“ Sometimes, solace comes from the enemy” -K.V.Prasad on Sqd.Ldr. A.B.Devayya

 v3.0

“ Sometimes, solace comes from the enemy” -- K.V.Prasad    who wrote  in the Title of a writeup in  "The Hindu" dated 14 August 2011, about Sqd.Ldr A.B.Devayya.

Bravery recognised after years means Honour/Medal delayed, but, not Bravery denied.

(1)    Squadron Leader Ajjamada Bopaiah Devayya, flew a sub-sonic Indian Air Force fighter aircraft “Mystere”, on 07 September 1965, on a mission to attack Sargodha, a formidable Pakistani Air Base with others. Unfortunately, he never came back. He was declared “Missing in Action” (MIA). After the waiting period was over, he was declared “presumed dead”. Till then, his family could not get any pensionary benefits.

According to the former Air Force pilot, Sqd. Ldr. R.T.S Chhina, now with the Armed Forces Historical Research wing of the United Services Institute, the Pakistan Air Force had commissioned the British writer John Fricker, access to PAF records, for writing the book “Battle for Pakista- The air war of 1965”. (published by Ian Allan, on 01 January 1979, costing a few thousand Indian Rupees) . The truth about the bravery and courage of Devayya, would have gone unnoticed and unheard, but for a Pakistani Air Force Flight Lieutenant Amjad Hussain who had submitted details about his dog fight when he flew a Starfighter F-104A (code named Eagle) with an IAF Mystere aircaraft, and how he had to eject safely after his fighter was badly hit, and the IAF pilot could not, near Sargodha Air Base. Fricker could read through the dogfight narration and made it a point to include it in his book. But for this detailing by writer Fricker, the bravery of Sqd Ldr A.B.Devayya, would never have been recognised and his family would have lost the honour.

According to the open source version available on the net, Devayya's aircraft was intercepted by a supersonic F-104A Starfighter piloted by Hussain who fired air-to-air sidewinder missiles. The IAF pilot evaded the missiles successfully. The F104A then closed in rapidly and fired repeatedly, using his Vulcan cannon, damaging Devayya's aircraft. Despite taking a hit that had rendered the aircraft uncontrollable, Devayya went in pursuit of the F104A and shot down the Pakistan aircraft. Flt. Lt. Hussain managed to eject. It was later conjectured that Sqd. Ldr. Devayya was unable to maintain control over his aircraft and was killed in an unsuccessful low-level ejection or in a crash, because of the damage to the aircraft. (Six years later, Flt Lt Hussian was taken a Prisoner of War in the 1971 War after his plane was shot down, a SECOND time, in Punjab sector.)

What had happened in the IAF from October 1965 till the 1988 Award to Sqd.Ldr Devayya, can be summarised as follows.

The IAF was not aware of what had happened to Devayya, . What lead to Devayya's actual death still remains a mystery. From 1979, the year of publication of the book by Fricker, how is it that none of IAF ever read the book ? It is certainly good for the country that every book published by/covering Pakistan on the Wars with India,( may be that it may contain propaganda and lies,) be purchased and accessioned in the Defense Library.

(1) The book left many surprised, especially the then Wing Commander O.P. Taneja who led the attack at Sargodha who said approached higher authorities with this as quoted by IndiaToday. "I moved higher authorities and told them it had to be Devayya."  Wing Commander Taneja was sure because that day only two were lost-one Sq Ldr Devayya in the morning and another Flt Lt Bahul Guha in the evening.

(2) Now retired, Group Captain Omi Taneja, the 1 Sqn strike leader on that fateful day over Sargodha, happened to see this historical record and deduced that the Mystere pilot who had shot down a Starfighter, had to be A.B. Devayya. Flight Lieutenant U.B. Guha flew the only other Mystere lost by IAF on that day. A Sidewinder missile had unquestionably shot down Guha, which had been fired from a PAF Sabre. Hence Devayya was the pilot who had shot down Amjad Hussain. Also, Amjad Hussain was shot down again for a secoind time, in the 1971 war against India. While interrogation as a POW, he recalled his fight with an IAF Mystere, admitting that he had ‘collided’ with the IAF jet. This provided the first clue to the inspirational dogfight between Hussain and Devayya. In 1980, Taneja, after confirming the same details from various other sources, was left awed by this inspiring tale of valour and sacrifice. He reasoned that the Indian nation needed to know about the supreme gallantry and sacrifice of A.B. Devayya. He compiled Devayya’s story and wrote to the then IAF Chief of Air Staff, recommending Sqn Ldr AB Devayya for the award of a Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest gallantry award of the Indian nation. .

But none paid heed to his appeals. 

(3) But in 1987, the War Studies Division of the Ministry of Defence saw Fricker’s book and one of its members, the then Air Commodore Pritam Singh paid attention to an important anecdote. Singh had also seen action in 1965 as a young pilot. He told IndiaToday in 1988. "I knew all the pilots in the Mystere formation and began to trace them," Singh said when he commanding the airbase in Jodhpur. Singh put all his efforts to connect the dots and talked to all people concerned including Wing Commander Taneja apart from collecting evidence from Pakistani broadcast acknowledging the loss of an F-104 on September 7 morning. In November 1987, Singh presented all his findings to the high command and the pieces of evidence were compelling and convincing.

And finally, the Mahavir Chakra for the great air warrior

(4) Finally, 1988, Sq Ldr AB Devayya was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) for an act of unparallel courage and bravery. His 51-year-old wife Sundari Devayya who received the news that husband was missing at the age of 29, had spent 23 long years without the country recognising her husband’s sacrifice.

. It was revealed much later by Pakistan, that Devayya's body was found almost intact by villagers not very far from Sargodha and buried.

From Fricker's work, the IAF realised what had truly happened and in 1988 announced that the Maha Vir Chakra was to be awarded to Devayya posthumously. In the 1965 War, four IAF Officers namely, Sqn Ldr J.M.Nath, Wg Cdr W.M.Goodman, Wg Cdr P.P.Singh and Sqn Ldr Padmanabha Gautam were awarded MVC. The only posthumous Maha Vir Chakra received by Mrs. Sundari Devayya , was awarded to her husband in 1988 ( retrospective Award for 1965 Conflict), nearly 23 years after the war. On 7 September 2009, the private bus stand circle in Madikeri in Kodagu District of Karnataaka,was named after him. 

 

Brief Details of Squadron Leader Ajjamada Bopayya Devayya ( 4810) Maha Vir Chakra, Vayusena Medal

Devayya was born on 24 December 1932, at Coorg, Karnataka., as the son of Dr. Bopayya. In 1954 he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a pilot. Devayya was a true soldier who lived by the virtues of honour, integrity and persistent bravery. He grew up reading about the chivalrous dogfights of the bygone era and epitomized idols like Von Richthofen, Douglas Bader, Eric Hartmann and other knights of the skies. Hence, it was only natural for Devayya to become a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. During the outbreak of the 1965 war, he was an instructor at the Air Force Flying College. He was posted to No.1 "Tigers" Squadron and flew the Mystere IVa fighter bomber. As a senior flying instructor, Squadron Leader Devayya was part of an aircraft strike mission which went to Sargodha air base in Pakistan. Despite actually being a standby in case one of the first 12 aircraft dropped out, he joined the air battle. Devayya was intercepted by a PAF F-104A Starfighter flown by Pakistani pilot Flt. Lt. Amjad Hussain. Devayya successfully evaded the Starfighter's attacks by two Sidewinder Missiles. The missile missed the target and exploded harmlessly on the ground. Hussain continued to close in rapidly and switched over to guns. While the Sidewinder gave a stand-off engagement capability for the Vulcan , six-barrelled 20 mm rotary revolver cannon. The cannon, mounted in the lower part of the fuselage, was the most powerful gun on any airborne platform in the world. Thus the faster aircraft caught up with Devayya’s fighter. Devayya carried out a late ‘Rip’ maneuver to turn rapidly into the Starfighter, However, a small proportion of the Vulcan’s rounds may have found their mark, destroying the VHF radio setup of the Mystere, amongst other unknown damages. With no radio, Devayya could not warn Taneja and Verma, of the evolving threat from the Starfighter. Only he stood between the Starfighter and sure shot destruction of his comrades. Devayya did not flinch as he went to maximum engine rating to reach for the Starfighter. Yet Devayya attacked the Starfighter and struck it. The Starfighter went down while the pilot Hussain ejected from his seat and parachuted. The IAF Mysteres were short on fuel and efficiency. The Mystere aircraft was destroyed and it is assumed that Devayya died on Pakistani soil near village Kot Nakka, near Sargodha.  
It was revealed much later by Pakistan, that Devayya's body was found almost intact by villagers not very far from Sargodha and buried. 

 
 

 

Sqd.Ldr.A.B.Devayya           With (Posthumous) MVC     Flt.Lt.Amjad  Hussain. PAF

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INDIAN ARMY RECOGNISED VALOUR OF THE ENEMY TOO!

(2)    The Indian Army is known for its bravery and strength, but respecting the enemy’s bravery is something worth noting.

Quoting from #MoralArmy #HeroesInUniform #KargilWar dated 05 July 2018

The Kargil ( J&K Kargil District) War was started by Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s planning. It was from May 1999 and ended when India recaptured all its posts, which were occupied by Pakistan, by 26 July 1999.

Officers of 18 Grenadiers and 8 Sikh, watched a brave Pakistani Captain Karnal Sher Khan, lead a counter attack to recapture “Tiger Hill ". It was suicidal for him to launch the attack in broad daylight because we could see his movements. Yet in the highest of military traditions, he launched the attack. It is a disgrace for any army to be evicted from a post and he wanted to save Pakistani Army from that disgrace. The Pak Capt fought till the end when a hail of bullets killed him. Even as he fell, his finger was curled around his gun. We are a professional Army and respect another professional soldier, even if he is from the enemy’s side. . There were no survivors. No one to testify to his gallantry even as Pakistan Army denied any role in Kargil War and disowned its own soldiers, refusing to accept their last mortal remains. Indian Army gave an honourable burial to 200+ such soldiers.

Captain Khan, who was leading the attack at Tiger Hill, was time and again motivating the remaining troops to press on. Brig. MPS Bajwa (now retired), who was then commanding the 192 Mountain Brigade, realised that it was important to take down the Pakistani officer, and so directions were issued. Sepoy Satpal Singh and two other soldiers managed to kill three leading Pakistani soldiers, and shot Captain Khan from 10 yards. “The battle of Tiger Hill was thus won. We buried 30 enemy dead. Brig Bajwa , thereafter, through civilian porters, got Captain Khan’s body down from Tiger Hill. After a search, we found letters written by his wife in Urdu. The Captain had really fought bravely,” Bajwa said.. Before dispatching the body to Delhi, he informed his General Officer Commanding of Khan’s bravery and expressed the desire to write a small letter of appreciation and citation. Bajwa was so impressed by the way Capt. Khan had fought that he wrote a citation for him and placed it in his pocket while handing over the body, which eventually led to his recognition.

And we of Indian Army, would feel happy if a soldier like him gets recognition for his bravery. Capt Karnail Sher Khan, of 12 Northern Light Infantry (NLI), killed in Kargil War, was awarded Pakistan’s highest award, the “Nishan-e-Haider”(NH) on Indian Army's Recommendation !!!

For many years ( from 1999), Pakistan denied the involvement of their army in the Kargil war. It was in 2010 that Captain Khan was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, Nishan-e-Haider, on the recommendations of the Indian army. In the video by CNN IBN, Captain Khan’s brother Sikandar Sheikh says, “I am thankful to Allah that our enemy is not a coward. If people say India is a coward, I will say it is not true.”

Briefly some details of Karnal Sher Singh. NH. :

Sher Khan was born on 1 January 1970 in Naway Kallay, Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.After completing his education at a government college in Swabi,he first joined Pakistan Air Force as an Airman,but,later joined Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer in 1992. Sher Khan received training at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, and he was posted to 27 Sindh Regiment. During his deputation to Northern Light Infantry (NLI) he volunteered himself for the defence of his motherland; there he was posted to the Line of Control for two years. During the Kargil War, he was at Gultai region.He had established 5 posts at 17000 ft. After eight unsuccessful assaults on those posts, Indian Army on 5th July 1999, attacked those posts with two battalions. Inspite of his excellent motivationas of his men, the Indian assault was successful and Sher Khan and his men were killed. Sher Khan emerged as the symbol of mettle and courage during the Kargil conflict on the Line of Control. He set personal examples of bravery and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Punjab(Pakistan) Chief Minister said in his message on 18th martyrdom anniversary of Karnal Sher Khan we are proud of bravery and valor of Sher Khan who defeated the enemy on high altitude in Kargil war. In 2016, Indian Lieutenant General Mohinder Puri in a TV interview praised Karnal Sher Khan of Pakistan Army who was martyred during Kargil war for his bravery. Sher Khan of the Pakistan Army was someone whose bravery was acknowledged by his enemy.15 years on, Captain Sher Khan remains a hero. Lieutenant General Mohinder Puri who led the Indian army during the Kargil war 15 years ago said that Sher Khan had attacked the Indian forces at the Tiger Hill. It was a surprise for the Indian side but one that led to the ‘death’ of Khan. Mohinder Puri accepted that the bravery of Sher Khan and the way he led the operation was exemplary.

 

      Brig. M.P.S.Bajwa       (Whose  eyes saw the  Valour of)     Capt.Karnal Sher Khan NH.

(3)    SECOND LIEUTENANT   ARUN   KHETARPAL   POONA   HORSE (IC-25067)  PVC.

CITATION

     On 16 December 1971, the squadron Commander of ‘B’ Squadron, the Poona Horse asked for reinforcements as the Pakistani armour that was superior in strength, counter attacked at Jarpal, in the Shakargarh Sector. On hearing this transmission, 2nd Lt Khetarpal who was in ‘A’ Squadron, voluntarily moved along with his troop, to assist the other squadron. Enroute, while crossing the Basantar River, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and his troops came under fire from enemy strong points and RCL gun nests that were still holding out. Time was at a premium and as a critical situation was developing in the ‘B’ Squadron sector, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, threw caution to the winds and started attacking the impending enemy strong points by literally charging them, Overrunning the defence works with his tanks and capturing the enemy infantry and weapon crews at pistol point. In the course of one such daring attack one tank commander of his troop was killed. Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal continued to attack relentlessly until all enemy opposition was overcome and he broke through towards the ‘B’ Squadron position, the Pakistanis fought very bravely and did not retreat even after losses, instead they kept moving forward after their initial probing attack on this squadron. He was so carried away by the wild enthusiasm of battle and the impetus of his own headlong dash that he started firing at the tanks that came so close to him and even managed to shoot and destroy one. Soon thereafter, the enemy reformed with a squadron of armour for a second attack and this time they selected the sector held by Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and two other tanks as the point for their main effort. A fierce tank fight ensued: ten own tanks and 3 enemy tanks were hit and destroyed of which Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal personally destroyed 2, just then Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was severely wounded. He was asked to abandon his tank but he realized that the enemy though badly decimated was continuing to advance in his sector of responsibility and if he abandoned his tank the enemy would break through, he gallantly fought on and destroyed another enemy tank. At this stage his tank received a second hit which resulted in the death of this gallant officer.

    Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was dead trying to save the day; the enemy achieved the breakthrough he was so desperately trying to deny.

    Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal had shown the best qualities of leadership, tenacity of purpose and the will to close in with the enemy. This was an act of courage and self-sacrifice far beyond the call of duty.

The only occasion when a breakthrough could have occurred was when two squadrons of 13 Lancers attacked together in the afternoon, but a gallant last ditch lone stand by 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal of Poona Horse averted the danger." Maj.(Rtd) A. H. Amin ( Pakistan Armour Corps - Columnist and Historian) . The Commander of the Pakistan tank battalion is said to have met the Indian battalion commander after the battle and made enquiries about 2nd Lieutenant Khetarpal's tank since he was very impressed with the gallantry of this particular tank's commander.  

In 2001, Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal - now 81 years old - felt a strong desire to visit his birthplace at Sargodha, now in Pakistan. At Lahore airport, Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal was met by Brigadier Khwaja Mohammad Naser, who took it upon himself to be Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal host and guide. Brigadier Naser really went out of way to ensure that Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal had a satisfying and nostalgic visit to his old house in Sargodha. Upon his return to Lahore he was once again the guest of Brigadier Naser for three days.

Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal was overwhelmed by the extreme kindness, deference, courtesy and respect bestowed upon him by Brigadier Naser and by all the members of his family and his many servants. However Brigadier Khetarpal felt that something was amiss but could not make out what it was. Was it the long silences that punctuated their animated conversation or was it the look of compassion in the eyes of the women in the family? He could not make out but was sure he was being treated as someone very special.

Finally, on the last night before Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal's departure, Brigadier Naser said 'Sir, there is something that I wanted to tell you for many years but I did not know how to get through to you. Finally, fate has intervened and sent you to me as an honoured guest. The last few days we have become close to one another and that has made my task even more difficult. It is regarding your son who is, of course, a national hero in India. However, on that fateful day, your son and I were soldiers, unknown to one another, fighting for the respect and safety of our respective countries. I regret to tell you that your son died in my hands. Arun's courage was exemplary and he moved his tank with fearless courage and daring, totally unconcerned about his safety. Tank casualties were very high till finally there were just two of us left facing one another. We both fired simultaneously. It was destined that I was to live and he was to die.

It was only later that I got to know how young he was and who he was.I had all along thought that I would ask your forgiveness, but in telling the story I realize that there is nothing to forgive. Instead I salute your son for what he did at such a young age and I salute you too, because I know how he grew into such a young man. In the end it is character and values that matter."

Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal was silent as he did not know how to react. To be enjoying the hospitality of the person who had killed his son was a confusing feeling. However being a soldier himself he genuinely admired the chivalry of an officer whose complete squadron was decimated by his son.

Both the Brigadiers retired for the night deep in thought. There are never any victors in war; both sides lose and it is the families that have to pay the price and suffer the most. As someone once said 'Wars are created by politicians, compounded by bureaucrats and fought by soldiers.'

The next day photographs were taken and Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal returned to Delhi. Later the photos reached Delhi along with a note from Brigadier Naser that said:

"With Warmest regards and utmost sincerity, To: Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal, father of Shaheed Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, PVC, who stood like an unsurmountable rock, between the victory and failure, of the counterattack by the 'SPEARHEADS' 13 LANCERS on 16 December 1971 in the battle of "Bara Pind' as we call it and battle of "Basantar" as 17 Poona Horse remembers. --Khwaja Mohammad Naser, 13 Lancers, 2 March 2001, Lahore, Pakistan.

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(All input and references from the various internet web pages compiled by VU2UR)