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Shaurya Chakra Awardee List for the year 1979
A total of 5 Awards are listed.
Shaurya Chakra : 5 |
Shaurya Chakra
WO Ekambaram Raman 210729 OR Unit : Air HQ and Comm Award Date 29 Apr 77 Announced 26 Jan 79
On the night of 28th/29th April, 1977, a defense Security Crops Jawan on sentry duty at technical area gate deserted his post with a service rifle, shot dead two DSC personnel in DSC Billet and took shelter behind double security fencing near the locked gate. All efforts to apprehend him failed. He took position near the gate and threatened to shoot any one who would approach him. When all efforts to apprehend him failed, Warrant Officer Raman Orderly Officer, was briefed by Commanding Officer, and he organized a party of armed airmen and DSC Jawans and surrounded the area where the alleged assassin was standing. Himself armed with service revolver, he gained entry into the technical area through barbed wire fencing and stealthily approached the culprit from behind. At great personal risk and by a clever move, he succeeded in disarming the DSC sentry and obtaining his surrender.
In this action, Warrant officer Ekambaram Raman displayed great courage, determination and devotion to duty of a very high order.
Reference: Gazette of India , 28th April 1979 - No.16 - Pres/78 dated 26th January 1979
Flt Lt Puthalath Kandy Raveendran 12821 AE(M) Unit : Air HQ and Comm Award Date 04 Nov 77 Announced 26 Jan 79
Flight Lieutenant Puthalath Kandy Raveendran was on attachment as under training Flight Engineer when he was detailed on a TU-124 aircraft to fly Prime Minister and other dignitaries from Delhi to Johrat, on the 4th November, 1977. While the aircraft was in the process of making an approach for landing, disaster struck and aircraft crashed about six kilometers from Jorhat airfield.
Flight Lieutenant Raveendran, who was sitting in a rear passenger cabin, immediately took stock of the situation and organized systematic evacuation of the dignitaries and other passengers from the aircraft. He helped them to leave the aircraft quickly and safely and guided them to a safe distance from the aircraft as the fire was seen around the starboard engine. Even though badly injured, he quickly walked to Air Force Station Jorhat in order to get the urgently needed medical and rescue facilities. This enabled the Station authorities to reach the scene of the accident, along with the medical aid, in the shortest possible time.
In this action, Flight Lieutenant Puthalata Kandy Raveendran displayed courage, initiative and devotion to duty of a very high order.
Cpl Keshav Nath Upadhya 232550 OR Unit : Air HQ and Comm Award Date 04 Nov 77 Announced 26 Jan 79
Corporal Keshav Nath Upadhaya was on the posted strength of Air Headquarters Communication Squadron when he was detailed as ground crew on TU-124 aircraft carrying the Prime Minister and other dignitaries from Delhi to Jorhat on 4th November, 1977. The aircraft, in the process of making an approach for landing, crashed about six kilometers from Jorhat Airfield and all the aircrew members were killed.
Corporal Upadhaya sustained injuries during the accident; but he displayed outstanding initiative and exceptional presence of mind in the face of grave emergency in the dark night conditions. He reassured the passengers, and quickly opened the rear door of the aircraft and rendered valuable assistance to the passengers in leaving the crashed aircraft quickly. Along with others, he guided the Prime Minister and other passengers to safety. Notwithstanding his personal injuries, he went back to phy sically assist some of the seriously injured passengers to reach a safe location. After ensuring that all passengers were safe and in total disregard to personal safety and comfort he went back to crashed aircraft and searched for the aircrew members. Corporal Upadhaya helped in locating the bodies and assisted in extricating them from the wreckage. Thereafter, he accompanied Flight Lieutenant Raveendran on foot to Air Force Station, Johrat and guided the rescue party back to the scene of the accident.
In this action, Corporal Keshav Nath Upadhaya displayed exemplary courage, presence of mind and devotion to duty of an exceptional order with total disregard to his personal safety and comfort in spite of his own injuries, in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.
Fg Off Sudhir Kumar Sinha 14084 F(P) Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 04 Apr 78 Announced 26 Jan 79
On 4th Apr 1978, Flying Officer Sudhir Kumar Sinha got airborne in a supersonic aircraft on a training flight. Approximately thirty minutes after take off and about 120 nautical miles away from base, his aircraft had a total electrical failure. His very high Frequency Radio/Telephony sets suddenly faded out and within a couple of minutes all other electrical services ceased to function. He was thus left without Radio/Telephony contact or any navigational aids over desert terrain, which had very few land marks, he calculated his course back to base and headed back with the help of the standby compass which was the only direction indicating instrument available to him. The electrical failure also made it impossible for him to use the entire contents of the auxiliary fuel tank and the fuel gauges were inoperative. He, therefore, had to land back at base in the shortest possible time. His electrical trimmer systems were also inoperative and he had to prepare himself for landing out of trim with a forward centre of gravity configuration.
On his return to base, Flying officer Sinha lowered his undercarriage in preparation for landing and found that his nose wheel cocked to one side. With full knowledge of the disastrous consequences which could result on landing with a cocked nose wheel, Flying Officer Sinha elected to go ahead and brought the aircraft under control immediately after touchdown. He thus saved a valuable aircraft which would otherwise have been lost.
In this action, Flying Officer Sudhir Kumar Sinha displayed great courage, determination and professional skill of a very high order.
Sqn Ldr Francis John Williams 7441 F(P) Unit : -N.A.- Award Date 03 Sep 78 Announced 26 Jan 79
Squadron Leader Francis John Williams was engaged in the flood relief operations in West Bengal when, on 3rd September, 1978, he received information that a marooned family was perched on top of a thatched hut surrounded by swirling water of river Kasai. A portion of the hut had already collapsed and, due to its continuous lashing by the waters of flooded river, the lives of the members of the family were in danger and their evacuation was necessary. This was a hazardous task as there was water and trees around the hut. However, he reached the area in a float modified Chetak helicopter. He went down on a float and hung himself against the 'step'. He pulled out the winch cable and threw it to the bewildered people. Explaining in sign language and with the help of an inflated tube, he pulled in eight emaciated individuals, including seven babies, in the first attempt. The helicopter repeated the mission three times to carry out the recovery of all twenty one trapped people.
In this action, Squadron Leader Francis John Williams displayed great courage, determination and professional skill of a very high order.
The Awards Database presented here was made possible by the kind generosity of Air Marshal Bharat Kumar, author of Courage & Devotion to Duty : A Chronicle of IAF's Honours and Awards (1932-2008). Air Marshal Bharat Kumar had very graciously given permission to reproduce the citations from the book on this website.
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Note: All the data available here is publicly available in the Gazette of India, published by the Indian Government, or from public domain sources, press releases about Awards and Right-To-Information (RTI) Requests. Additionally data shared by veterans is added to the page with permission. No data with respect to serving officers below the rank of AVM is displayed. Information in Gazette of India and Award citations and photographs as released by the Indian Air Force are the only details displayed.
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