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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
|name=Cecil Chaudhry
| honorific_prefix = [[Group Captain]]
| honorific_suffix   = [[Pride of Performance|PP]] [[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]] [[Tamgha-i-Jurat|TJ]]
| name         = Cecil Chaudhry
|birth_date={{birth date|1941|08|27|df=y}}
| honorific_suffix = [[File:Sitara - i -Jurat .png|20px]]<br />
|birth_place=[[Dalwal]], [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]], now [[Pakistan]]
{{small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat]]}}<br />{{small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]]}}, {{small|[[Sitara-e-Basalat|SBt]]}}, {{small|[[Pride of Performance|PP]]}}
|death_date={{death date and age|2012|04|13|1941|08|27|df=y}}
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1941|08|27|df=y}}
|death_place=[[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]]
| birth_place   = [[Dalwal]], [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]], now [[Pakistan]]
|image=
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2012|04|13|1941|08|27|df=y}}
|caption=Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry
| death_place   = [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]]
|alma_mater = [[St. Anthony High School, Lahore]], [[Forman Christian College]]
| image         =  
|module =  
| caption       = Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry
|nickname=
| alma_mater   = [[St. Anthony High School, Lahore]], [[Forman Christian College]]
|allegiance={{flagcountry|Pakistan}}
| module       =  
|branch={{air force|Pakistan}}  
| nickname     =  
|serviceyears=1958–1986  
| allegiance   = {{flagcountry|Pakistan}}
|rank=[[Group Captain]]
| branch       = {{air force|Pakistan}}
|commands=[[Masroor Airbase|Masroor Air Force Base]]<br>[[Mushaf Airbase|Sargodha Air Force Base]]<br>[[List of Pakistan Air Force bases|No. 32 Fighter Ground Attack Wing]]<br>[[List of Pakistan Air Force bases|No. 38 Multi-Role Wing]]<br>[[United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program#Pakistan|Combat Commander's School]]
| serviceyears = 1958–1986
|unit=[[No. 5 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 5 Squadron ''Fighting Falcons'']]
| rank         = [[Group Captain]]
|battles=[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]<br>[[Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965|Operation Eagle Strike]]<br>[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]<br>[[Operation Chengiz Khan]] during 1971 war his aircraft was shot by ground fire, Cecil ejected safely and was recovered by troops of 40 Punjab in Zafarwal Sector
| commands     = [[Masroor Airbase|Masroor Air Force Base]]<br>[[Mushaf Airbase|Sargodha Air Force Base]]<br>[[List of Pakistan Air Force bases|No. 32 Fighter Ground Attack Wing]]<br>[[List of Pakistan Air Force bases|No. 38 Multi-Role Wing]]<br>[[United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program#Pakistan|Combat Commander's School]]
|awards=[[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (1965)<br>[[Tamgha-i-Jurat]] (1971)<br/>[[Pride of Performance]] Award (2013)
| servicenumber = Pak/4055
|laterwork=[[Educationist]]
| unit         = [[No. 5 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 5 Squadron ''Fighting Falcons'']]
| battles       = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]<br>[[Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965|Operation Eagle Strike]]<br>[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]<br>[[Operation Chengiz Khan]] during 1971 war his aircraft was shot by ground fire, Cecil ejected safely and was recovered by troops of 40 Punjab in Zafarwal Sector
| awards       = <i>[[File:Sitara-e-Jurat.png|50px]]''[[Sitara-e-Jurat]]''<br/>[[File:Sitara-e-Basalat.png|50px]]''[[Sitara-e-Basalat]]''<br/>[[File:President's Award for Pride of Performance.png|50px]]''[[Pride of Performance]]''
| laterwork     = [[Educationist]]
}}
}}


[[Group Captain]] '''Cecil Chaudhry''' ([[Urdu]]:سیسل چودھری) (27 August 1941&nbsp;– 13 April 2012) was a Pakistani academic, human rights activist, and a veteran [[fighter pilot]]. As a [[flight lieutenant]], he fought in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] and as a [[squadron leader]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. During the 1965 war, Chaudhry and three other pilots, under the leadership of [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Anwar Shamim]], attacked the [[Amritsar]] Radar Station in a difficult operation. He was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (Star of Courage) for his actions during that mission.<ref name=Tribune>[https://tribune.com.pk/story/364519/obituary-war-hero-During the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war his aircraft was shot down by ground fire. Cecil bailed out and was recovered by troops of 40 Punjab in Zafarwal Sector. cecil-chaudhry-passes-away Obituary: War hero Cecil Chaudhry passes away (Minorities' alliance announces 10-day mourning)] The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 14 April 2012, Retrieved 7 October 2021</ref><ref name=GoogleBooks/>
[[Group Captain]] '''Cecil Chaudhry''' {{small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]], [[Sitara-e-Basalat|SBt]], [[Pride of Performance|PP]]}} ([[Urdu]]:سیسل چودھری) (27 August 1941&nbsp;– 13 April 2012) was a Pakistani academic, human rights activist, and a veteran [[fighter pilot]]. As a [[flight lieutenant]], he fought in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] and as a [[squadron leader]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. During the 1965 war, Chaudhry and three other pilots, under the leadership of [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Anwar Shamim]], attacked the [[Amritsar]] Radar Station in a difficult operation. He was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (Star of Courage) for his actions during that mission.<ref name=Tribune>[https://tribune.com.pk/story/364519/obituary-war-hero-During the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war his aircraft was shot down by ground fire. Cecil bailed out and was recovered by troops of 40 Punjab in Zafarwal Sector. cecil-chaudhry-passes-away Obituary: War hero Cecil Chaudhry passes away (Minorities' alliance announces 10-day mourning)] The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 14 April 2012, Retrieved 7 October 2021</ref><ref name="GoogleBooks">{{cite book |author=Shireen Najib |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J_6o1jKr2KUC&dq=awards+Cecil+Chaudhry&pg=PA83 |title=My Life, My Stories (Cecil Chaudhry a war hero) pages 83 to 85 |date=2013 |website=Google Books website |isbn=9781480900004 |access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref>


==Early life and career==
==Early life and career==
Chaudhry was born on 27 August 1941 to the only [[Christians|Christian]] ([[Roman Catholic]]) family of the village [[Dalwal]], located in the [[Salt Range]] of [[Punjab, British India]]. His father, Elmer Chaudhry, hailing from [[East Punjab]] and then based in [[Lahore]], was chief photographer with ''The Times'', Lahore, as well as a [[physics]] and [[mathematics]] teacher at [[St. Anthony's High School (Lahore)|St. Anthony's High School]]. Cecil Chaudhry was schooled at St. Anthony's, before pursuing higher studies at the [[Forman Christian College]], [[Lahore]] where he received his [[B.S.]] in [[physics]].<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=TNI2/>
Chaudhry was born on 27 August 1941 to the only [[Christians|Christian]] ([[Roman Catholic]]) family of the village [[Dalwal]], located in the [[Salt Range]] of [[Punjab, British India]]. His father, Elmer Chaudhry, hailing from [[East Punjab]] and then based in [[Lahore]], was chief photographer with ''The Times'', Lahore, as well as a [[physics]] and [[mathematics]] teacher at [[St. Anthony's High School (Lahore)|St. Anthony's High School]]. Cecil Chaudhry was schooled at St. Anthony's, before pursuing higher studies at the [[Forman Christian College]], [[Lahore]] where he received his [[B.S.]] in [[physics]].<ref name=Tribune/><ref name="TNI2">{{cite news |author=M Adnan Khan |date=15 April 2020 |title=The faithful disciple (scroll down to read Cecil Chaudhry's profile) |newspaper=The News International (newspaper) |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/644697-the-faithful-disciple |access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref>


As an Air Scout, he was awarded his glider pilot’s wings in 1956 by the then President of Pakistan, [[Iskander Mirza]], at a ceremony in Karachi. He was admitted into the [[Pakistan Air Force Academy]] on 12 March 1958 and enrolled in the [[engineering]] program. In 1960, he received his double [[BSc]] in [[aeronautics]] and [[mechanical engineering]] along with becoming an ace fighter pilot upon graduating from the [[PAF Academy]]. After nearly 28 years of service, he retired from the Pakistan Air Force in 1986.<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=TNI2/>
As an Air Scout, he was awarded his glider pilot’s wings in 1956 by the then President of Pakistan, [[Iskander Mirza]], at a ceremony in Karachi. He was admitted into the [[Pakistan Air Force Academy]] on 12 March 1958 and enrolled in the [[engineering]] program. In 1960, he received his double [[BSc]] in [[aeronautics]] and [[mechanical engineering]] along with becoming an ace fighter pilot upon graduating from the [[PAF Academy]]. After nearly 28 years of service, he retired from the Pakistan Air Force in 1986.<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=TNI2/>
Line 36: Line 39:
Chaudhry remained an influential, independent human rights activist, as well as working for the betterment of children with disabilities and for educational reform. He advised and worked closely with the late [[Shahbaz Bhatti]] from the early 1990s onwards and had been Executive Secretary of the [[All Pakistan Minorities Alliance]] (APMA) since its inception. He was also affiliated with the [[National Commission for Justice and Peace]] and was instrumental in leading the fourteen-year campaign that led to the restoration of Pakistan's joint electorate system in 2002.<ref name=Tribune/><ref>[https://religioncompass.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/blasphemy-laws-and-the-persecution-of-minorities-in-pakistan3.pdf] Benedict Rogers, 2009</ref>
Chaudhry remained an influential, independent human rights activist, as well as working for the betterment of children with disabilities and for educational reform. He advised and worked closely with the late [[Shahbaz Bhatti]] from the early 1990s onwards and had been Executive Secretary of the [[All Pakistan Minorities Alliance]] (APMA) since its inception. He was also affiliated with the [[National Commission for Justice and Peace]] and was instrumental in leading the fourteen-year campaign that led to the restoration of Pakistan's joint electorate system in 2002.<ref name=Tribune/><ref>[https://religioncompass.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/blasphemy-laws-and-the-persecution-of-minorities-in-pakistan3.pdf] Benedict Rogers, 2009</ref>


==Awards and recognition==
==Awards and Decorations==
*[[Pride of Performance]] Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] in 2013.<ref name=TNI>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/895689-white-in-the-flag |title=White in the flag (obituary of Cecil Chaudhry)|newspaper=The News International (newspaper)|date=27 September 2021|author=Maria Lunetta Nathaniel|access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref><ref name=TNI2>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/644697-the-faithful-disciple |title=The faithful disciple (scroll down to read Cecil Chaudhry's profile)|author=M Adnan Khan |date=15 April 2020|newspaper=The News International (newspaper)|access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref>
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
*[[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (Star of Courage) Award by the [[Government of Pakistan]] for his role in Pakistan's war with India in 1965.<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=GoogleBooks>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J_6o1jKr2KUC&dq=awards+Cecil+Chaudhry&pg=PA83 |date=2013 |title= My Life, My Stories (Cecil Chaudhry a war hero) pages 83 to 85|author=Shireen Najib|website=Google Books website|isbn=9781480900004 |access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref>
| colspan="4" |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=PAF GDP Red.png|width=250}}
|-
| colspan="4" |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Jurat.png|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Basalat.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Diffa.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War.png|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Hijri Tamgha.png|width=130}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
| colspan="4" |'''[[Pakistan Air Force|PAF]]''' GD(P) Badge '''RED''' (More than '''3000''' Flying Hours)
|-
|
| colspan="2" |'''[[Sitara-e-Jurat]]'''
''(Star of Courage)''
 
'''1965'''
|
|-
|'''[[Sitara-e-Basalat]]'''
''(Star of Good Conduct)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Tamgha-e-Diffa]]'''
''(General Service Medal)''
 
# '''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|1965 War]] Clasp'''
# '''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 War]] Clasp'''
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War]]'''
''(War Star 1965)''
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War]]'''
''(War Star 1971)''
|-
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War]]'''
''(War Medal 1965)''
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War]]'''
''(War Medal 1971)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Commemorative medals|Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-]]'''
'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Commemorative medals|Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam]]'''
 
''(100th Birth Anniversary of''
 
''[[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]])''
 
'''1976'''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Commemorative medals|Hijri Tamgha]]'''
''(Hijri Medal)''
 
'''1979'''
|}
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" style="background:#006400; color:#FFFFFF; text-align:center" |'''Other Honours'''
|-
!'''{{flag|Pakistan}}'''
|'''[[Pride of Performance|President's Award for Pride of Performance]]<ref name="TNI">{{cite news |author=Maria Lunetta Nathaniel |date=27 September 2021 |title=White in the flag (obituary of Cecil Chaudhry) |newspaper=The News International (newspaper) |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/895689-white-in-the-flag |access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref><ref name="TNI2" />'''
[[Pride of Performance Awards (1980–1989)|''(Education - '''2013''')'']]
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=President's Award for Pride of Performance.png|width=130}}
|}


==Death and legacy==
==Death and legacy==

Latest revision as of 12:57, 10 October 2022


Group Captain

Cecil Chaudhry


Sitara-e-Jurat
SJ, SBt, PP
Born(1941-08-27)27 August 1941
Dalwal, Punjab, British India, now Pakistan
Died13 April 2012(2012-04-13) (aged 70)
Lahore, Pakistan
Allegiance Pakistan
Service/branch Pakistan Air Force
Years of service1958–1986
RankGroup Captain
Service numberPak/4055
UnitNo. 5 Squadron Fighting Falcons
Commands heldMasroor Air Force Base
Sargodha Air Force Base
No. 32 Fighter Ground Attack Wing
No. 38 Multi-Role Wing
Combat Commander's School
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1965
Operation Eagle Strike
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Operation Chengiz Khan during 1971 war his aircraft was shot by ground fire, Cecil ejected safely and was recovered by troops of 40 Punjab in Zafarwal Sector
AwardsSitara-e-Jurat
Sitara-e-Basalat
Pride of Performance
Alma materSt. Anthony High School, Lahore, Forman Christian College
Other workEducationist

Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry SJ, SBt, PP (Urdu:سیسل چودھری) (27 August 1941 – 13 April 2012) was a Pakistani academic, human rights activist, and a veteran fighter pilot. As a flight lieutenant, he fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and as a squadron leader in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. During the 1965 war, Chaudhry and three other pilots, under the leadership of Wing Commander Anwar Shamim, attacked the Amritsar Radar Station in a difficult operation. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage) for his actions during that mission.[1][2]

Early life and career[edit | edit source]

Chaudhry was born on 27 August 1941 to the only Christian (Roman Catholic) family of the village Dalwal, located in the Salt Range of Punjab, British India. His father, Elmer Chaudhry, hailing from East Punjab and then based in Lahore, was chief photographer with The Times, Lahore, as well as a physics and mathematics teacher at St. Anthony's High School. Cecil Chaudhry was schooled at St. Anthony's, before pursuing higher studies at the Forman Christian College, Lahore where he received his B.S. in physics.[1][3]

As an Air Scout, he was awarded his glider pilot’s wings in 1956 by the then President of Pakistan, Iskander Mirza, at a ceremony in Karachi. He was admitted into the Pakistan Air Force Academy on 12 March 1958 and enrolled in the engineering program. In 1960, he received his double BSc in aeronautics and mechanical engineering along with becoming an ace fighter pilot upon graduating from the PAF Academy. After nearly 28 years of service, he retired from the Pakistan Air Force in 1986.[1][3]

Later life[edit | edit source]

Cecil Chaudhry became an educationist after leaving the air force and was affiliated with the Punjab Education Foundation. He served as principal of St. Anthony's College for many years, before becoming principal of Saint Mary's Academy, Lalazar, Rawalpindi, succeeding Sister Eileen Ann Daffy.[4] He retired from this post in July 2011.[1][2]

Chaudhry remained an influential, independent human rights activist, as well as working for the betterment of children with disabilities and for educational reform. He advised and worked closely with the late Shahbaz Bhatti from the early 1990s onwards and had been Executive Secretary of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) since its inception. He was also affiliated with the National Commission for Justice and Peace and was instrumental in leading the fourteen-year campaign that led to the restoration of Pakistan's joint electorate system in 2002.[1][5]

Awards and Decorations[edit | edit source]

Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt
PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours)
Sitara-e-Jurat

(Star of Courage)

1965

Sitara-e-Basalat

(Star of Good Conduct)

Tamgha-e-Diffa

(General Service Medal)

  1. 1965 War Clasp
  2. 1971 War Clasp
 Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War

(War Star 1965)

Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War

(War Star 1971)

Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War

(War Medal 1965)

Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

(War Medal 1971)

Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976

Hijri Tamgha

(Hijri Medal)

1979

Other Honours
 Pakistan President's Award for Pride of Performance[6][3]

(Education - 2013)

Template:Ribbon devices/alt

Death and legacy[edit | edit source]

Cecil Chaudhry died at the age of 70 in Lahore on 13 April 2012 after a battle with lung cancer. He was buried with full military honors at the Jail Road's Christian Cemetery in Lahore, Pakistan.[1][3] His daughter, Michelle Chaudhry, founded the Cecil & Iris Chaudhry Foundation, an NGO active in the defence of minorities in Pakistan, in his memory. Among his survivors were three daughters and a son.[1][7]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war his aircraft was shot down by ground fire. Cecil bailed out and was recovered by troops of 40 Punjab in Zafarwal Sector. cecil-chaudhry-passes-away Obituary: War hero Cecil Chaudhry passes away (Minorities' alliance announces 10-day mourning) The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 14 April 2012, Retrieved 7 October 2021
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Shireen Najib (2013). My Life, My Stories (Cecil Chaudhry a war hero) pages 83 to 85. ISBN 9781480900004. Retrieved 7 October 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 M Adnan Khan (15 April 2020). "The faithful disciple (scroll down to read Cecil Chaudhry's profile)". The News International (newspaper). Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  4. ↑ "Children from St Anthony's High School, Lahore, in city". Chandigarh Tribune (Online Edition). 1 August 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  5. ↑ [1] Benedict Rogers, 2009
  6. ↑ Maria Lunetta Nathaniel (27 September 2021). "White in the flag (obituary of Cecil Chaudhry)". The News International (newspaper). Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Asia News 8 April 2014

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat

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