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Dear friends,
Following are the accounts of all those brave fighter pilots who made their supreme sacrifices in conditions similar to those faced by Flt. Lt. Manu Akhouri. Please go through the details and register your support for our cause that Flt. Lt. Manu Akhouri be suitably honored. Please comment.

ASHOKA CHAKRA

Flight Lieutnant Suhas Biswas, 2883 GD(P)
Award Date : 3rd February 1952.

On the 3rd of February, 1952, The U. P. Area command of the Indian Army was holding a tactical Exercise in Lucknow. To Witness this Exercise, High ranking Army Officials decided to fly down to the Exercise to observe. The Then GOC-in-C Western Command Lt Gen S. M Shrinagesh (Later COAS) , The Quarter Master General Maj-Gen K. S . Thimayya (later COAS), The Chief of General Staff Maj Gen S. P. P. Thorat (later GOC-inC East), The Military Secretary Maj Gen Sarda Nand, Maj Gen Mohinder Singh Chopra and Brig Ajaib Singh boarded the IAF HQ and Communications Flight De Havilland Devon (HW 516) which was being flown by Flt Lt Suhas Biswas. The Devon reached Lucknow and after the exercises were completed, the Officers returned for the return flight to Delhi. The Devon took off at 1800 Hrs and moments after the aircraft took off, the Crew observed the port engine was spewing smoke and soon a fire broke out. The Devon became difficult to control and as the fire kept creeping towards the main fuselage, Biswas, the pilot put the Devon in a dive in an attempt to reduce altitude and attempt a crash landing before the aircraft fuel reserves caught fire and blew up. As the Devon was put into the dive, The Aircraft shuddered in the airflow and The Engine mounting broke away, resulting in the Burning Engine seperating from the wing and falling off. Biswas levelled the Aircraft and belly landed sucessfully at a village near the Sandilla Railway Station. All the occupants walked out of the crashed aircraft unhurt with the pilot being the last to leave.
Flt Lt Suhas Biswas awarded the First Ashoka Chakra to the Indian Air Force for the presence of mind, Skill and cool courage in maintaining the Stricken aircraft and saving the lives of many Senior Army Officers. Which included Two Future Army Chiefs and an Army Commander. The Air Force Chief, Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, had had the passenger chairs removed from the wrecked Devon and presented it individually to each of the survivors of the crash with a Brass Plate mentioning the circumstances of the crash.
Flt Lt Biswas died Two Years later when his Dakota crashed in the Niligiri Hills.

KIRTI CHAKRA

Sqn LdrAyyappan Sudhakaran 3937 GD(P) Unit : A&ATU Award Date 04 Jun 60 Announced 04 Mar 61

Details : On the 4th of June, 1960, Suqadron Leader Ayappan Sudhakaran was carrying out a test flight in a Gnat aircraft – the only one of its kind in India – which was fully instrumented when the engine flamed out at low altitude. He could have abandoned the aircraft and saved his own life but decided to save the aircraft by attempting a forced-landing. In this gallant attempt he lost his life.
Squadron Leader Ayappan Sudhakaran had been a test pilot for nearly three years at Kanpur during which period he made numerous test flights in which he faced great risk to his life and displayed outstanding flying ability and technical knowledge of a very high order. In this incident in which he lost his life he showed courage, devotion to duty and determination in the highest traditions of the Air Force.

Flt LtRaj Kumar Mehta 4102 GD(P) Unit : 23 Squadron Award Date 09 Nov 60 Announced 26 Jan 62
Details :While flying a Gnat on 9 Nov 60, He encountered a Bird Hit while on his landing finals at Palam. This resulted in the Engine Flaming Out. Mehta did not eject but attempted a landing in a bid to save the aircraft. Unfortunately The Gnat crashed killing him.

Fg OffrVaidyanathan Ganesan 30039 AUX Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 12 Mar 61 Announced 26 Jan 62
Details :Fg Off Ganesan was on an Instrumental training sortie on 12 Mar 61, when an aircraft malfunction rendered the aircraft unsafe for flying. Fg. Off Ganesan decided to bail out of the aircraft, but noticed a village in the immediate vicinity. Ganesan chose to stay in the aircraft and guide it away from crashing into the village. He successfully steered away the aircraft and as it was too low to bail out , attempted a crash landing and was killed.

Flt LtMadhusudhan Ray 5004 GD(P) Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 12 Oct 61 Announced 26 Jan 62
Details :On 12th October, 1961, Flight Lieutenant Madhusudan Ray (5004) GD(P), Captain of a Dakota aircraft while engaged on a training flight had to crash-land the aircraft at Mahesh owing to loss of power immediately after take-off from Barrackpore airfield. He deliberately manoeuvred his aircraft so as to crash-land in the only available open space between inhabited multi-storeyed buildings. A crash into any of these buildings would have caused extensive damage to life and property. Flight Lieutenant Madhusudan Ray was able to ward off what might have been a disaster of great magnitude and in doing so sacrificed his own life and those of his crew.
In saving the lives of others, Flight Lieutenant Madhusudan Ray displayed gallantry, skill and spirit of self-sacrifice, which are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Air Force.

Flt LtKaran Sher Singh Kalsia 4474 GD(P) Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 19 Jan 61 Announced 10 Sep 62
Details : On 19th January, 1961, while on a training flight, Flight Lieutenant Kalsia found that the engine of his aircraft had flamed out. The aircraft was heading towards Jamnagar city and had he bailed out and abandoned the aircraft, it would have crashed in the city, causing extensive damage to life and property. Realising this, Flight Lieutenant Kalsia turned his aircraft away from the populated area and in doing so lost valuable height. He then attempted a force landing as he was left with no other option and was killed in the attempt.
Flight Lieutenant Kalsia displayed courage of a very high order and gave his own life to avoid an accident which might have resulted in the loss of several other lives. His gallant action was in the highest traditions of the Air Force.

Flt LtJagan Nath Vijayaragahvan 4483 GD(P) Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 14 May 62 Announced 10 Sep 62
Details : On 14th May 1962, Flight Lieutenant Vijayaraghavan was on an instructional sortie with Pilot Officer Evans as pupil. During a spinning exercise by the pupil, it was noticed that the aircraft failed to come out of the spin. At this moment, Flight Lieutenant Vijayaraghavan, took over the controls of the aircraft which however still failed to respond and started losing height rapidly. He twice ordered Pilot Officer Evans to bale out but by the time the latter did so, the aircraft had reached too low a height for Flight Lieutenant Vijayaraghavan to abandon it. Pilot Officer Evans escaped with minor injuries. The aircraft crashed killing Flight Lieutenant Vijayaraghavan instantaneously.
Flight Lieutenant Vijayaraghavan displayed conspicuous gallantry and a spirit of supreme self-sacrifice in saving the life of his pupil which was in the highest traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Wg Cdr Daljit Singh Minhas 11287 F(P) Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 05 Apr 88 Announced 26 Jan 89
Details :On 5th April 88, Wg Cdr Minhas was piloting a Hunter fighter when he experienced an engine flame out just 200 feet above the ground. he guided the aircraft away from a habitated village and stayed with the aircraft to make sure it did not cause any loss of life on ground. He ejected from the Hunter at a very low level as a result of which his parachute did not open and he died in the crash.
(Courtesy: bharatrakshak.com)