Amar Jit Singh Sandhu

Wing Commander Amar Jit Singh Sandhu VrC, VM (23 January 1933 - 24 September 1971) was a Indian Air Force Officer and fighter pilot. He is credited with shooting down at one North American F-86 Sabre ( one more uncredited kill) of the Pakistan Air Force in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He was awarded the Vir Chakra(VrC India's third highest military award) for shooting down the Pakistan Air Force F-86 Saber.
Early life
He was born on January 23, 1933 in British India in Layllpur, Punjab. His family moved to Sirsa after Partition. His family had large landholdings and were predominantly engaged in farming activities.
Military career
He was commissioned in Indian Air Force in 1954 as a Pilot Officer.
Vayu Sena Medal
In 1964, Amar Jit Singh Sandhu was a Flight Lieutenant (abbreviated as Flt Lt). He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal, India’s fourth highest military award for carrying out a 'deadstick' forced landing after experienced a flame out of engine in the Folland Gnat aircraft followed by a total electrical failure which rendered the tail plan inoperative.
The citation for the Vayu Sena Medal reads as follows:
Vir Chakra
He took active part in 1965 Indo-Pakistan war from September 1-22, 1965.
He was posted with 9 squadron but was attached to 23 squadron during the war.
On 4 Sep 65 - Chhamb, Sqn Ldr J Greene, Flt Lt AJS Sandhu, and Flt Lt Manna Murdeshwar behind 3 Sabres - all had jammed guns. Thus Sandhu could not get a kill on a F-86 Saber jet.
On the 18th September 1965, in a thrilling encounter against enemy aircraft, he was able to outmanoeuvre the enemy with admirable skill, courage and judgment and shot down a Sabre jet.
The citation for the Vir Chakra reads as follows:
Amar Jit Singh Sandhu took over the command of 23 Squadron in November 1970 and died in harness in Sept 1971.
Death
Wing Commander Amar Jit Singh Sandhu was killed in an air crash on 24 Sep 1971 during a Night flying sortie after he took off from Pathankot Air base in a Gnat aircraft. He was the commanding Officer of 23 Squadron at that time.
Legacy
Amar Jit Singh Sandhu is still remembered in the air force circles and still finds mention in articles.
The events of 1965 Indo-Pakistan war where Amar Jit Singh Sandhu took active part are covered in some detail in Wing Commander Dhirendra S. Jafa’s book - Death Wasn’t Painful: Stories of Indian Fighter Pilots from the 1971 War. He is referred to by one of his nicknames “ Kala Sandhu” and “Ajax” in the book. An entire chapter of the book is dedicated to Amar Jit Singh Sandhu in the 1965 Indo- Pakistan War.

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