Rana Chhina

Last updated


Rana Tej Pratap Singh Chhina
Born1960 (age 6162)
Delhi, India
AllegianceFlag of India.svg  India
Service/branchAir Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force
Years of service1981–1997
Rank Squadron leader
Service number 16389
Other workmilitary historian

Rana Tej Pratap Singh Chhina (born 1960) is a writer, a military historian and a veteran of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Contents

Military career

Born and raised in New Delhi, Chhina was selected for the National Defence Academy in 1976, shortly after graduating from St. Columba's School. He was commissioned into the flying branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a pilot officer on 11 June 1981. [1] He served with distinction as a helicopter pilot in all sectors in which the IAF was operational. From 1990 to 1993 he was an IAF flight instructor.[ citation needed ]

Military historian

After retiring from active service in 1997 as a squadron leader, Chhina became a historian of the IAF, [2] the former British Indian Army, and Indian military medals and decorations. [3]

Chhina is the secretary and editor at the United Service Institution of India (USI) Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, New Delhi, and is the vice-president of the Indian Military Historical Society (IMHS), UK. [4] [ when? ] He is also a member of the IAF Aerospace Museum Apex Steering Committee and the Government of India's Archival Advisory Board, and was a member of the joint USI–MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) Steering Committee responsible for coordinating international and national commemoration of India's participation in the First World War in connection with the centenary of the conflict. [5] [6] [7] In 2016 Chhina was awarded an Honorary MBE for services to First World War centenary commemorations. [8]

Books

As author

As editor

Related Research Articles

Indian Air Force Aerial service branch of the Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks fourth amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government's transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.

India Gate Triumphal arch in New Delhi

The India Gate is a war memorial located astride the Rajpath, on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called Kingsway. It stands as a memorial to 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in between 1914 and 1921 in the First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the Far East, and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. 13,300 servicemen's names, including some soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom, are inscribed on the gate. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the gate evokes the architectural style of the memorial arch such as the Arch of Constantine, in Rome, and is often compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

Arjan Singh Marshal of the Indian Air Force

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC was a senior air officer of the Indian Air Force. He served as the 3rd Chief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969, leading the Air Force through the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was the first and only officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be promoted to five-star rank as Marshal of the Indian Air Force, equal to the army rank of Field Marshal.

Pratap Chandra Lal

Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal, DFC was the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. He served in the IAF from 1939 until his retirement in 1973. He was the CAS at the time of Operation Chengiz Khan, the preemptive strikes that were carried out by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) that marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Yudh Seva Medal Award

The Yudh Seva Medal is one of India's military decorations for distinguished service during wartime. It is awarded for a high degree of distinguished service in an operational context, which includes times of war, conflict, or hostilities and may be awarded posthumously.

The MacGregor Medal is awarded for valuable military intelligence through reconnaissance, exploration, survey or other similar activities of national importance. Awardees have included Survey of India personnel, military attaches, consuls, political officers and Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. Post 1947 the medal has only been awarded to military personnel. A few medals have been awarded for escapes from enemy-occupied territory while some medals were awarded for successful operations inside enemy territory. Sometimes the awardee would be conferred the medal years after the journey had been made. Currently the domains incorporated are land, sea and air. Over the years the necessity and opportunities related to exploration have declined and this in turn has been coupled with a decline in recommendations. In this light the eligibility has been expanded to adventure activities mountain and desert expeditions, rafting, world circumnavigation, polar expedition and flights. Some of the medal awardees would go on to be killed in future journeys.

Royal Indian Air Force Aerial warfare branch of British Indias military

The Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) was the aerial force of British India and later the Dominion of India. Along with the Indian Army, and Royal Indian Navy, it was one of the Armed Forces of British Indian Empire.

Subroto Mukerjee First Chief of the Air Staff of India

Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee OBE was an Indian military officer who was the first Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Air Force. He was awarded several honours during the course of a three-decade-long career, ended by his untimely demise in 1960. He has been called the "Father of the Indian Air Force".

Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Armed Forces award medals and their associated ribbon bars in recognition of various levels of service, personal accomplishments and commemorative events while a regular- or volunteer serviceperson is a member of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a serviceperson's career.

Bipin Rawat First Chief of Defence Staff of India (1958–2021)

General Bipin Rawat was an Indian military officer who was a four-star general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in a helicopter crash in December 2021. Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as the 57th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces as well as 26th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army.

Hindan Air Force Station

Air Force Station Hindan is an Indian Air Force base under the Western Air Command (WAC). It is the biggest and largest air base in Asia. Its area measured 14 km rounded and 55 square kilometres (21 sq mi). This base celebrates Air Force Day on 8 October. It is located near Loni Ghaziabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the National Capital Region on the outskirts of Delhi, close to the Hindan River. Starting 2006, the annual Air Force Day Parade venue was shifted from Palam Airport to Hindan. There is one runway, aligned east–west (09-27), of 9,000 feet (2,700 m) length x 150 feet (46 m) width. The military airbase serves as the home of the IAF C-17 Globemaster and the IAF C-130J Super Hercules, the backbone of Strategic Heavy Air Lift division of the Indian Air Force. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) operates a civil enclave at Hindan as part of the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

Indian Military Historical Society (IMHS). is an organisation and learned society, which is based primarily in the United Kingdom but with a wide membership extending to the British Commonwealth and several other countries around the world. The society closed in December 2020, back issues of 'Durbar' their journal are now held by the UK-based Military History Society. and details via:

Air Marshal Minoo Merwan Engineer, PVSM, MVC, DFC was a former Air Officer in the Indian Air Force. He is one of the most decorated officers in the Indian Air Force, with the second-highest civil decoration - the Padma Bhushan, two gallantry awards - the Maha Vir Chakra and the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the highest peace-time distinguished service award - the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

Anil Khosla

Air Marshal Anil Khosla, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC is a retired Indian air force officer who served as 42nd Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force. He assumed the office on 1 October 2018 and handed over on 30 April 2019.

Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar

Air Vice Marshal Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar AVSM, Shaurya Chakra is a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who served as the Senior Air and Administration Staff Officer, Maintenance Command, IAF, from 1 July 2016 until he retired on 30 September 2017. He was the commanding officer of No. 48 Squadron IAF. During his career he landed Antonov An-32 aircraft on High Altitude Advanced Landing Grounds (HAALG)s in Daulat Beg Oldi, Fukche and Nyoma.

Vivek Ram Chaudhari Chief of the Indian Air Force

Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, is an air officer of the Indian Air Force. He currently serves as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). He took over as the 24th CAS succeeding Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on 30 September 2021. He earlier served as the 45th Vice Chief of the Air Staff and as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command.

2021 Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash Helicopter crash in India with 14 fatalities

On 8 December 2021, a Mil Mi-17V-5 transport helicopter operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed between Coimbatore and Wellington in Tamil Nadu, after departing from Sulur Air Force Station. The helicopter was carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 13 others, including his wife and staff. Thirteen people on board were killed in the immediate aftermath, and Group Captain Varun Singh died from his injuries at a hospital seven days later.

References

  1. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch)". The Gazette of India. 16 January 1982. p. 84.
  2. "Book Review: THE EAGLE STRIKES - The Royal Indian Air Force 1932-1950 [Sqn Ldr R T S Chhina][www.bharat-rakshak.com]". 4 November 2006. Archived from the original on 4 November 2006. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  3. "Books by Rana Chhina". Amazon . Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  4. "The Indian Military Historical Society". durbaronline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  5. "India and The Great War". indiaww1.in. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  6. "Hindustan Times - Archive News". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  7. "Long War, India's too". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  8. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/581724/2016_Honorary_awards_V4.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]