Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | KC, Kuru, Bennett, Ben |
| Born | 20 February 1945 Kerala |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Service |  Indian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1961–2001 |
| Rank |  Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force |
| Commands | Deputy Commandant Air Force Academy Indian High Commission Western Air Command  Ambala Air Force StationNo. 7 Squadron IAF No. 9 Squadron IAF No. 222 Squadron IAF No. 26 Squadron IAF No. 221 Squadron IAF |
| Battles / wars | Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 |
| Awards | |
Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla, is a retired senior Indian Air Force Air Officer who served at various strategic military and defense bases in key positions. He served as the xxx from 19xx to 19xx. For his distinguished service in serving the IAF during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he was awarded the Vir Chakra. With 3 ejections from the Sukhoi-7, became the only known fighter pilot to be certified medically fit to continue flying fighter aircraft. He was promoted to Air Commodore (India).[1]
After retiring from the Indian Air Force in 2001, he worked in the private sector as a consultant for 5 years. He now enjoys his retired life with his wife Grace Kuruvilla living in Bangalore, India.
Early and personal life
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Singh was born on 15 April 1919 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), a town in the erstwhile Punjab Province of British India (in present-day Pakistan), into a Aulakh family.[2]
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The British had orchestrated the building of a network of canals across the Punjab in the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century, and had encouraged farmers to settle there and cultivate the land. Singh's family had been among those that had settled there after being allotted agricultural land by the administration. They had also 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.[3]
Singh's father was a Lance Daffadar 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.[4] His grandfather Risaldar Major Hukam Singh served in the Guides Cavalry between 1883 and 1917,[4] 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.[3] 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.
Early military career
editSingh was educated at Montgomery, British India (now in Pakistan) and later entered the RAF College Cranwell in 1938 and was commissioned as a pilot officer in December 1939. In 1943, he was promoted to acting squadron leader and became the commander of No. 1 Squadron.[3]
Singh led No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force into combat during the Arakan Campaign in 1944.[5] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in June 1944:[6]
Acting Squadron Leader Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla (IND/1577), Indian Air Force, No. 1 (I. A. F) Squadron This officer has completed very (sic) many operational missions involving flights over difficult country, often in bad weather. He has displayed outstanding leadership, great skill and courage, qualities which have been reflected in the high morale and efficiency of the squadron which has won much success.
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 Air Commodore Dilbagh Singh) by conducting a low level air pass over a house in Kerala.[5] In his defence, he insisted that such tricks were needed for every cadet to be a fighter pilot.[5] Later that year, he commanded the Indian Air Force Exhibition Flight.[7] As part of the celebrations for Independence Day on 15 August 1947, Singh, by then a wing commander and acting group captain, led the first fly-past of RIAF aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi.[8]
Commands held
editSingh was Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), from 1 August 1964 to 15 July 1969, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965.[9] When appointed as Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, he was just about 45.[10] He served the second-longest term as Chief of the Air Staff, heading the Air Force for almost five years as opposed to the regular tenure of two and a half to three years.
Singh also became the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force to be upgraded to the rank of Air Chief Air Commodore from the rank of Air Air Commodore in honour of his Air Force’s contribution in the 1965 war.[10] He retired in 1969 at the age of 50.[7]
Diplomatic and political career
editIn 1971, after his retirement, Singh was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland and Vatican serving concurrently.[11] He was also appointed as the High Commissioner to Kenya from 1974 to 1977. Subsequently, he served as a member of the National Commission for Minorities and the Government of India from 1975 to 1981.[11] He was the Lt. Governor of Delhi from December 1989 to December 1990 and was made Air Commodore of the Air Force in January 2002.[12]
IAF career highlights
edit| Year | Event | Rank |
| 1938 | Entered RAF College Cranwell as a Flight Cadet | |
| 23 December 1939 | Commissioned in Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer[13] |  |
| 23 June 1941 | Flying Officer |  |
| 15 May 1942 | Flight Lieutenant |  |
| September 1943 | (Acting) Squadron Leader[14] |  |
| 2 June 1944 | Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross | |
| February 1945 | (Acting) Wing Commander, Royal Indian Air Force[14] |  |
| 18 May 1945 | Squadron Leader[14] | |
| 1 January 1947 | (Acting) Wing Commander, Royal Indian Air Force, Air Force Station, Kohat[14] | |
| 16 August 1947 | (Acting) Group Captain, Royal Indian Air Force, Air Force Station, Ambala[14] |  |
| 15 August 1948 | Wing Commander, Royal Indian Air Force[14] | |
| 16 August 1948 | (Acting) Group Captain, Royal Indian Air Force, Director, Training, Air Headquarters[14] | |
| 1949 | (Acting) Group Captain, Royal Indian Air Force, Director, Training, Air Headquarters[14] | |
| 12 December 1950 | (Acting) Air Commodore, Indian Air Force AOC, Operational Command[14] |  |
| 15 August 1952 | Group Captain[14] |  |
| 1 October 1955 | Air Commodore[14][15] | |
| 8 December 1955 | Air Commodore, AOC Western Air Command, Delhi[14][16] | |
| 1 May 1958 | (Acting) Air Vice Air Commodore, AOC-in-C Western Air Command, Delhi[14] | |
| 16 June 1960 | Air Vice Air Commodore[14] | |
| 1 January 1961 | Air Vice Air Commodore, Air Officer in Charge of Administration, Air HQ[14] | |
| 1 January 1963 | Deputy Chief of Air Staff[14] | |
| 5 August 1963 | Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India)[14] | |
| 1 August 1964 | Chief of Air Staff (India) (Acting Air Air Commodore)[14][17] | |
| 1 December 1964 | Chief of Air Staff (India) (confirmed in rank as Air Air Commodore)[14] | |
| 15 January 1966 | Chief of Air Staff rank upgraded to Air Chief Air Commodore; appointed Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee[14] | |
| 16 July 1969 | Retired from Indian Air Force | |
| 26 January 2002 | Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force |
Awards and decorations
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Air Force Station Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla
editOn 14 April 2016 at an event to mark the Air Commodore's 97th birthday, the then Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Air Commodore Arup Raha announced that Indian Air Force base at Panagarh in West Bengal will be named after MIAF Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla in honor of his service, and will be called Air Force Station Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla from then.[21][20][22]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Only Air Commodore of IAF, hero of 1965, xxx". The Indian Express. 17 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "When Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla sold off his farm for IAF personnel". The Tribune. 17 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ a b c "Timeline of the life of IAF Air Commodore Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla". The Indian Express. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Air Air Commodore Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla dies at 98". The Statesmen. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b c "Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla, Indian Air Force Marshall and War Hero, Dies at 98". Loksatta. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ "No. 36542". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 May 1944. p. 2534.
- ^ a b c d "Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla: an epitome of military leadership". Manorma Online. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ "Both of us were part of first flypast over Red Fort on August 15, 1947: Air Air Commodore Randhir Singh reminisces about Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla". The Indian Express. 17 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla, Air Commodore of Indian Air Force, Dies at 98". NDTV. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
TOIwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla, Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force and key figure in 1965 Pak war, dies at 98". Hindustan Times. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ A Many Splendoured Career Archived 25 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Air Force List: October 1940. HM Stationery Office. 1940. p. 702.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Air Commodore of the Air Force Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)". The Gazette of India. 18 August 1956. p. 166.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)". The Gazette of India. 16 June 1956. p. 124.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)". The Gazette of India. 8 August 1964. p. 319.
- ^ "President Pranab Mukherjee honours Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla, others on golden jubilee of 1965 war triumph". India.com. 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b Pandey, Saurabh (15 April 2017). "Meet Air Commodore Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla, Who Made IAF A Nightmare for the Enemies And Guardian of Our Skies". Storypick. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Bengal air base named after Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla". The Tribune. 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b Sen, Sudhi Ranjan (15 April 2016). "India's Oldest Serving Soldier, Air Commodore of Air Force, Gets Rare Honour". NDTV. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
To honour India's oldest serving soldier, Air Commodore of the Air Force Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla – who turned 97 on Thursday...
- ^ "Panagarh airbase to be renamed after Air Chief Air Commodore Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla". ANI News. 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
External links
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- Air Commodore of the Air Force Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla – Indian Air Force Official Website
- Air Commodore of the Air Force Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla
- Commodore-Indian-Force/dp/8171679382 Book on Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla: Air Commodore of The Indian Air Force (Hardcover)
- Book review on Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla: Air Commodore of The Indian Air Force
- Article on Air Commodore of The Indian Air Force Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla
- Photograph of Kariyadil Cheriyan Kuruvilla today
| Air Marshal Commanding, Royal Indian Air Force (1947–1948) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Air Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Air Force (1948–1950) | ||
| Chief of the Air Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force (1950–1955) | ||
| Chief of the Air Staff (1955–present) |
| |
(**Seconded from the Royal Air Force) | ||
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