Indra Lal Roy: Difference between revisions

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'''Indra Lal Roy''' ({{Lang-bn|ইন্দ্রলাল রায়}}), {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DFC}} (2 December 1898 – 22 July 1918) was the sole Indian World War I [[flying ace]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indians-who-lorded-over-European-skies-in-WWI/articleshow/44717029.cms |title=Indians who lorded over European skies in WWI |first=Manimugdha S. |last=Sharma |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=8 October 2014 |access-date=8 October 2015}}</ref><ref name=IndiaToday>{{cite web |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/indra-lal-roy/1/453110.html |title=Indra Lal Roy 97th death anniversary: Some unknown facts you must know about the flying ace |work=[[India Today]] |date=22 July 2015 |access-date=8 October 2015}}</ref> While serving in the [[Royal Flying Corps]] and its successor, the [[Royal Air Force]], he claimed ten aerial victories; five aircraft destroyed (one shared), and five 'down out of control' (one shared) in just over 170 hours flying time,<ref>{{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |author-link2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell F. |last3=Guest |title=Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-948817-19-9 |page=328}}</ref> making him the first Indian [[flying ace]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thewire.in/history/indra-lal-roy-ace-flanders-india-failed-celebrate |title=Remembering Indra Lal Roy, India's 'Ace' Over Flanders |author=K. S. Nair |date=22 July 2017 |publisher=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]}}</ref>

The second son of Piera Lal Roy and Lolita Roy, he was born in [[Calcutta]], where his father was a barrister and Director of Public Prosecutions. He was nicknamed "Laddie".<ref name = "Dutt JK">{{cite news |last=Dutt |first=J. K. |title=The young air warrior |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090118/jsp/calcutta/story_10266658.jsp |access-date=29 June 2015 |location=Kolkata |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |date=18 January 2009}}</ref> Roy came from a highly qualified and distinguished family. The Roy family is a Bengali Brahmin family originally from the Barisal district in present-day Bangladesh. Prior to India's partition, the Roy family was a prominent Zamindar family of East Bengal. The Roy family estate is known as Lakhutia (note: there are several variations of the spelling of this word, including ‘Lakutia’ and ‘Lakhotia’). The Lakhutia Zamindar estate was founded by Roop Chandra Roy in the late 17th century.<ref>Lonely Traveler, Barisal: [http://icwow.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/barisal-lakhutia-jomidar-bari.html Lakhutia Jomidar Bari], 5 January 2015, accessed on 30 July 2017</ref><ref>‘[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS7uaGyQssQ Barisal: Durga Sagar and Lakutia Zaminder Bari’] video, in ''The Daily Star'', 22 October 2016, accessed on 30 July 2017.</ref> His older brother, [[Paresh Lal Roy]] (1893–1979), served in the 1st Battalion, [[Honourable Artillery Company]], and later became known as the "father of Indian boxing."<ref name=IndiaToday/> His maternal grandfather, Dr. [[Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty]], was one of the first Indian doctors to be trained in Western medicine.<ref name=IndiaToday/> His nephew, [[Subroto Mukerjee]] (1911–1960), served as a fighter pilot in World War II, and later became the first Indian [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)#Chiefs of the air staff|Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force]].<ref name=IndiaToday/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://greatwarlondon.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/the-roy-brothers-fighting-for-king-and-emperor/ |title=The Roy brothers: fighting for King and Emperor |work=Great War London |date=9 October 2013 |access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref>

When the First World War broke out, Roy was attending [[St Paul's School, London|St Paul's School]], Hammersmith in London, England. Initially rejected by the [[Royal Flying Corps]] on the grounds of poor eyesight, Roy paid for a second opinion from a leading eye specialist, and the decision was overturned. Five months after turning 18, on 4 April 1917<ref name="telegraphindia2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151108/jsp/7days/story_52007.jsp |title=He reached for the skies |location=Kolkata |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |date=8 November 2015 |access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref> he joined the RFC, and was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] on 5 July.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30203 |date=24 July 1917 |pages=7607–7608  |supp=y |nolink=yes}}</ref> After training and gunnery practice at [[Vendôme]] and [[RAF Turnberry|Turnberry]], he joined [[No. 56 Squadron RAF|No. 56 Squadron]] on 30 October. Roy was part of "A" Flight, commanded by Captain [[Richard Maybery]].<ref name="firstworldwar">{{cite web |url=http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/roy.htm |title=Who's Who – Indra Lal Roy |work=First World War.com |year=2013 |access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref>

Two months later, Roy was injured after he crash-landed his [[Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5|S.E.5a]] fighter on 6 December. While recovering, Roy made numerous sketches of aircraft — many of which survive. In May he returned to duty as an equipment officer and within a few weeks was passed as medically fit to fly.<ref name="FlightObit">{{cite journal |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%201005.html |title=Personals: Casualties |issue=508 |volume=X |page=1005 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=5 September 1918 |access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref> He was transferred to Captain [[George McElroy]]'s flight in [[No. 40 Squadron RAF|No. 40 Squadron]] in June 1918.<ref name="firstworldwar"/>

On his return to active service, Roy achieved ten victories (two shared) in thirteen days. His first was a [[Hannoversche Waggonfabrik|Hannover]] over [[Drocourt, Pas-de-Calais|Drocourt]] on 6 July. This was followed by three victories in the space of four hours on 8 July (two Hannover Cs and a [[Fokker D.VII]]); two on 13 July (a Hannover C and a [[Pfalz D.III]]); two on 15 July (two Fokker D.VIIs); and one on 18 July (a [[DFW C.V]]). Roy's final victory came the following day when he shot down a Hannover C over [[Cagnicourt]].<ref name="theaerodrome">{{cite web |url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/india/roy.php |title=Indra Lal Roy |work=The Aerodrome |year=2016 |access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref> He is believed to be the first and only Indian flying ace of the First World War.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-34860666 |title=Three generations united by the hell of war |first=Alastair |last=Lawson |work=BBC News |date=22 December 2015 |access-date=22 December 2015 }}</ref>

Roy was killed over [[Carvin]] on 22 July 1918 in a [[dog fight]] against the [[Fokker D.VII]]s of ''[[Jagdstaffel 29]]''.<ref name="firstworldwar"/> He is buried at [[Estevelles]] Communal Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/325397/ROY,%20INDRULAL%20L |title=Casualty Details: Roy, Indrulal L. |work=[[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]] |year=2016 |access-date=1 January 2016}}</ref>

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|+Combat record<ref name="theaerodrome"/>

[[File:Indra Lal Roy 1998 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|Indra Lal Roy on a 1998 stamp of India]]

[[File:Indra Lal Roy 2019 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|Indra Lal Roy on a 2019 stamp of India]]

Roy was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)<ref name = "Dutt JK"/> in September 1918 for his actions during the period of 6–19 July 1918. He was the first Indian to receive the DFC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/people/lalroy.htm |title=Officer's record: Indra Lal Roy (RFC and RAF) |work=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |access-date=8 October 2015}}</ref> His citation read:

[[File:L L ROY.jpg|thumb|Indra Lal Roy's grave at [[Estevelles]] Communal Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France]]

In December 1998, to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, the [[India Posts|Indian postal service]] issued a commemorative stamp in his honour.<ref name="Dutt JK"/>

* {{cite book |title=For King and Another Country: Indian Soldiers on the Western Front |first=Shrabani |last=Basu |location=New Delhi |publisher=Bloomsbury India |year=2015}}

* {{cite web |url=http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/roy.htm |work=First World War.com |title=Indra Lal Roy |access-date=9 September 2005}}

[[Category:Bengali people]]