After retiring from the IAF, Singh served as a diplomat, politician and advisor to the Government of India. He served as India's Ambassador to Switzerland, the Holy See and Liechtenstein from 1971 to 1974 and as the High Commissioner of India to Kenya from 1974 to 1977. He then served as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi from 1989 to 1990. In January 2002, the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force was conferred on Singh, the first and only officer of the IAF to receive the honour.
Early life and education
Arjan Singh as a Flight Lieutenant with a group Indian pilots from No.1 Squadron standing by a Hawker Hurricane IIc. L to R : Ibrahim, Homi Ratnagar, Arjan Singh, Henry and Murcot. World War II.Officers of No. 1 Squadron IAF sit down to tiffin in their mess at Imphal Main, India. At lower right sits the CO Sqn Ldr Arjan Singh. Next to him is Flt Lt R Rajaram.CO No.1 Sqn Ldr Arjan Singh, DFC being presented with a Japanese Sword by GOC 20 Div Maj Gen D D Gracey, OBE
Singh was born on 15 April 1919 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad),[1] a town in the erstwhile Punjab Province of British India (in present-day Pakistan), into a Punjabi Jat Sikh family of Aulakh clan.[2] Men from the family had joined the armed forces, in keeping with community traditions, and Singh was the fourth generation of his family to join the British Indian armed forces.[3]
Singh's father was a Lance Daffadar in the Hodson's Horse at the time of his birth, and retired as a full Risaldar in the Cavalry, serving for a time as ADC to a Division Commander.[4] His grandfather Risaldar Major Hukam Singh served in the Guides Cavalry between 1883 and 1917,[4] and great-grandfather, Naib Risaldar Sultana Singh, was among the first two generations of the Guides Cavalry enlisted in 1854; he was martyred during the Afghan campaign of 1879.[3] Thus, after three generations of men serving in the lower and middle ranks of the army, Singh was to become the first member of his family to become a commissioned officer.[5]
Singh was educated at Montgomery, British India (now Sahiwal, Pakistan) and was a well-known sportsman.[6] Singh then attended the Government College Lahore. He was the Captain of the College swimming team and set four Punjab and four University records in swimming. He also won the All-India One-mile swimming event in 1938.[7] Singh entered the RAF College Cranwell in 1938. At the College, he was the Vice Captain of the swimming, athletic and hockey teams.[8]
Military career
World War II
Singh on seeing action during WWII
"The IAF had already extensive experience of fighting against the Pathans in the North-West Frontier Province, but I was eager to go into battle against the Japanese, then poised for an attack on eastern India, especially the Imphal-Kohima front."
Singh was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in December 1939, after topping the Empire Pilot training course among his batch of Indian Cadets. He joined No. 1 Squadron which was then stationed at Air Force Station Kohat in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and flew Westland Wapitibiplanes. The Squadron was conducting operations against the tribal forces in NWFP, in which he participated. While flying with the squadron in NWFP, Singh's Hawker Audax was shot down by the Pathans. He crashed in a dry stream in the midst of a fight between British troops and the Pathans. He was not hurt and within two weeks he was flying again in the same area. According to Singh, fighting in the NWFP prepared the squadron for the fight against the Japanese.[10] He then was transferred to the newly-formed No. 2 Squadron for a brief period. He was transferred back to No. 1 Squadron in the rank of Flying Officer. By this time, the squadron had been re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane aircraft.[11]
Singh led No. 1 Squadron into combat during the Arakan Campaign in 1944.[12] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in June 1944. He was presented with the DFC by Lord Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command at Imphal. Singh later said about the award, “For a young man to get such a medal in front of his own squadron is a great satisfaction. I was a part of the squadron, and they were my part."[13]
This officer has completed very many operational missions involving flights over difficult country, often in bad weather. He has displayed outstanding leadership, great skill and courage, qualities which have been reflected in the high morale and efficiency of the squadron which has won much success.
Singh relinquished command of No. 1 Squadron in December 1944, handing over to Squadron LeaderRamaswamy Rajaram, who led the squadron for the rest of the Burma Campaign.
Singh almost faced a court-martial in February 1945 when he tried to raise the morale of a trainee pilot (later rumoured to be the future Air Chief MarshalDilbagh Singh) by conducting a low level air pass over a house in Kerala.[12] In his defence, he insisted that such tricks were needed for every cadet to be a fighter pilot.[12] Later that year, he commanded the Indian Air Force Exhibition Flight.[15] In February 1945, Singh was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander and in August, he was selected to attend the Staff course at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell in the United Kingdom. On his return, he commanded the Air Force Station Kohat and Air Force Station Risalpur.
On his return to India, in December 1950, Singh was promoted to acting Air Commodore and assumed command of the No. 1 Operational Command (later rechristened Western Air Command).[18][19] In late 1952, Singh moved to the Air Headquarters and was appointed Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel and Organisation. This appointment was later upgraded to Air Vice Marshal and then to Air Marshal, and is now termed Air Officer-in-charge Personnel (AOP). He simultaneously held the appointment of Air Officer CommandingAir Force Station New Delhi.[20] Singh served in this appointment for three years, until December 1955.
Promoted to substantive Air Commodore, Singh again served as the AOC Operational Command, for the second time. In 1956, Singh led a squadron of Toofanijet fighters to Burma on a goodwill mission. Singh also served as the Chef de Mission of the Indian Contingent for the 1956 Summer Olympics held at Melbourne, Australia.[7]
In May 1958, Singh was promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and continued as the head of the Operational Command. The appointment was upgraded to Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) Operational Command.[21] He led the Operational Command until November 1959, handing over command to Air Vice Marshal Erlic Pinto. Singh has the distinction of being the longest serving head of the Operational Command. He led the Command for a total of six years in two stints - December 1950 to December 1952 and December 1955 to November 1959.[22]
In August 1965, as part of Operation Gibraltar, Pakistan attempted to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against Indian rule. This was followed by a full-scale war between India and Pakistan in the Western theatre. In September, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam in which an armoured thrust targeted the Akhnoor and Chhamb regions in Jammu. The Indian Air Force responded to an urgent call for air strikes against the Pakistani Army. Singh was summoned into the Defence MinisterY B Chavan's office with a request for air support. With a characteristic nonchalance, he replied "in an hour." True to his word, the armoured thrust was hit in an hour by the IAF. Although the IAF suffered some losses early on, it bounced back and scored strategic victories during the conflict
.
The war ended with a ceasefire being declared by both nations on 23 September. Singh led the IAF during the war showing unparalleled leadership and remained cool and inspirational throughout.[26]
Singh was awarded India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership during the war.[27][28] On 15 January 1966, in recognition of the contribution of the IAF, the post of the CAS was upgraded to the rank of Air Chief Marshal. Singh became the first Officer to hold the rank of Air Chief Marshal.[29][25]
After heading the IAF for almost five years, the second-longest term as Chief of the Air Staff in history, Singh retired in July 1969, at the age of 50.[15]
MIAF Arjan Singh carrying the Marshal's baton with the President of India, K. R. Narayanan and Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee after being promoted to Five Star rank in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Singh on a 2019 stamp of IndiaUniform of Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh at Air Force Museum in Delhi
Promotion to Marshal of the Indian Air Force
On 25 January 2002, the Government of India announced that the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force was to be conferred on Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, DFC, with effect from 26 January 2002, in recognition of the most valuable services to the Air Force and the Nation. The rank is the highest in the Indian Air Force. It is equivalent to Field Marshal and is held for life.[37] The President of India, K. R. Narayanan conferred the Five-star rank on Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh and handed the Marshal's baton in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23 April 2002.[38]
Personal life
In 1948, Singh married Teji Singh, a lady of his own community and similar family background, in a match arranged by their families. They were married for 63 years before her death in April 2011. In 1949, their first daughter Amrita was born. Three years later, her brother Arvind Singh was born and the Singhs' youngest child Asha followed another three years later.[39] Teji Singh was the maternal aunt of actress Mandira Bedi.[40]
Later years and death
Singh's health declined in his final years, and he frequently made references to growing old and the passing away of many of his friends.[39] In July 2015, then aged 96 and using a wheelchair due to a temporary indisposition, he was among the many dignitaries to lay a wreath at the base of the coffin carrying the mortal remains of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Palam Airport. He paid his last respects to President Kalam at Palam Airport on 28 July.[41] He remained active even at 98, continuing to take tea and to play golf twice a week at the Delhi Golf Club.[40][39]
Singh suffered a cardiac arrest at his New Delhi residence in the early morning of 16 September 2017 and was rushed to the Army Hospital, Research and Referral, in New Delhi, where his condition was stated to be critical.[42] He died at 7:47 p.m. (IST) that evening.[25] After his passing, his body was returned to his home at 7A Kautilya Marg in New Delhi, where numerous visitors and dignitaries offered their respects, including President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala Seetaraman and the three service chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces.[43] Accorded a state funeral by the Indian government, he was cremated at Brar Square in New Delhi on 18 September with full military honours, including a military flypast by IAF fighter jets and helicopters.[44] The National Flag flew at half-mast in Delhi.[45]
Legacy
Singh was the first officer to have kept his flying rank until he became CAS. He had flown over 60 different types of aircraft from Pre-WWII era biplanes to Folland Gnats and de Havilland Vampires. He also had flown in transports like the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation.[46] Singh remained active and worked for the welfare of air force veterans, contributing twenty million rupees from his personal wealth to set up a trust to this end. He was considered a father figure of the service.[47]
The Air Force Sports Control Board organises an annual Marshal Arjan Singh Memorial All India Hockey Tournament.[48][49][50] The IAF celebrated the birth centenary of the Marshal in April 2019. Events over a period of one year were planned across the country. The celebrations started with a seminar at Air Headquarters titled "Air Power in the 2040s: Impact of Technology", as a tribute to his vision of the Air Force.
The then Chief of the Air StaffAir Chief MarshalBirender Singh Dhanoa also unveiled a bust of the Marshal at Air Headquarters.[51] IAF and the United Services Institution of India (USI) conduct the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Annual Lecture. The first lecture was delivered in December 2023 by former Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R. K. S. Bhadauria.[52]
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