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|honorific_prefix = [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] | |honorific_prefix = [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] | ||
|name = Denis Anthony La Fontaine | |name = Denis Anthony La Fontaine | ||
|honorific_suffix= [[Param Vishist Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishist Seva Medal|AVSM]], [[Vayu Sena Medal|VM]] | |honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishist Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishist Seva Medal|AVSM]], [[Vayu Sena Medal|VM]] | ||
|native_name = | |native_name = | ||
|native_name_lang = | |native_name_lang = | ||
| image = Denis La Fontaine.jpg | | |image = Denis La Fontaine.jpg | | ||
| caption = Air Chief Marshal Denis Anthony La Fontaine | |caption = Air Chief Marshal Denis Anthony La Fontaine | ||
|office = [[File:Indian CAS flag.jpg|35px]] [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|13th Chief of Air Staff]] | |office = [[File:Indian CAS flag.jpg|35px]] [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|13th Chief of Air Staff]] | ||
|term_start | |term_start = 3 July 1985 | ||
|term_end | |term_end = 31 July 1988 | ||
|predecessor | |predecessor = [[Lakshman Mohan Katre]] | ||
|successor | |successor = [[Surinder Kumar Mehra]] | ||
| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|09|17|df=yes}} | |birth_date = {{birth date|1929|09|17|df=yes}} | ||
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|04|06|1929|09|17|df=yes}} | |death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|04|06|1929|09|17|df=yes}} | ||
| birth_place =[[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India | |birth_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India | ||
| death_place =[[Medak District]], [[Andhra Pradesh]]<ref name="deccanherald.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/151632/former-air-chief-lafontaine-dead.html|title=Former Air Chief Lafontaine dead, Prez calls him man of innovations}}</ref> | |death_place = [[Medak District]], [[Andhra Pradesh]]<ref name="deccanherald.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/151632/former-air-chief-lafontaine-dead.html|title=Former Air Chief Lafontaine dead, Prez calls him man of innovations}}</ref> | ||
|alma_mater = [[St. Anthony High School, Lahore]] | |alma_mater = [[St. Anthony High School, Lahore]] | ||
|nickname = | |nickname = | ||
|allegiance={{ | |allegiance = {{flag|India}} | ||
|rank= | |branch = {{air force|India}} | ||
|rank=[[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] | |||
|serviceyears = 1950-1988 | |serviceyears = 1950-1988 | ||
| servicenumber = 3844 | | servicenumber = 3844 | ||
|commands= [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]] (1985–1988)<br/>[[Central Air Command]]<br/> [[Western Air Command]]<br/>[[No. 14 Squadron IAF|No.47 Black Archers]]<br/>[[No. 14 Squadron IAF|No.14 Fighting Bulls]] | |commands= [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]] (1985–1988)<br/>[[Central Air Command]]<br/> [[Western Air Command]]<br/>[[No. 14 Squadron IAF|No.47 Black Archers]]<br/>[[No. 14 Squadron IAF|No.14 Fighting Bulls]] | ||
|battles=[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] <br/> [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] | |battles=[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] <br/> [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] | ||
|awards= | |awards= [[Param Vishist Seva Medal]]<br/>[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]<br/>[[Vayu Sena Medal]] | ||
[[ | |||
}} | }} | ||
[[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] '''Denis Anthony La Fontaine''' (17 September 1929 – 6 April 2011) was the 13th [[Chief of Air Staff (India)|Chief of Air Staff]] of the [[Indian Air Force]] from 3 July 1985 to 31 July 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_exchief.php?pg_id=19&ch=13|title=EX-CHIEFS GALLERY}}</ref> | [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] '''Denis Anthony La Fontaine''', [[Param Vishist Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]], [[Vayu Sena Medal|VM]] (17 September 1929 – 6 April 2011) was the 13th [[Chief of Air Staff (India)|Chief of Air Staff]] of the [[Indian Air Force]] from 3 July 1985 to 31 July 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_exchief.php?pg_id=19&ch=13|title=EX-CHIEFS GALLERY}}</ref> | ||
== Early life and education == | == Early life and education == | ||
| Line 45: | Line 43: | ||
== Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 == | == Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 == | ||
Flying the [[Hawker Hunter]], La Fontaine was involved in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pak Ops of 1965]]. He led an unfruitful fighter interception sweep over the [[East Pakistan]]i city of [[Jessore (city)|Jessore]] and an abortive interception to [[Barrackpore]]. Aircraft from his unit did take on the Pakistani [[North American F- | Flying the [[Hawker Hunter]], La Fontaine was involved in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pak Ops of 1965]]. He led an unfruitful fighter interception sweep over the [[East Pakistan]]i city of [[Jessore (city)|Jessore]] and an abortive interception to [[Barrackpore]]. Aircraft from his unit did take on the Pakistani [[North American F-86 Sabre]] over [[Kalaikunda]] and No.14 Squadron was the only Hunter unit in 1965 that encountered the enemy Sabres and got the best of them and were still unscathed. Told to lay off operations against targets within East Pakistan, La Fontaine and his team did not see much action later on.<ref name="indianairforce.nic.in"/> | ||
== Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 == | == Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 == | ||
At the outbreak of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 War]], he was deputed as a senior staff officer to the Maritime Air Operations Cell in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] to help out civilian airline operations.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs/263-DA-LaFontaine|title=Denis Anthony La Fontaine - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force | At the outbreak of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 War]], he was deputed as a senior staff officer to the Maritime Air Operations Cell in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] to help out civilian airline operations.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs/263-DA-LaFontaine|title=Denis Anthony La Fontaine - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force}}</ref> | ||
== Chief of Air Staff == | == Chief of Air Staff == | ||
| Line 123: | Line 121: | ||
[[Category:Military personnel from Lahore]] | [[Category:Military personnel from Lahore]] | ||
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]] | [[Category:Indian Air Force officers]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:National Defence College, India alumni]] | ||
[[Category:Recipients of the Vayu Sena Medal]] | |||
Latest revision as of 02:18, 19 September 2022
Denis Anthony La Fontaine | |
|---|---|
 Air Chief Marshal Denis Anthony La Fontaine | |
| Born | 17 September 1929 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Died | 6 April 2011 (aged 81) Medak District, Andhra Pradesh[1] |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Service/ |  Indian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1950-1988 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Service number | 3844 |
| Commands held | Chief of the Air Staff (India) (1985–1988) Central Air Command Western Air Command No.47 Black Archers No.14 Fighting Bulls |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
| Awards | Param Vishist Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vayu Sena Medal |
| Alma mater | St. Anthony High School, Lahore |
Air Chief Marshal Denis Anthony La Fontaine, PVSM, AVSM, VM (17 September 1929 – 6 April 2011) was the 13th Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force from 3 July 1985 to 31 July 1988.[2]
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Born in Madras, Denis Anthony La Fontaine was the son of Major Je La Fontaine of the Indian Army Medical Corps. His family boasted a lineage of Army service. Both his grandfathers served with the Indian Army as officers.[1] La Fontaine studied at St. Anthony's High School at Lahore and at St. George's College at Musoorie.[3]
Air force career[edit | edit source]
La Fontaine enrolled into the Indian Air Force in October 1947. He did his training on the Tigermoth aircraft, moving on to Harvards, Supermarine Spitfires and the Hawker Tempest aircraft. La Fontaine was commissioned into the flying branch at Ambala in April 1950.
La Fontaine's first posting was to the No.7 Battle Axes Squadron flying the Tempests aircraft. When No.7 converted to De Havilland Vampires in 1951, La Fontaine was one of the first pilots in the Indian Air Force to undergo training in flying the jets, which were the first jet fighters operated by any country in Asia. Soon after, he was selected to undergo the All Purpose Instructors Course. Over the next three years, La Fontaine spent his career imparting beginner, intermediate and operational instructions in flying in a variety of aircraft, including the Tigermoth aircraft, Harvards, Spitfires and De Havilland Vampires.
In 1956, La Fontaine returned to operational flying, when he was posted to the No.2 Squadron flying the Toofanis. Then he moved onto No.29 Scorpions as a senior flight commander. Command of his own unit came in 1960, wheLa Fontaine was promoted to squadron leader and was entrusted to raise a new squadron, No.47 Black Archers. This squadron, also flying the Toofanis became the first fighter combat squadron to win the Mukherjee Trophy in its first year of raising. After the upgrading of ranks of the squadron commanders of fighter squadrons, to wing commander, La Fontaine took over command of No.14 Fighting Bulls Squadron at Kalaikunda.[3]
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965[edit | edit source]
Flying the Hawker Hunter, La Fontaine was involved in the Indo-Pak Ops of 1965. He led an unfruitful fighter interception sweep over the East Pakistani city of Jessore and an abortive interception to Barrackpore. Aircraft from his unit did take on the Pakistani North American F-86 Sabre over Kalaikunda and No.14 Squadron was the only Hunter unit in 1965 that encountered the enemy Sabres and got the best of them and were still unscathed. Told to lay off operations against targets within East Pakistan, La Fontaine and his team did not see much action later on.[3]
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971[edit | edit source]
At the outbreak of the 1971 War, he was deputed as a senior staff officer to the Maritime Air Operations Cell in Bombay to help out civilian airline operations.[4]
Chief of Air Staff[edit | edit source]
On the untimely death of the then Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal L M. Katre, La Fontaine took over as the CAS in July 1985. After becoming CAS, he oversaw the IAF inducting state-of-the-art defence fighters like the Mirage 2000 and the MiG-29. Both were procured primarily to counter the Pakistani F-16 threat. The IAF was involved in operations for the first time since 1971, when it undertook supply and relief sorties over Sri Lanka. Later after the induction of the IPKF, the IAF was involved in supply and COIN operations. However La Fontaine could not oversee the complete operations of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). He retired in 1988, succeeded by Surinder Mehra.[4]
Death[edit | edit source]
La Fontaine died of heart attack on 6 April 2011, at his home in Medak district in Andhra Pradesh; he was 82 and is survived by his wife and three daughters.[5] Medak district Collector S Suresh Kumar laid a wreath on Lafontaine's body on behalf of AP government and paid homage.[1]
Awards[edit | edit source]
During his tenure he was decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal for his distinguished service.[6]
Military Honours and Decorations[edit | edit source]
 
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References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Former Air Chief Lafontaine dead, Prez calls him man of innovations".
- ↑ "EX-CHIEFS GALLERY".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "EX-CHIEFS GALLERY".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Denis Anthony La Fontaine - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force".
- ↑ "Former Air Chief Lafontaine Dead". outlookindia.com.
- ↑ "Ex-Air Chief Marshal La Fontaine passes away - TeluguPeople.com News".
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani |
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee 1987–1988 |
Succeeded by Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni |
| Preceded by Lakshman Katre |
Chief of the Air Staff 1985–1988 |
Succeeded by Surinder Mehra |
.svg)
| Chief of the Air Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force (1950–1955) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Air Staff (1955–present) |
(incumbent) | |
(**Seconded from the Royal Air Force) | ||