<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released a commemorative stamp in honour of Marshal of the Indian Air Force late Arjan Singh at an event here.</p>

<p>"This year we mark the birth centenary of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh DFC. As a tribute to his exemplary service to our nation, a stamp was released. May his courage keep motivating the people of our nation for years to come," tweeted PM Modi after attending the Air Force at-home reception.</p>

<p>The commemorative stamp was launched during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the IAF exhibition on 'Self Reliance Through Innovation and Indigenisation' at Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria's residence.</p>

<p>Arjan Singh is an icon of Indian military history and the best remembered for providing excellent leadership to a young IAF during the 1965 war.</p>

<p>He served as the Chief of Air Staff from August 1964 to July 1969. Even after retirement, he continued to serve in various positions including India's Ambassador to several countries.</p>

<p>Government of India designated him as the Marshal of the Air Force in January 2002. He remains the only officer of the IAF to be given a Five-Star rank.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released a commemorative stamp in honour of Marshal of the Indian Air Force late Arjan Singh at an event here. "This year we mark the birth centenary of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh DFC.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released a commemorative stamp in honour of Marshal of the Indian Air Force late Arjan Singh at an event here. "This year we mark the birth centenary of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh DFC. As a tribute to his exemplary service to our nation, a stamp was released. May his courage keep motivating the people of our nation for years to come," tweeted PM Modi after attending the Air Force at-home reception. The commemorative stamp was launched during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the IAF exhibition on 'Self Reliance Through Innovation and Indigenisation' at Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria's residence. Arjan Singh is an icon of Indian military history and the best remembered for providing excellent leadership to a young IAF during the 1965 war. He served as the Chief of Air Staff from August 1964 to July 1969. Even after retirement, he continued to serve in various positions including India's Ambassador to several countries. Government of India designated him as the Marshal of the Air Force in January 2002. He remains the only officer of the IAF to be given a Five-Star rank.

PM Narendra Modi launches commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh

<p>In 1945, a story goes that Arjan Singh then a young pilot with the Indian Air Force, made a low pass over a colleague&#39;s home in Kannur, Kerala to boost his morale.&nbsp; It&#39;s not clear who the colleague was but I would imagine in those days when aircraft were not as common as they are today, it may have stirred the emotions of not just the colleague but of the entire mohalla.&nbsp; Who knows, it may have resulted in others from Kannur joining the IAF.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The incident tells us something about the personality of Arjan Singh. Many years later, he and his wife set up the Marshal of the Air Force and Mrs Arjan Singh Trust with a corpus of 2 crores. The money is managed by the president of the Air Force Association who uses it to help ex-air force personnel and their dependents who might be in need. There are other examples of him gifting land parcels in his village to those who had none.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It underscored Arjan Singh&#39;s connect and concern for the men who served under him.&nbsp; Retired Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal recalled that as a young officer, he had the opportunity to observe Arjan Singh on his official visits to his squadron.&nbsp; Jayal wrote: &quot;He made it a point to fly in a Canberra and crawl out in white overall with his staff officer in tow. The Canberra was itself a new jet bomber and unlike those of us who had gone through jet conversion, the Marshal of the Air Force had learnt the skills while additionally handling his command responsibilities.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jayal added: &quot;To see the commander emerge from the cockpit, discussing post-flight issues with the technical staff like any other aircrew, not only made his visits appear more informal and put people at ease, but also made it possible for him to establish an immediate rapport with the operators in the field, gain their confidence and get a first-hand feel of how the IAF was adapting to the challenges and how the leadership must respond.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arjan Singh saw enough action.&nbsp; He led No.1 Squadron comprising Hawker Hurricanes into combat missions during the Arakan campaign against the Japanese in 1944 and won the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of 22 IAF pilots to wear the coveted decoration.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had a long tenure as Chief of Air Staff, Aug 1964-1969.&nbsp; He is credited with laying the foundations for the modernisation of the IAF, overseeing the induction of the MiG series fighters from the former USSR. In fact, the MiG-21 was reportedly the last aircraft he actually flew. That fighter became the mainstay of the IAF for over 50 years with the last of these vaunted jets retiring next year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arjan Singh led the IAF in the 1965 war when many of its aircraft were destroyed by the Pakistan Air Force during raids on Kalaikunda and Pathankot air bases.&nbsp; But he is credited with re-building the force to measure up to its biggest challenge in 1971, when it came into its own for the liberation of Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>


Arjan Singh is credited with re-building the air force from the 1965 debacle to its face biggest challenge in 1971, when it came into its own for the liberation of Bangladesh.

In 1945, a story goes that Arjan Singh then a young pilot with the Indian Air Force, made a low pass over a colleague's home in Kannur, Kerala to boost his morale. It's not clear who the colleague was but I would imagine in those days when aircraft were not as common as they are today, it may have stirred the emotions of not just the colleague but of the entire mohalla. Who knows, it may have resulted in others from Kannur joining the IAF. The incident tells us something about the personality of Arjan Singh. Many years later, he and his wife set up the Marshal of the Air Force and Mrs Arjan Singh Trust with a corpus of 2 crores. The money is managed by the president of the Air Force Association who uses it to help ex-air force personnel and their dependents who might be in need. There are other examples of him gifting land parcels in his village to those who had none. It underscored Arjan Singh's connect and concern for the men who served under him. Retired Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal recalled that as a young officer, he had the opportunity to observe Arjan Singh on his official visits to his squadron. Jayal wrote: "He made it a point to fly in a Canberra and crawl out in white overall with his staff officer in tow. The Canberra was itself a new jet bomber and unlike those of us who had gone through jet conversion, the Marshal of the Air Force had learnt the skills while additionally handling his command responsibilities." Jayal added: "To see the commander emerge from the cockpit, discussing post-flight issues with the technical staff like any other aircrew, not only made his visits appear more informal and put people at ease, but also made it possible for him to establish an immediate rapport with the operators in the field, gain their confidence and get a first-hand feel of how the IAF was adapting to the challenges and how the leadership must respond." Arjan Singh saw enough action. He led No.1 Squadron comprising Hawker Hurricanes into combat missions during the Arakan campaign against the Japanese in 1944 and won the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of 22 IAF pilots to wear the coveted decoration. He had a long tenure as Chief of Air Staff, Aug 1964-1969. He is credited with laying the foundations for the modernisation of the IAF, overseeing the induction of the MiG series fighters from the former USSR. In fact, the MiG-21 was reportedly the last aircraft he actually flew. That fighter became the mainstay of the IAF for over 50 years with the last of these vaunted jets retiring next year. Arjan Singh led the IAF in the 1965 war when many of its aircraft were destroyed by the Pakistan Air Force during raids on Kalaikunda and Pathankot air bases. But he is credited with re-building the force to measure up to its biggest challenge in 1971, when it came into its own for the liberation of Bangladesh.

Arjan Singh: The maverick Marshal who gave India its modern air force

<p>Marshal of the Indian Air Force&nbsp;Arjan Singh&nbsp;died of a cardiac arrest on Saturday at the age of 98.</p>

<p>(Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/the-life-and-times-of-arjan-singh-indias-brave-air-warrior-20294">The life and times of Arjan Singh, India&#39;s brave air warrior</a>)</p>

<p>He was the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to a five-star rank, equivalent to a Field Marshal.</p>

<p>He was promoted to the five-star rank in 2002 for his&nbsp;contribution in the 1965 war between India and Pakistan.</p>

<p>PM Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had visited the Marshal at the Indian capital&#39;s&nbsp;Hospital Research and Referral Hospital where he was hospitalised after suffering from a cardiac arrest Saturday morning. They had said his condition was critical.</p>

<p>&nbsp;&quot;He was suspected to have had a massive heart attack in the morning and was brought to this hospital,&quot; Ms Sitharaman had told reporters after the visit.</p>

<p>PM Modi condoled his death in a series of tweets.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India mourns the unfortunate demise of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. We remember his outstanding service to the nation. <a href="https://t.co/8eUcvoPuH1">pic.twitter.com/8eUcvoPuH1</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/909082959713415168">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh&rsquo;s determined focus on capacity building in the IAF added great strength to our defence capabilities.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/909083228606042112">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India will never forget the excellent leadership of Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh in 1965, when the IAF saw substantial action.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/909083404456517632">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sometime back I met him, who despite his ill health tried to get up to salute even though I said no. Such was his soldier discipline.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/909083574367789056">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My thoughts are with his family &amp; those mourning the demise of a distinguished air warrior &amp; fine human, Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh. RIP</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/909083910893486081">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his sadness at the death of a &quot;great air warrior&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sad at demise of a great air warrior &amp; Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. Condolences to his family &amp; IAF community 1/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash">#PresidentKovind</a> <a href="https://t.co/j1Tlw2GWsI">pic.twitter.com/j1Tlw2GWsI</a></p>
&mdash; President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/909084630120251392">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh was a WW II hero &amp; won our nation&#39;s gratitude for his military leadership in 1965 war 2/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash">#PresidentKovind</a></p>
&mdash; President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/909084791013761024">September 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Air Marshal Arjan Singh served as Chief of the Air Staff&nbsp;from&nbsp;1964 to&nbsp;1969. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965.</p>

<p>He retired at the age of 50&nbsp;in 1970. The following year,&nbsp;he was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland. He simultaneously served as the Ambassador to the Vatican.</p>

<p>Last year, he had the&nbsp;Air Force base at Panagarh in West Bengal named after him. It is a rare honour for an individual who is alive to have a military establishment named after them.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier visited the 98-year-old Marshal of the Air Force at New Delhi's Hospital Research and Referral Hospital where he was hospitalised after suffering from a cardiac arrest

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh died of a cardiac arrest on Saturday at the age of 98. (Also Read: The life and times of Arjan Singh, India's brave air warrior) He was the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to a five-star rank, equivalent to a Field Marshal. He was promoted to the five-star rank in 2002 for his contribution in the 1965 war between India and Pakistan. PM Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had visited the Marshal at the Indian capital's Hospital Research and Referral Hospital where he was hospitalised after suffering from a cardiac arrest Saturday morning. They had said his condition was critical. "He was suspected to have had a massive heart attack in the morning and was brought to this hospital," Ms Sitharaman had told reporters after the visit. PM Modi condoled his death in a series of tweets. India mourns the unfortunate demise of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. We remember his outstanding service to the nation. pic.twitter.com/8eUcvoPuH1 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017 × Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh’s determined focus on capacity building in the IAF added great strength to our defence capabilities. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017 × India will never forget the excellent leadership of Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh in 1965, when the IAF saw substantial action. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017 × Sometime back I met him, who despite his ill health tried to get up to salute even though I said no. Such was his soldier discipline. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017 × My thoughts are with his family & those mourning the demise of a distinguished air warrior & fine human, Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh. RIP — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2017 × President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his sadness at the death of a "great air warrior". Sad at demise of a great air warrior & Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. Condolences to his family & IAF community 1/2 #PresidentKovind pic.twitter.com/j1Tlw2GWsI — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 16, 2017 × Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh was a WW II hero & won our nation's gratitude for his military leadership in 1965 war 2/2 #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 16, 2017 × Air Marshal Arjan Singh served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965. He retired at the age of 50 in 1970. The following year, he was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland. He simultaneously served as the Ambassador to the Vatican. Last year, he had the Air Force base at Panagarh in West Bengal named after him. It is a rare honour for an individual who is alive to have a military establishment named after them.

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh dies at 98

<p>Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh died at the age of 98 on Saturday.</p>

<p><strong>Here is a timeline of his life.</strong></p>

<p><strong>April 15, 1919</strong> - Born in Lyallpur, present day Faislabad in Pakistan<br />
<br />
<strong>1938-</strong> At 19 years was selected for a pilot training course at Royal Air Force College, Cranwell<br />
<br />
<strong>1939- </strong>Training cut short by World War II. Joined Squadron 1 in Ambala<br />
<br />
<strong>1943- </strong>Became Commanding Officer Squadron 1<br />
<br />
<strong>1944-</strong> Led his squadron to Imphal against the Japanese during the Arakan Campaign<br />
<br />
<strong>1944- </strong>Received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for leading the squadron during Imphal Campaign by Lord Mountbatten<br />
<br />
<strong>August 15, 1947- </strong>Led the fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over the red fort<br />
<br />
<strong>August 1, 1964- </strong>Arjan Singh took over as the Chief of Air Staff in the rank of Air Marshal<br />
<br />
<strong>1965 -</strong> Arjan Singh was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership of IAF during the &#39;65 war with Pakistan<br />
<br />
<strong>August, 1969-</strong> Retired from the Indian Air Force after serving for three decades<br />
<br />
<strong>1971- </strong>Appointed India&#39;s Ambassador to Switzerland<br />
<br />
<strong>1974-</strong> Appointed Indian High Commissioner to Kenya<br />
<br />
<strong>1980s</strong><strong>-</strong> 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<br />
<br />
<strong>1989- </strong>Janata government appoints Arjan Singh as the L-G of Delhi as an attempt to apply balm to the wounds of the Sikh community<br />
<br />
<strong>2002-</strong> Conferred with the rank of the Marshal of the Air Force making him the first and the only &quot;Five Star&quot;&nbsp;rank officer with the Indian Air Force<br />
<br />
<strong>April,</strong><strong> 2011- </strong>Wife Teji Singh passes away at the age of 80.</p>


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.

The life and times of Arjan Singh, India's brave air warrior

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PM Narendra Modi launches commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh

Arjan Singh: The maverick Marshal who gave India its modern air force

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh dies at 98

The life and times of Arjan Singh, India's brave air warrior