The life and times of Arjan Singh, India's brave air warrior
Arjan Singh
At the height of militancy in Punjab he was part of a five-member committee that would go door to door in the state and try to bridge the differences between Hindus and Sikhs
Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh died at the age of 98 on Saturday.
Here is a timeline of his life.
April 15, 1919 - Born in Lyallpur, present day Faislabad in Pakistan
1938- At 19 years was selected for a pilot training course at Royal Air Force College, Cranwell
1939- Training cut short by World War II. Joined Squadron 1 in Ambala
1943- Became Commanding Officer Squadron 1
1944- Led his squadron to Imphal against the Japanese during the Arakan Campaign
1944- Received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for leading the squadron during Imphal Campaign by Lord Mountbatten
August 15, 1947- Led the fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over the red fort
August 1, 1964- Arjan Singh took over as the Chief of Air Staff in the rank of Air Marshal
1965 - Arjan Singh was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership of IAF during the '65 war with Pakistan
August, 1969- Retired from the Indian Air Force after serving for three decades
1971- Appointed India's Ambassador to Switzerland
1974- Appointed Indian High Commissioner to Kenya
1980s- At the height of militancy in Punjab he was part of a five-member committee that would go door to door in the state and try to bridge the differences between Hindus and Sikhs
1989- Janata government appoints Arjan Singh as the L-G of Delhi as an attempt to apply balm to the wounds of the Sikh community
2002- Conferred with the rank of the Marshal of the Air Force making him the first and the only "Five Star"rank officer with the Indian Air Force
April, 2011- Wife Teji Singh passes away at the age of 80.