GeorgiannaStrand: bio.

2026-04-17T22:34:25Z

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{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Shivdev Singh
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Shivdev Singh.jpg
| caption = Shivdev Singh c.1942
| office =
| term_start =
| term_end =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| office1 =
| term_start1 =
| term_end1 =
| president1 =
| prime_minister1 =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| office2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| president2 =
| prime_minister2 =
| birth_date = 20 December 1919
| death_date = 29 December 1993 (aged 74)
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = [[RAF Cranwell]]
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} (1940–1947) {{flag|India}} (1947–1973)
| branch = {{air force|British India}} {{air force|India}}
| rank =
| service_years = 1940-1973
| unit = [[No. 3 Squadron IAF]] [[No. 4 Squadron IAF]] [[No. 6 Squadron IAF]] [[No. 12 Squadron IAF]]
| commands =
| battles = [[World War II]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
| awards =
| relations =
| blank1 =
| data1 =
}}

[[Air marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]] '''Shivdev Singh''' (20 December 1919 - 29 December 1993) was a senior officer in the [[Indian Air Force]]. During the [[Second World War]] he was among the first [[24 Indian pilots]] selected from the Indian Air Force's 4th Pilot's Course to be seconded to the United Kingdom for operational training and squadron service with the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]] (RAFVR).

Singh later played a significant role in planning and overseeing the air operations during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]].

==Early life and education==
Shivdev Singh was born on 20 December 1919.<ref name=BR.Dev>{{cite web |title=Service Record for Air Marshal Shivdev Singh 1595 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/1595 |website=Bharat Rakshak |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en-gb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226193637/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/1595|archive-date=26 December 2022}}</ref>

==Military career==
===Second World War===
[[File:Indian pilots arrival in London, 1940.png|thumb|left|Indian pilots arrival at a London train station, 1940]]
[[File:Sqn Ldr Shivdev Singh and Flt Lt Asghar Khan, WWII Mission Planning (1945).jpg|thumb|right|Squadron Leader Shivdev Singh, second from left, flanked by a [[British Indian Army]] officer, while Flight Lieutenant [[Asghar Khan]], third from the left, is flanked by a [[Wing Commander]] during a mission planning session, [[World War II]], 1945]]
During the [[Second World War]], Singh was among the first [[24 Indian pilots]] selected from the Indian Air Force's 4th Pilot's Course to be seconded to the United Kingdom for operational training and squadron service with the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]] (RAFVR).<ref name=Nair2019.2>{{cite book |last1=Nair |first1=K. S. |title=The Forgotten Few; The Indian Air Force in World War II |date=2019 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=Noida, UP |isbn=978-93-5357-067-5 |pages=42–70 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SufDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA42|chapter= 2. 1939-40: War in Europe |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Chowdhry2018>{{cite book |last1=Chowdhry |first1=Mohindra S. |title=Defence of Europe by Sikh Soldiers in the World Wars |date=2018 |publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd |location=Leicestershire |isbn=978-1788037-983 |pages=329–383 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=twFQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA365 |language=en |chapter=7. Sikhs in the Second World War}}</ref> From 12 July 1941 to 23 December 1941 he was squadron pilot to [[RAF Harwell]].<ref name=BR.Dev/>

Singh was commissioned as a flight officer on 1 February 1942.<ref name=BR.Dev/> As a bomber pilot, he flew 22 operational missions over Germany.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian soldiers {{!}} Making Britain |url=https://www5.open.ac.uk/research-projects/making-britain/taxonomy/term/385 |website=www5.open.ac.uk |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref><ref name=Gupta2022>{{cite web |last1=Gupta |first1=Anchit |date=3 December 2022 |title=The Inspiring Journey of the 4th Pilot Course |url=https://iafhistory.in/2022/12/03/trailblazers-in-the-skies-the-inspiring-journey-of-the-4th-pilot-course/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250531061050/https://iafhistory.in/2022/12/03/trailblazers-in-the-skies-the-inspiring-journey-of-the-4th-pilot-course/ |archive-date=31 May 2025 |access-date=31 May 2025 |website=#IAFHistory}}</ref> He was appointed co-pilot to [[Drummond Wilson]], serving with him on one raid in a [[Short Stirling]].<ref name=Singh2021>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Ranveer |date=2021 |title=The Shadows of Empire: British Imperial and Sikh History on the Streets of Westminster, London |url=https://alittlehistoryofthesikhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RavSingh_SRJ_V6N1_Formatted_Final.pdf |journal=Sikh Research Journal |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=75–76 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250324203107/https://alittlehistoryofthesikhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RavSingh_SRJ_V6N1_Formatted_Final.pdf |archive-date=24 March 2025}}</ref><ref name="Godmanchester">{{cite web |title=The Godmanchester Stirling - Pilot Officer Shiv Dev Singh |url=http://www.thegodmanchesterstirling.co.uk/the-godmanchester-stirling1/additional-crewmen/14-pilot-officer-shiv-dev-singh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250614083916/https://www.thegodmanchesterstirling.co.uk/the-godmanchester-stirling1/additional-crewmen/14-pilot-officer-shiv-dev-singh |archive-date=14 June 2025 |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=www.thegodmanchesterstirling.co.uk}}</ref> In March 1942 he transferred to [[RAF Middle East Command]].<ref name=Singh2021/> From there, he was subsequently posted to Egypt.<ref name=Singh2021/>

During the [[Burma campaign (1944–1945)]] in March 1945 Singh, then in [[No. 3 Squadron IAF]], led a large wing formation flight over [[Japanese occupation of Burma|Japanese-occupied Burma]], contributing to the capture of Rangoon in May 1945.<ref name=Singh2021/><ref>{{cite news |title=North Mandalay clear of Japs |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19450316/111/0008 |access-date=5 June 2025 |work=Civil & Military Gazette |date=16 March 1945 |location=Lahore |page=8|url-access=subscription|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> After 18 months in Burma he was reassigned to New Guinea.<ref name=Singh2021/> He served as the Commanding Officer of [[No. 12 Squadron IAF|No. 12 Squadron]] in Agra from 6 December 1946.<ref name=BR.Dev/>

===Post independence===
Singh was appointed as the Station Commander of 4 Wing in Agra from 15 August 1947 to mid-October 1948.<ref name=BR.Dev/> Throughout April 1951 he attended the [[RAF Staff College, Andover|Royal Air Force Staff College]] in [[Andover, Hampshire|Andover]], UK.<ref name=BR.Dev/> Following this, he served as the Air Advisor at the [[India House, London|High Commission of India]] in London from November 1948 to late-April 1950.<ref name=BR.Dev/> Upon returning to India, he was the Station Commander at Air Force Station [[Jalahalli]], [[Bengaluru]], from June 1951 to the end of January 1953.<ref name=BR.Dev/> He then served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at Operational Command in Delhi from 25 January 1953 to 1 September 1954.<ref name=BR.Dev/>

Singh was appointed Director of Organisation at [[Air HQ Communication Squadron, Indian Air Force|Air Headquarters]] in Delhi from early March 1955 to the end of May 1958.<ref name=BR.Dev/> He was the Air Officer Commanding of No. 1 Operational Group ([[Eastern Air Command (India)|Eastern Air Command]]) in Calcutta from 27 May 1958 to early December 1959, and later the Air Officer Commanding of Advance Headquarters, Operational Command in [[Simla]] from January 1960 to January 1963.<ref name=BR.Dev/> He then served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command in Calcutta from January 1963 to 9 June 1963, Central Air Command in Calcutta from June 1963 to March 1966, and Western Air Command in Delhi from March 1966 to the end of July 1969.<ref name=BR.Dev/>

From July 1969 until his retirement on 31 March 1973, Singh served as the [[Air marshal (India)|Vice Chief of Air Staff]] at the [[Indian Air Force]] Headquarters in Delhi.<ref name=BR.Dev/> During this period, he played a key role in planning and managing air operations in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]].<ref name=BR.Dev/><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DdohlIUDakUC&pg=RA10-PA10 |title=Sainik Samachar |publisher=Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence |year=1970 |pages=10 |language=en}}</ref> After retirement, he was appointed as the Commodore Commandant of No. 12 Squadron in June 1976.<ref name=BR.Dev/>

==Death==
Singh died on 29 December 1993.<ref name=BR.Dev/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=Leivers |first1=Roger |title=Stirling to Essen: The Godmanchester Stirling : a Bomber Command Story of Courage and Tragedy |date=2017 |publisher=Fighting High |isbn=978-0-9934152-8-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yyMungAACAAJ|language=en}}

==External links==
*{{YouTube|KQx_j5UkyAI|Arrival at London, 8 October 1940}} ([[Pathé News|British Pathé]])
*{{cite web |title=15 Squadron Stirling I N6067 LS-E Sq/Ldr. Mathew D.H. Wilson, Beck Lodge Farm, Mildenhall |url=https://aircrewremembered.com/wilson-mathew-drummond.html |website=Aircrew Remembered site |access-date=4 June 2025 |language=en}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Shivdev}}
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Indian military aviators]]
[[Category:24 Indian pilots]]
[[Category:Indian World War II pilots]]
[[Category:World War II fighter pilots]]
[[Category:People of the India–Pakistan war of 1947–1948]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian military personnel]]

Shivdev Singh - Revision history

GeorgiannaStrand: bio.