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| In 1940, '''24 Indian pilots''' were sent to the UK for training.<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 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=twFQDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA329 |language=en |chapter=7. Sikhs in the Second World War}}</ref> They arrived in England on the P&O liner SS ''Strathallan'' on 8 October 1940 and headed for [[RAF Uxbridge]].<ref name=IAFG>{{cite web |title=Indian Air Force Gallery :: The twenty four Indian pilots |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/History/WW2/RAF24/IndPilotswithRAF.jpg.html |website=Bharat Rakshak |access-date=13 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113095458/https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/History/WW2/RAF24/IndPilotswithRAF.jpg.html|archive-date=13 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=Pass1940>{{cite web |title=UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960|date=9 October 1940|url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/27017940:1518?tid=&pid=&queryId=86e06a3f319f43300a1af8fca5647e7c&_phsrc=oHC18&_phstart=successSource|access-date=9 November 2022 |work=1940 Passenger list|via=ancestry.co.uk|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Each were individually welcomed by the Air Minister, [[Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso|Sir Archibald Sinclair]] and the group had tea with the [[George VI|King]] at Buckhingam Palace.<ref name=Scot1940>{{cite news |title=Air Minister welcomes Indian pilots |work= The Scotsman
| | #REDIRECT [[24 Indian pilots]] |
| |date=9 October 1940|page=2|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19401009/245/0009|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=WHSE1940>{{cite news |title=Indian pilot officers entertained by the King |work= West Ham and South Essex Mail
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| |date=15 November 1940|page=5|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004271/19401115/029/0001|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}</ref> They were conducted by [[J. M. R. Jayakar]].<ref name=WHSE1940/> The pilots included [[Erlic Pinto|Erlic Wilmot Pinto]], [[Hari Chand Dewan]], [[Mohinder Singh Pujji]] and [[Man Mohan Singh (pilot)|Man Mohan Singh]]. Eight were killed during training or in action.<ref name=BR.IAFVR>{{cite web |title=Indian Air Force Gallery :: IAFVR pilots in UK |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/History/WW2/RAF24/ |website=Bharat Rakshak |access-date=13 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113102638/https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/History/WW2/RAF24/|archive-date=13 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=Brad1940>{{cite news |title=For the RAF: 24 Indian pilot officers |work= Bradford Observer
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| |date=14 August 1940|page=5|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003150/19400814/126/0005|via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=RAFmus>{{cite web |title=Indian Air Force {{!}} Indian Air Force Aircraft |url=https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/royal-indian-air-force/ |website=RAF Museum |access-date=13 November 2022 |date=15 August 2022}}</ref>
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| ==Recruitment==
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| In 1940, 24 Indian pilots were recruited from a group of pilots trained at Lahore and Ambala.<ref name=Sapru2014>{{cite book |last=Sapru|first=Somnath|author-link=Somnath Sapru|title=Combat Lore: Indian Air Force 1930-1945: Indian Air Force 1930-1945 |date=15 July 2014 |publisher=KW Publishers Pvt Ltd |location=New Delhi|isbn=978-93-85714-34-4 |pages=131-133 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SEa6DQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT132 |language=en}}</ref>
| | {{R from move}} |
| | | {{R from unnecessary disambiguation}} |
| ==Legacy==
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| A statue of Pujji was erected in [[Gravesend]], Kent.<ref name=McGowan2019>{{Cite book |last=McGowan |first=Susan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=feV1DwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT149 |title=The Little History of Kent |date=2019 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-0-7509-9114-8 |location=Stroud, Gloucestershire |pages=149 |language=en |chapter=14. The House of Windsor, 1917-}}</ref> Man Mohan Singh's name is remembered on the [[Darwin Military Museum]] Memorial Wall, Australia.<ref name=Darwin>{{cite web |title=Remembering Flying Officer Manmohan Singh |url=http://www.australiansikhheritage.com/flying-officer-manmohan-singh/ |website=Australian Sikh Heritage |access-date=16 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116163438/http://www.australiansikhheritage.com/flying-officer-manmohan-singh/ |archive-date=16 November 2022 |language=en-AU}}</ref>
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| ==List of pilots==
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| {| class="wikitable" | |
| |+ List of 24 Indian pilots seconded to UK 1940
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| ! Pilot !! Comment !! Image !! References
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| | [[Kenneth Joseph Bhore]] ||Arrived in England at age 27 years. || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | Kali Prasad Chaudhury ||Killed in action || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | Kanwar Haveli Shah Chopra || (18 December 1915 - 6 October 1954) || || <ref name=BR.Chopra>{{cite web |title=Service Record for Flight Lieutenant Kanwar Haveli Shah Chopra 1596 GD(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/1596 |website=Bharat Rakshak |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en-gb}}</ref>
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| | Rustom Nariman Dastur ||Killed in action || || <ref name=CWGC.Dastur>{{cite web |title=Pilot Officer Rustom Nariman Dastur {{!}} War Casualty Details 2316987 |url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2316987/rustom-nariman-dastur/ |website=CWGC |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
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| | [[Hari Chand Dewan]] || Arrived in England at age 18 years. Later became [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] and head of the [[Eastern Air Command (India)|Eastern Air Command]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/><ref name="Batabyal2020">{{cite book |last1=Batabyal |first1=Guru Saday |title=Politico-Military Strategy of the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971 |date=2020 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-31766-4 |page=282 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsLEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT282 |language=en}}</ref>
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| | [[Ranjan Dutt]] || In England he flew [[Hawker Hurricane|Hurricanes]] with [[No. 32 Squadron RAF]], and upon return to India flew [[Westland Lysander|Lysanders]] || || <ref name=Panther>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0k-6DQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT129 |title=Panther Red One: Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot: Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot |date=2013 |publisher=KW Publishers Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-85714-91-7 |pages=129 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Doe2015>{{Cite book |last=Doe |first=Helen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=amjGCQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA70 |title=Fighter Pilot: The Life of Battle of Britain Ace Bob Doe |date=2015|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited |isbn=978-1-4456-4612-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Jagan>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=naVPXyIEQw8C&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA32&dq=%22Ranjan+Dutt%22&hl=en |title=Westland Lysander |publisher=Jagan Pillarisetti |language=en|page=32}}</ref><ref name=Mohan2010>{{cite book |last1=Mohan |first1=PVS Jagan |title=The Westland Lysander in Indian Air Force Service |date=2010 |publisher=Jagan Pillarisetti |location=Hydrabad |page=32 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_bzOcg-Ke6wC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA32 |language=en |chapter=No.$ Squadron (Feb 1942-June 1943)}}</ref>
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| | Mohit Mohan Ghose || || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | Anandaraj Samuel Gnanamuthu || || || <ref name=CWGC.Gnan>{{cite web |title=Search Results |url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?Regiment=Royal+Indian+Air+Force&WarFilter=2&CommemoratedInFilter=United+Kingdom&CemeteryFilter=null&Size=100&Page=1&Sort=cemeterymemorial |website=CWGC |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
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| | Harbans Krishan Khanna || || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | Chander Parkash Khosla || Killed in action || || <ref name=CWGC.Khosla>{{cite web |title=Pilot Officer Chander Parkash Khosla {{!}} War Casualty Details 1802690 |url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1802690/chander-parkash-khosla/ |website=CWGC |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
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| | Mian Mohd Latif || || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | Ali Raza Khan Pasha || || || <ref name=IAFG/>
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| | Hukum Chand Mehta || || || <ref name=CWGC.Mehta>{{cite web |title=Pilot Officer Hukum Chand Mehta {{!}} War Casualty Details 2810562 |url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2810562/hukum-chand-mehta/ |website=CWGC |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
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| | Edwin Nazirullah || || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | [[Erlic Pinto|Erlic Wilmot Pinto]] || || || <ref name=PIB.Bio>{{cite web |title=Air Vice-Marshall E.W. Pinto|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1963-OCT-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE-/PDF/DEF-1963-11-22_150.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=22 November 1963}}</ref>
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| | [[Mohinder Singh Pujji]] || || [[File:MahinderSinghPujjiStatueGravesend.jpg|100px]] || <ref name=IAFG/>
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| | Om Prakash Sanghi || || ||<ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| | Satya Pal Shahi || Retired in 1973 || || <ref name=BR.Shahi>{{cite web |title=Service Record for Air Vice Marshal Satya Pal Shahi 1601 GD(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/1601 |website=Bharat Rakshak |access-date=13 November 2022 |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref name=Reed>{{cite book |last1=Reed |first1=Sir Stanley |title=Indian and Pakistan Year Book and Who's who |date=1972 |publisher=Times of India Press |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Indian_and_Pakistan_Year_Book_and_Who_s/z0QjAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Satya+Pal+Shahi&dq=Satya+Pal+Shahi&printsec=frontcover |language=en}}</ref>
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| | Gurbachan Singh || || || <ref name=IAFG/>
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| | [[Shiv Dev Singh]] || Arrived in England at age 20 years. He made 22 operational flights over Germany occupied territory. Later became Air Marshal and then Vice of Air Staff in post-independent India. Credited his fame to looking like Man Mohan Singh || || <ref name=Chowdhry2018/><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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DdohlIUDakUC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=RA10-PA10 |title=Sainik Samachar |date=1970 |publisher=Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence |year=1970 |pages=10 |language=en}}</ref>
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| | Tarlochan Singh || Killed whilst training || || <ref name=IAFG/>
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| | [[Man Mohan Singh (pilot)|Man Mohan Singh]] || Killed in action ||[[File:Man Mohan Singh (died 1942).jpg|100px]] || <ref name=Chowdhry2018/>
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| | Ganjam Subbaramaiah || First to die. || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/><ref name=Sapru2014/>
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| | Chaman Lal Tandon || || || <ref name=BR.IAFVR/>
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| |}
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| == External links ==
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| *{{YouTube|QtLwn5sSmsI|Indian Air Force Volunteer Reserve Pilots In England 1940}}
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| *{{cite web |title=Photograph of Indian pilots arriving in the UK|publisher=British Library |url=https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/photograph-of-indian-pilots-arriving-in-the-uk |website=www.bl.uk |access-date=16 November 2022}}
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| {{Aviation-stub}}
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| [[Category:Indian Air Force]]
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