Kanwar Jaswant Singh
Air Vice Marshal Kanwar Jaswant Singh, PVSM (15 September 1915 - 1 January 1963) was both Indian Army and Indian Air Force officer and served in the Ghana Air Force. He was the Chief of Air Staff of the Ghana Air Force from May 1959 to August 1960.[1] He was the AOC- in C of Training Command and Eastern command in Indian Air Force.
Early life
[edit]Singh belonged to the Kapurthala Royal family, he was born to Jasbir and Mabel Singh on 19 September 1915 in Budaun, United Provinces. He was nicknamed Jumper because of his inability to pronounce his own name. In January 1927, he went to study at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun. He graduated from RIMC in February 1936. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy.[2]
Military career
[edit]Jaswant Singh joined the 4/12th Frontier Force Regiment in 1937. He saw action at Fort Jamrud against the Pathans in 1939. Singh signed up to be transferred to the IAF and was seconded in June 1940 as a Flying Officer. He was only the fifth Army officer to offer himself for such an assignment. He joined the 3rd Pilot Course at the Initial Training School, Walton, Lahore, to undergo his ground and flying training, and completed his advanced training from the Service Flying Training School, Ambala, at the end of May 1941. He led a squadron into operations in Burma during World War II. He commanded the offices of several senior command and staff appointments. He take charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command in March, 1962. He organised his command to undertake logistic support operations in the NEFA and Assam areas. He not only planned and directed the operations but proceeded to set an inspiring example by personally leading many difficult airlift missions. He was also in the charge Air Officer in charge of Training Command. He became the CAS of Ghana Air Force.[3]
Awards
[edit]He was posthumously awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for the most distinguished service to the Indian Air Force.
Personal life
[edit]Jaswant Singh married Mariam Khan (1920–1988), the only daughter of North West Frontier Province's former Prime Minister, Abdul Jabbar Khan, popularly known as Dr Khan Sahib, and niece of Abdul Ghaffar Khan. It was a high-profile wedding.
Death
[edit]Twenty five days later taking charge of AOC in C Eastern Command, on New Year's Eve of 1963, Singh passed away after suffering a heart failure.
References
[edit]- ^ Air Staff, Chiefs. "Past CAS". gafonline.mil.gh. Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ "The story of Jaswant Singh, the only Indian to have ever commanded a foreign Air Force". The Print.
- ^ "Air Vice Marshal Kanwar Jaswant Singh". Bharat Rakshak.