Who is the Father of Indian Air Force?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 11th, 2023
Subroto Mukherjee is known as the Father of Indian Air Force. He was raised in a well-known Bengali household and received his education in India and the UK. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force before becoming one of the first recruits of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1933. He was named Commander-in-Chief of the IAF in 1954 after completing the higher leadership course at the Imperial Defence College.
During the course of a three-decade career, he received a number of honours. In this post, we addressed frequently asked questions about the father of Indian Air Force, including his education, career, etc.
Table of content
Father of Indian Air Force
The father of Indian Air Force is Subroto Mukherjee. When it was decided to issue Indians RAF commissions, Mukerjee was one of the six cadets chosen for training at RAF Cranwell. When the first Indian Air Force Squadron was established on April 1, 1933, Mukherjee and four other officers enlisted as pilots after training at Cranwell. For a while, Mukherjee worked as the squadron’s pilot officer.
He was promoted to Flying Officer in July 1938 and given command of the ‘B’ Flight of the No. 1 IAF Squadron. When he took over No. 1 on March 16, 1939, he became the first Indian officer to command a squadron. The squadron relocated to Miranshah after making the switch to the Hawker Hart. Eventually, Mukerjee led the squadron into combat with the North West Frontier Province’s tribal inhabitants.
The armed forces also became independent forces on August 15, 1947, when India attained independence. Air Commodore Mukherjee was appointed the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters after receiving his promotion. Over 6.5 years were spent with Mukherjee in the position of Vice Chief. The Air Force received a range of cutting-edge aircraft during his leadership. Air India International Airlines launched its first trip to Tokyo, Japan, in November 1960. On this flight, Mukerjee was joined by other IAF officers.
He died on November 8, 1960, from choking after a piece of food became stuck in his windpipe. Subroto Mukherjee received full military honours before being cremated. He was transported to Air House by hearse from Palam Airport. On November 11, 1960, many people paid their respects. At minute intervals, a 15-gun salute was fired as his body was leaving Air House.
Summary:
Who is the Father of Indian Air Force?
Subroto Mukherjee is known as the Father of Indian Air Force. Following training at Cranwell, Mukherjee and four other officers joined as pilots on April 1, 1933. In July 1938, he received a promotion to Flying Officer and was assigned command of the No. 1 IAF Squadron’s B Flight. After being promoted, Air Commodore Mukherjee was given the position of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters. On November 8, 1960, he passed away from choking after a piece of food got lodged in his windpipe. Before being cremated, Subroto Mukherjee received massive military honours.
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