sikhpride

Marshal Arjan Singh, presently the Marshall of Indian Air Force, was born on 15.04.1919 in Lyallpur (now in Pakistan) in a distinguished Military family. His ancessetors of earlier three generations including his father, had a distinguished career in the Army of the British India. Arjan Singh, too entered the RAF College, Cranwell in 1938 and was commissioned as a pilot officer in December 1939. As a distinguished graduate of the RAF College, Singh’s portrait is now to be found on the walls of the College’s west staircase. Singh let No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force into command during the Arakan Campaign in 1944. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944 and Commanded The Indian Air Force Exhibition Flight in 1945. After serving the Air force on distinguished posts he was made Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), from 1st August 1964 to 15 July 1969, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965. He also became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force to be upgraded to the position of Air Chief Marshal from the rank of Chief of the Air Staff in recognition of his Air Force’s contribution in the 1965 war. He took retirement from his services in 1969 at the age of 50. In 1971 (after his retirement) he was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland. He concurrently served as the Ambassador to the Vatican. He was also appointed as the High Commissioner toKenya in 1974. He has also remained a member of the National Commission for Minorities of The Government of India (from 1975-1981). He was the Lt. Governor of Delhi from Dec 1989 – Dec 1990 and was made Marshal of the Air Force in January, 2002. On 14 April 2016 at an event to mark the Marshal’s 97th birthday, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha announced that Indian Air Force base at Panagarh in West Bengal will be named after MIAF Arjan Singh in honor of his service, and will be called Air Force Station Arjan Singh from then. With such an outstanding career and achievements, he makes all his country men (Sikhs in particular) proud.