Aspy Engineer: Difference between revisions

| office = [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|5th Chief of Air Staff]]

| term_start = 1 December 1960

| term_end = 31 July 1964

| predecessor = [[Subroto Mukerjee]]

| successor = [[Arjan Singh]]

| president = [[Rajendra Prasad]]

| primeminister = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]

| predecessor1 =  

| successor1 =  

| president1 =  

| primeminister1 =  

| office2 =  

| term_start2 =  

| term_end2 =  

| predecessor2 =  

| successor2 =  

| birth_place = [[Lahore#British|Lahore]], [[British India]].

| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[India]]

| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} (1933-1947) <br />{{flag|India}} (1947-1965)

| branch = {{air force|United Kingdom}}<br>{{air force|India}}

His flying career began in 1930 at the age of 17, when as a [[First officer (aeronautics)|co-pilot]] he accompanied his friend [[Ram Nath Chawla|R. N. Chawla]] to [[Croydon Airport]], London, from Karachi [[British India]], by flight and were the first Indians to do so. Shortly afterwards, he won the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]] contest for being the first Indian to fly the journey between England and India, solo and within a one month time frame.

Engineer subsequently joined the [[Indian Air Force#World War II (1939–1945)|Indian Air Force]], trained at [[RAF Cranwell]], saw action on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North Western Frontier Provinces]] (NWFP) and at [[Burma Campaign 1944–45|Burma]] and as a result was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] (DFC). By the end of the [[Second World War]] he became [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]].

Engineer was born Aspy Merwan Irani on 15 December 1912 in [[Lahore#British|Lahore]], [[British India]]<ref name=spsAviation/> to Meherwan Irani and Maneckbai. Meherwan was a Divisional Engineer for the [[North Western Railway (British India)|North Western Railway]],.<ref name=BharatBrothers/> His interest in mechanics led his friends to rename him Engineer.<ref name=spsAviation>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id=578|title=Aspy Engineer (1912 - 2002) - SP's Aviation|website=www.sps-aviation.com|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Air-Chiefs/Chiefs-Air-5.html|title=Air Marshal Aspy Merwan Engineer DFC [Air Chiefs Since 1947]|last=Pillaristetti|first=Jagan|date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206050217/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Air-Chiefs/Chiefs-Air-5.html|archive-date=6 February 2007|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref name=Sorabji2012>{{Cite journal|last=Sorabji|first=Rusi|date=2012|title=The First historical landmark in the annals of Aviation, both Civil or Military in the Sub-Continent, the Aga Khan Race 1930|url=https://zoroastriansnet.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/aspy-engineer.pdf|journal=Hamazor|issue=2|pages=47–53}}</ref><ref name=Sapru/> He was the eldest amongst eight siblings - two girls and six boys. His brothers, [[Minoo Merwan Engineer|Minoo]], Jungoo and Ronnie, also joined the Indian Air Force, while another brother, Homi, joined the Indian Army. Aspy, Minoo and Ronnie were recipients of the DFC, a unique feat where three brothers were decorated with gallantry awards.<ref name=Sorabji2012/><ref name=BharatBrothers>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Tributes/1074-Engineers.html|title=Brothers-in-Arms : The Flying Engineer Brothers|last=Singh|first=Farida|website=www.bharat-rakshak.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-02-19}}</ref>

At the age of 7, Engineer witnessed aviators [[Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown|Alcock and Brown]] make an emergency aircraft landing on the Race Course grounds opposite his father’s railway bungalow in [[Hyderabad, Sindh]]. He later recounted, "I dreamt of nothing else thereafter but aircraft landing on the roof-top of our spacious bungalow."<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

In November 1929, the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]], 48th Imam of the [[Isma'ilism|Ismailai]] sect of Muslims<ref name="Chowdhury2018" /> announced a prize of £500<ref name="Chowdhury2018" /> to the first Indian who could fly solo between England and India within a one month time-frame.<ref name="Rao2000">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pBCIAwAAQBAJ&q=Aga+Khan+1929+flight+prize&pg=PP8|title=J. R. D. TATA|last=Rao|first=Prof L. S. Seshagiri|date=2000|publisher=Sapna Book House (P) Ltd.|isbn=9788128017438|language=en}}</ref>

Shortly after the announcement, Engineer as [[First officer (aeronautics)|co-pilot]] and his friend R. N. Chawla set on a flight to England in March 1930, at a time lacking [[Radio communications]] or [[Air Traffic Control]]. On 21 March 1930, they flew into [[Croydon Airport]] where the [[William Waterlow|Lord Mayor of London]] and the press greeted them with garlands.<ref name=Sorabji2012/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2017/mar/19/flashback-of-first-flier-who-flew-farthest-in-1930-1582930.html|title=Flashback of first flier who flew farthest in 1930|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=18 February 2019}}</ref>

The other contestants included; [[J. R. D. Tata]], who later founded [[Tata Motors]] and [[Air India#History|Air India]], and another Bristol trained pilot, [[Man Mohan Singh (pilot)|Man Mohan Singh]].<ref name="Chowdhury2018">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TGpUDwAAQBAJ&q=aspy&pg=PA368|title=Defence of Europe by Sikh Soldiers in the World Wars|last=Chowdhry|first=Mohindra S.|date=2018|publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd|isbn=9781788037983|pages=369|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Rao2000"/> Engineer left Croydon on 25 April 1930, crossing paths with Tata in Cairo. Tata gave Engineer the spare much needed [[spark plug]] which allowed Engineer to complete the journey from Croydon Airport, England, to [[PAF Base Faisal|RAF Drigh Road]], [[Karachi]], now in [[Pakistan]], in his Gipsy Moth and was awarded the prize, winning over Man Mohan Singh by one day.<ref name=spsAviation/><ref name=Sapru>{{cite book |title=Combat lore : Indian Air Force 1930-1945 |isbn=978-9383649259|last1=Sapru|first1=S.|year=2014}}</ref><ref name=Flight1930>{{Cite journal|date=23 May 1930|title=The Aga Khan Prize|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1930/UNTITLED0%20-%200583.PDF|journal=Flight|pages=559}}</ref>

In 1931, Engineer entered the [[Royal Air Force College Cranwell]]. At Cranwell, he was awarded the Grove's Memorial Flying prize for the best all-round pilot during his term. He was commissioned as a pilot and joined the newly-formed [[No. 1 Squadron IAF]]. The No. 1 Squadron had only one [[flight (military unit)|flight]] and was then stationed in [[RAF Drigh Road|Drigh Road]], [[Karachi]]. The flight was equipped with four Westland Wapiti biplanes.  

As part of the 'A' flight of the squadron, Engineer flew a [[Westland Wapiti]] and saw action in the [[Waziristan campaign (1936–1939)]].<ref name=Sorabji2012/><ref name="EngineerMemoirs1993">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/ww2/veterans/1188-aspy-engineer.html|title=Air Marshal Aspy Engineer's Recollections|last=Engineer|first=Air Marshal Aspy|website=www.bharat-rakshak.com|language=en-gb|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref> In 1938, for action against the tribals, he became the first IAF Officer to be [[Mentioned in Dispatches]].<ref name="IAF Bio">{{cite web |title=Aspy Merwan Engineer DFC CAS {{!}} Indian Air Force {{!}} Government of India |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/content/aspy-merwan-engineer-dfc-cas-0 |website=indianairforce.nic.in}}</ref> In July 1938, three flights of the No. 1 Squadron IAF were formed and Engineer took command of the flight. He was one of the three flying officers of the three flights of No. 1 Squadron, the other two being [[Subroto Mukerjee]] and [[Karun Krishna Majumdar]].<ref name="IAF Bio"/>

In 1941, the [[No. 2 Squadron IAF]] was formed at [[Peshawar]] under the command of Squadron Leader A B Awan.<ref>{{cite book |title=The sky was the limit |year=1997 |publisher=Northern Book Centre |isbn=978-8172110840 |page=100}}</ref> Engineer was one among seven pilots to be deputed to form the squadron and served as the Squadron [[Adjutant]].<ref name="IAF Bio"/> In June 1941, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Squadron Leader]] and took over as the [[Commanding Officer]] of No. 2 Squadron. The squadron converted from Wapitis to the [[Hawker Audax]] in September, and later to [[Westland Lysander]], under him.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of IAF {{!}} Indian Air Force {{!}} Government of India |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/content/history-iaf-0 |website=indianairforce.nic.in}}</ref> Engineer led the squadron in operations in the [[Tochi Valley]]. In December 1942, Engineer was [[mentioned in dispatches]] for the second time and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for distinguished services in Waziristan.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35825 |supp=y|page=5497|date=15 December 1942}}</ref><ref name="Flying1945">{{cite journal |title=Flying Magazine |date=January 1945 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iEtdS34ZupIC&q=aspy+engineer |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Ahluwalia2012>{{cite book |last1=Ahluwalia |first1=A S |title=Airborne to chairborne : memoirs of a war veteran aviator-lawyer of the Indian Air Force |publisher=Xlibris |isbn=978-1469196572}}</ref> In late 1942, he relinquished command of No. 2 Squadron, handing over to Squadron Leader Habib Ullah Khan. He subsequently tenanted staff appointments at Air Headquarters.

On 15 August 1947, with the [[partition of India]], a new Air Headquarters of the [[Dominion of India]] was formed. Engineer was promoted to the acting rank of [[Air commodore (India)|Air Commodore]] and continued in his appointment as AOA. After Mukerjee, he was the second Air Commodore to be appointed in the RIAF.<ref name="RIAF Appointments 1947">{{cite web|title=RIAF Appointments|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-08-14_355.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=14 August 1947|access-date=26 January 2019}}</ref> The assets of the Indian Air Force (like other branches of the military) had to be divided between the Dominions of India and Pakistan. Subroto Mukerjee and Engineer led the air force part of this committee.<ref>{{cite book |title=Combat lore : Indian Air Force 1930-1945 |isbn=978-9383649259|last1=Sapru|first1=S.|year=2014}}</ref>

In September 1948, he assumed command of the [[Western Air Command (India)|No.1 Operational Group]] (later rechristened Western Air Command) from Air Commodore [[Mehar Singh (pilot)|Mehar Singh]].<ref name= "WAC History">{{cite web |title=WESTERN AIR COMMAND {{!}} Indian Air Force {{!}} Government of India |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/content/western-air-command-1 |website=indianairforce.nic.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jet Planes for RIAF |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1948-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1948-11-06_341.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=6 November 1948}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=PIB (Defence Wing) |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1948-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1948-09-27_247.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=27 September 1948}}</ref> As the [[Air Officer Commanding]] (AOC), he led the [[Group (military aviation unit)|Group]] to support the troops in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Combat lore : Indian Air Force 1930-1945 |isbn=978-9383649259|last1=Sapru|first1=S.|year=2014}}</ref>  In July 1949, the Group was renamed Operational Command.<ref name= "WAC History"/> He was selected to attend the [[Imperial Defence College]] and embarked for the [[United Kingdom]] in late 1950. After the year-long course, he returned to India and was appointed Air Officer-in-Charge Technical & Equipment Service at Air HQ.

In 1952, Engineer took over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Deputy Air Commander, IAF.<ref>{{cite web |title=Air Vice Marshal Engineer |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1954%20DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1954-12-02_373.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=2 December 1954}}</ref> He was promoted to the rank of [[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]] on 1 October 1954. In November 1954, he led the Air Force in a goodwill mission to [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=IAF GOODWILL MISSION TO INDONESIA |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1954%20DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1954-11-26_355.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=26 November 1954}}</ref> Engineer was deputed to the [[Hindustan Aircraft Limited]] (HAL) for a period of three years in 1958. On 28 May, he took over as the [[General Manager]] of HAL. On 23 May 1959, he became the second Indian to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal.<ref name="PIB 25-11-60">{{cite web |title=AIR MARSHAL ENGINEER NEW AIR CHIEF |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1960-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1960-11-25_207.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=25 November 1960}}</ref>

In November 1960, [[Air India]] inaugurated its service to [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]. Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, CAS and Air Commodore (later [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|ACM]]) [[Pratap Chandra Lal]], then [[General Manager]] of the [[Indian Airlines Corporation]] were passengers on this flight. After landing in Tokyo, on 8 November 1960, Mukerjee was having a meal in a restaurant with a friend, an officer in the [[Indian Navy]]. A piece of food got lodged in his [[windpipe]], [[choking]] him to death. Before a Doctor was called for and could attend, Mukerjee had passed away. The next day, his body was flown to [[Palam Airport]], [[New Delhi]].<ref>{{cite book |title=My years with the IAF |year=1986 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-8170620082 |page=85}}</ref>

 

|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF6.svg|35px]] || [[Air commodore (India)|Air Commodore]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveFirstPhase/HOME%20AFFAIRS/1950/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India – Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveFirstPhase/HOME%20AFFAIRS/1950/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017}}</ref>

He retired from the Indian Air Force on 31 July 1964 after which he served as India’s ambassador to Iran. Around 1990, he moved to [[Southern California]] where he founded the California Zoroastrian Center.<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]] |years=1960–1964}}

{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Arjan Singh]]}}

{{s-bef|before=A B Awan}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Commanding Officer]] [[No. 2 Squadron IAF]] |years=1941–1942}}

{{s-aft|after=Habib Ullah Khan}}