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{{Use dmy dates|date=July | {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=July | {{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}} | ||
{{Infobox military person | {{Infobox military person | ||
|honorific_prefix = | |honorific_prefix = | ||
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=== The Aga Khan contest === | === The Aga Khan contest === | ||
In November 1929, keen to promote aviation, the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]], 48th Imam of the [[Isma'ilism|Ismaili]] sect of Muslims<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> announced a prize of £500<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> to the first Indian pilot who could fly solo between England and India.<ref name="Rao2000"/> The contestants in 1930 included; [[J. R. D. Tata]], who later founded [[Tata Motors]] and [[Air India#History|Air India]], [[Aspy Engineer]], who would later be appointed head of the Indian Air Force, [[Ram Nath Chawla]], who was Engineer's friend, and Singh.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/><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><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/karachi-to-bombay-to-calcutta-77003851/|title=Karachi to Bombay to Calcutta|last=Shaftel|first=David|date=November 2011|website=Air & Space Magazine|language=en|access-date=30 December | In November 1929, keen to promote aviation, the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]], 48th Imam of the [[Isma'ilism|Ismaili]] sect of Muslims<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> announced a prize of £500<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> to the first Indian pilot who could fly solo between England and India.<ref name="Rao2000"/> The contestants in 1930 included; [[J. R. D. Tata]], who later founded [[Tata Motors]] and [[Air India#History|Air India]], [[Aspy Engineer]], who would later be appointed head of the Indian Air Force, [[Ram Nath Chawla]], who was Engineer's friend, and Singh.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/><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><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/karachi-to-bombay-to-calcutta-77003851/|title=Karachi to Bombay to Calcutta|last=Shaftel|first=David|date=November 2011|website=Air & Space Magazine|language=en|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> | ||
The [[Indira Devi|Maharani of Cooch Bihar]] presided over the naming ceremony of Singh's aircraft, a [[de Havilland DH.60|Gipsy Moth]] he named ''Miss India''.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/><ref name="Wings">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tatasteel100.com/people/wings-for-nation.asp|title=JRD Tata :: Wings for a nation|website=www.tatasteel100.com|access-date=30 December | The [[Indira Devi|Maharani of Cooch Bihar]] presided over the naming ceremony of Singh's aircraft, a [[de Havilland DH.60|Gipsy Moth]] he named ''Miss India''.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/><ref name="Wings">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tatasteel100.com/people/wings-for-nation.asp|title=JRD Tata :: Wings for a nation|website=www.tatasteel100.com|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> It was fitted with an additional 20-gallon fuel tank.<ref name=Flight10Jan1930/> Singh, a self-confessed poor navigator, had a map of India painted on its rudder because,<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> he jokingly claimed, he frequently lost his way.<ref name=Lala2017>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LcUDAQAAQBAJ&q=man+mohan+singh+miss+india+1930+flight&pg=PT102|title=Beyond the Last Blue Mountain|last=Lala|first=R. M.|date=2017|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=9788184753318|language=en}}</ref><ref name=Bhattacharya2013>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xj-VAgAAQBAJ&q=man+mohan+singh+croydon+flight&pg=PA126|title=Nothing But!: Book Two: the Long Road to Freedom|last=Bhattacharya|first=Brigadier Samir|date=2013|publisher=Partridge Publishing|isbn=9781482814743|pages=126|language=en}}</ref> One editor of a flight journal reported, "Mr Man Mohan Singh called his aeroplane ''Miss India'' and he is likely to!"<ref name=Lala2017/> | ||
On 11 January 1930 Singh made his first attempt to fly to India.<ref name=C&MG1930>{{cite news |title=England - India flight accomplished|work= Civil & Military Gazette|location=Lahore|date=12 May 1930|page=1|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19300512/002/0001|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> That day, he departed from [[Croydon Airport]] near London, but smashed his propeller when landing at [[Noyon]], France, the following evening.<ref name=C&MG1930/> His second attempt, from [[Lympne Airport|Lympne]] on 24 January 1930, was also abandoned before completion.<ref name=C&MG1930/> After flying for six days, he reached Rome and after reaching Naples, thick fog forced him to land on a mountain road in [[Paola, Calabria|Paola]], southern Italy, damaging his aircraft and injuring his left eye.<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /><ref name=C&MG1930/> Both times, he returned to Croydon.<ref name="Wings" /> | On 11 January 1930 Singh made his first attempt to fly to India.<ref name=C&MG1930>{{cite news |title=England - India flight accomplished|work= Civil & Military Gazette|location=Lahore|date=12 May 1930|page=1|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19300512/002/0001|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> That day, he departed from [[Croydon Airport]] near London, but smashed his propeller when landing at [[Noyon]], France, the following evening.<ref name=C&MG1930/> His second attempt, from [[Lympne Airport|Lympne]] on 24 January 1930, was also abandoned before completion.<ref name=C&MG1930/> After flying for six days, he reached Rome and after reaching Naples, thick fog forced him to land on a mountain road in [[Paola, Calabria|Paola]], southern Italy, damaging his aircraft and injuring his left eye.<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /><ref name=C&MG1930/> Both times, he returned to Croydon.<ref name="Wings" /> | ||
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He was appointed to the [[RAF Coastal Command]] and took command of a [[Sunderland flying boat]] during the [[Battle of the Atlantic]]. His role was to find submarines. Later, he became a [[flying officer]] in the British Indian Air Force based in Singapore, taking responsibility for a [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|Catalina]] flying boat in operations in Indonesia and the Philippines. After withdrawing from Singapore due to the extent of their losses in the [[Battle of Singapore|Japanese invasion]], his squadron moved to Java and then to [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]], Western Australia, where he contributed to the rescue of Dutch civilians.<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /><ref name=Chowdhry2018/> | He was appointed to the [[RAF Coastal Command]] and took command of a [[Sunderland flying boat]] during the [[Battle of the Atlantic]]. His role was to find submarines. Later, he became a [[flying officer]] in the British Indian Air Force based in Singapore, taking responsibility for a [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|Catalina]] flying boat in operations in Indonesia and the Philippines. After withdrawing from Singapore due to the extent of their losses in the [[Battle of Singapore|Japanese invasion]], his squadron moved to Java and then to [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]], Western Australia, where he contributed to the rescue of Dutch civilians.<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /><ref name=Chowdhry2018/> | ||
On 3 March 1942, after the [[flying boats]] reached Broome, a [[Attack on Broome|Japanese air attack]] by nine Japanese [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Mitsubishi Zeroes]] began just before 10 am and caused the destruction of all the flying boats remaining on the water in Broome harbour. Singh is believed to have survived the initial attack only to drown in the harbour, being unable to swim.<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /> Eighty-seven other people were also killed.<ref name=AG2015>{{Cite web|url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/on-this-day/2015/03/on-this-day-in-history-broome-air-raids/|title=On this day in history: WWII Broome air raid|date=3 March 2015|website=Australian Geographic|language=en-AU|access-date=28 January | On 3 March 1942, after the [[flying boats]] reached Broome, a [[Attack on Broome|Japanese air attack]] by nine Japanese [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Mitsubishi Zeroes]] began just before 10 am and caused the destruction of all the flying boats remaining on the water in Broome harbour. Singh is believed to have survived the initial attack only to drown in the harbour, being unable to swim.<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /> Eighty-seven other people were also killed.<ref name=AG2015>{{Cite web|url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/on-this-day/2015/03/on-this-day-in-history-broome-air-raids/|title=On this day in history: WWII Broome air raid|date=3 March 2015|website=Australian Geographic|language=en-AU|access-date=28 January 2019}}</ref> | ||
== Legacy == | == Legacy == | ||
Singh is remembered on the [[Darwin Military Museum]] Memorial Wall<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /> and has a memorial in Singapore.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> His story is recounted in ''Defence of Europe by Sikh Soldiers in the World Wars'', written by his nephew Mohindra S Chowdhry and published by Troubador in 2018.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/history-politics-society/defence-of-europe-by-sikh-soldiers-in-the-world-wars/|title=Defence Of Europe By Sikh Soldiers In The World Wars – Troubador Book Publishing|website=www.troubador.co.uk|access-date=1 January | Singh is remembered on the [[Darwin Military Museum]] Memorial Wall<ref name="AustralianSikhHeritage" /> and has a memorial in Singapore.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/> His story is recounted in ''Defence of Europe by Sikh Soldiers in the World Wars'', written by his nephew Mohindra S Chowdhry and published by Troubador in 2018.<ref name=Chowdhry2018/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/history-politics-society/defence-of-europe-by-sikh-soldiers-in-the-world-wars/|title=Defence Of Europe By Sikh Soldiers In The World Wars – Troubador Book Publishing|website=www.troubador.co.uk|access-date=1 January 2019}}</ref> | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||