCAS, VCAS |
| Battles/wars | World War II, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan, Distinguished Flying Cross |
Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC (15 April 1919-) is the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to five star rank, equal to a Field Marshal, to which he was promoted in 2002.[1] He was born in the Punjab Lyalpur, British India, into a Aulakh family.[2] With the death of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in June 2008, he is presently the only living Indian military officer with a five-star rank.
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Education and training
Singh was educated at Montgomery India (now in Pakistan). He entered the RAF College Cranwell in 1938 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in December 1939. He led No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force into command during the Arakan Campaign in 1944. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944, and commanded the Indian Air Force Exhibition Flight in 1945. Almost faced a court martial, when he tried to raise the morale of an air force pilot, by conducting a low level air pass over a house in Kerala. Though he apologised for his mistake, but he insisted that such tricks are needed for every cadet to be a fighter pilot.
Career and commands held
He was Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), from 1 August 1964 to 15 July 1969, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965. He was Lt. Governor of Delhi from 1989 - ???? and was made Marshal of the Air Force in January, 2002.[1]
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Career Highlights
- 1938 — Commissioned in Royal Indian Air Force as a Pilot Officer
- 1940 - Flying Officer
- 1942 - Flight Lieutenant
- 1944 - Squadron Leader
- 1945 — Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
- 1947 — Wing Commander, Air Force Station, Ambala
- 1948 — Group Captain, Director, Training, Air Headquarters
- 1950 — Air Commodore, AOC, Operational Command
- 1959 — Air Vice Marshal
- 1961 — Air Officer in Charge, Administration, Air HQ
- 1963 — Deputy Chief of Air Staff and subsequently Vice Chief of Air Staff
- 1964 — Chief of Air Staff
- 1965 — Air Chief Marshal
- 1965 — Awarded Padma Vibhushan
- 1966 — Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee
- 1969 — Retired from Indian Air Force
- 1971 — Ambassador to Switzerland and the Holy See
- 1974 — High Commissioner to Kenya
- 1980 — Member of the Minorities Commission
- 1989 — Lt. Governor, Delhi
- 2002 - Marshal of the Air Force
References
- ^ a b Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC
- ^ Roopinder Singh (2002). Arjan Singh: Marshal of The Indian Air Force. Rupa & Co. ISBN 8171679382.
External links
- Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh
- Book on Arjan Singh: Marshal of The Indian Air Force (Hardcover)
- Book review on Arjan Singh: Marshal of The Indian Air Force
- Article on Marshal of The Indian Air Force Arjan Singh
- Photograph of Arjan Singh today
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Aspy Engineer |
Chief of the Air Staff (India) 1964–1969 |
Succeeded by Pratap Chandra Lal |
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