Start Date : 19 Jul 48 End Date : 14 Oct 50
53 Pilot Course - 89 cadets reported to ITW Coimbatore on 19 July 1948 and completed initial ground training on July 1949. The course took a year at ITW because Harvards were busy in the Kashmir War. They were the last Pilot Course to join ITW. Subsequently they went to No. 2 AFA (Jodhpur on Tigermoths) from August 1949 to October 1950 for all through flying. 40 Pilots passed out and were given Commissions. The Course was divided and Fighter pilots were sent to CTU (Ambala on Spitfire) and Transport Pilots were sent to C&T Sqn (Agra on Dakota) for Operational Conversion Training. Sword of Honour for best all-round pupil - A Sudhakaran (3937). Patiala Trophy for best service pilot - K Bhargava (3939). Nabha Trophy for best in ground subjects - K Bhargava (3939). 14 Cadets got comissioned as Navigators, 5 in other branches, 4 died in training and 26 were withdrawn
3937 GD(P)Squadron LeaderAyappan SudhakaranDied in Service on 04 Jun 60 | No Image Available3938 GD(P)Wing CommanderJames Edwin Tapsall | 3939 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainKapil Bhargava | No Image Available3940 GD(P)Pilot OfficerNorman EduljeeDied in Service on 31 May 51 | No Image Available3941 GD(P)Wing CommanderSyed Nizamuddin |
No Image Available3942 GD(P)Flying OfficerHugo Pachero GraciasDied in Service on 24 Nov 51 | No Image Available3943 GD(P) (Later F(P))Air CommodoreJagdish Singh Wohra | 3944 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainGurdip Singh | 3945 GD(P) (Later F(P))Air CommodoreSurendra Nath Kawlra | 3946 GD(P)Wing CommanderJag Mohan Nath |
3947 GD(P) (Later F(P))Air MarshalBrijpal Singh Sikand | 3948 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainBakhshish Singh | No Image Available3949 GD(P)Pilot OfficerShyam Narain Singh | 3950 GD(P)Wing CommanderArnold Sochindranath Williams | 3951 GD(P) (Later F(P))Squadron LeaderWaman Shankar Karve |
3952 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainKirpal Singh Sufi | No Image Available3953 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainOyitti Manakkadan Kunhiraman | No Image Available3954 GD(P)Squadron LeaderPrabhakar Keshava Tambay | 3955 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainNittript Lal Badhwar | No Image Available3956 GD(P)Wing CommanderNorman Foster WattsDied in Service on 13 Sep 67 |
3957 GD(P) (Later F(P))Air CommodoreAngelo Reginald Lobo | No Image Available3958 GD(P)Flying OfficerHarjit Singh Sodhi | 3959 GD(P) (Later F(P))Air CommodoreNarinder Chatrath | No Image Available3960 GD(P)Squadron LeaderEdward Eugene Desouza | No Image Available3961 GD(P)Pilot OfficerRusi CaptainDied in Service on 20 Aug 51 |
No Image Available3962 GD(P)Flight LieutenantDalbir Singh Thakur | No Image Available3963 GD(P)Flying OfficerBhagwant Singh MangatDied in Service on 20 Oct 51 | No Image Available3964 GD(P)Flight LieutenantDerek Aubyn WattsDied in Service on 14 Feb 56 | 3965 GD(P)Wing CommanderPatrick Russell Earle | No Image Available3966 GD(P)Pilot OfficerJulius Celio RodriguesDied in Service on 19 Jun 51 |
No Image Available3967 GD(P)Flying OfficerParveen Chander SoniDied in Service on 02 Feb 52 | No Image Available3968 GD(P)Squadron LeaderRathindra Kumar Basu | No Image Available3969 GD(P) (Later F(P))Wing CommanderPrithi Pal Singh Madan | No Image Available3970 GD(P)Flying OfficerGurunath Raghavendra Amladi | No Image Available3971 GD(P) (Later A&SD)Squadron LeaderAmal Kumar Ghoshal |
No Image Available3972 GD(P) (Later F(P))Wing CommanderBioiu Falanji Gotla | 3973 GD(P)Wing CommanderSurya Kant Badhwar | 3974 GD(P) (Later F(P))Air CommodoreSurapati Bhattacharya | 3975 GD(P)Flight LieutenantTrevor Gordon Stanford Paine | 4003 GD(P) (Later F(P))Group CaptainKishin Advani |
Read more at http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1950s/1239-53pc.html53rd Course Details |