From The Vault

[fatman17]

The Darkest Hours

 

[fatman17]

from L to R, his victims.

Flying Officer KP Muralidharan
20 Sqn 'Lightnings'
4 December 1971
downed in a Hawker Hunter over Peshawar.

Flying Officer NJS Sekhon
Param Vir Chakra
18 Sqn 'Flying Bullets'
14 December 1971
downed in a Folland Gnat over Badgam. https://t.co/vLgc0K0uPQ
View attachment 693693View attachment 693694

with the Emirati AF in '76, where he was commanding a Mirage Squadron as a Sqn Ldr, standing in the center.

sitting on the left is the dashing Mushaf Ali Mir, future ACM, who died in the Kohat Aircrash in '03.

p.s. apologies for the copyrighted photograph. https://t.co/ifn6ELu9mm

 

[fatman17]

in loving memory of,

Captain Naqeebullah Bangash
Sitara-e-Jurat
26ᵗʰ Cavalry
6ᵗʰ December 1971
Point 994, Chhamb

held his ground, commanding a vintage Sherman tank troop, against an enemy counter-attack with T-55s at Point 994. https://t.co/ADF2A5geRz

 

[fatman17]

in loving memory of,

Captain Naqeebullah Bangash
Sitara-e-Jurat
26ᵗʰ Cavalry
6ᵗʰ December 1971
Point 994, Chhamb

held his ground, commanding a vintage Sherman tank troop, against an enemy counter-attack with T-55s at Point 994. https://t.co/ADF2A5geRz
View attachment 693849

the command tank was hit by a mine, but Captain Bangash took command of his troop's Alpha tank, and with it and his Bravo tank, he fought against 8 T-55s of the 72 Armoured Regiment.

Point 994 was held, but at the cost of the brave Sherman troop. https://t.co/CQ3kXIxjfs

 

[fatman17]

49 years on - remembering,

Captain Syed Hassan Zaheer
Sitara-e-Jurat
26ᵗʰ Cavalry
6ᵗʰ December 1971
Jhanda Post, Chhamb

“if I pull back, you infantry guys will say that the armour has withdrawn from the heat of battle.” https://t.co/Uh3JOxkPS0

 

[fatman17]

There were 226 of these classic F6 in PAF service for nearly 40 years.

 

[fatman17]

The Gentlemen Gorkhas
The Balochi Sultan
___
2/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF) a decorated Indian Unit fought at Pir Ganj and Bogra in Dec of 71
They built a road block at Pir Ganj and in a daring move crossed Karatoa River almost capturing Pak divisional and brigade commanders in an ambush https://t.co/IeQa9qM6Hk

 

[fatman17]

2nd Battalion (Guides)
The Frontier Force Regiment
'Guides Infantry'

In December 1971, the Lipa Valley sector along the CFL was left largely vacant by Major General Akbar Khan, the Chinar Div GOC, who scraped out units for the Poonch Offensive. https://t.co/nVmzzbQgzh

 

[fatman17]

2nd Battalion (Guides)
The Frontier Force Regiment
'Guides Infantry'

In December 1971, the Lipa Valley sector along the CFL was left largely vacant by Major General Akbar Khan, the Chinar Div GOC, who scraped out units for the Poonch Offensive. https://t.co/nVmzzbQgzh
View attachment 694125

By 1000hrs 8th December, the assault had failed, at the cost of 2 JCOs and 35 ORs killed, 1 officer and 3 ORs missing, and 69 officers and men wounded for 8 Raj Rif.

Though victorious, the company had lost it's gallant OC, Major Aziz Ahmed, who was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat.

 

[fatman17]

RIP Chuck Yeager. #USAF ace died today. He said this about #Pakistan #PAF after 1971: "This air force (the PAF), is second to none...The (1971) air war lasted two weeks and the Pakistanis scored a three-to-one kill ratio” https://t.co/LWtszzI71Y https://t.co/3WtzrWwsMG

 

[khail007]

RIP Chuck Yeager. #USAF ace died today. He said this about #Pakistan #PAF after 1971: "This air force (the PAF), is second to none...The (1971) air war lasted two weeks and the Pakistanis scored a three-to-one kill ratio” https://t.co/LWtszzI71Y https://t.co/3WtzrWwsMG
View attachment 694132

RIP to an outstanding professional and a well known respected name in military aviation history.

 

[fatman17]

in memoriam,

Flight Lieutenant Fazal Elahi
Sitara-e-Jurat
26 Sqn 'Black Spiders'
8ᵗʰ December 1971

downed over Chhamb-Jaurian by ack-ack fire, during a close air support mission - missing believed killed in action, till date. https://t.co/YbSZKBpI6y

 

[fatman17]

RIP

 

[fatman17]

in the loving memory of,

Major Sabir Kamal Meyer
Sitara-e-Jurat and Bar
10ᵗʰ FF / 13ᵗʰ FF
8ᵗʰ December 1971
Bhaduria, East Pakistan

was awarded his first SJ in April 1971, at the Paksey Bridge, during the civil war, and was a veteran of the Khem Karan Campaign of 1965. https://t.co/xLSGq8zbv8

 

[fatman17]

in memoriam,

Flight Lieutenant Fazal Elahi
Sitara-e-Jurat
26 Sqn 'Black Spiders'
8ᵗʰ December 1971

downed over Chhamb-Jaurian by ack-ack fire, during a close air support mission - missing believed killed in action, till date. https://t.co/YbSZKBpI6y
View attachment 694171

Young brave lives lost on both sides , that’s my fathers elder brother, Flt. Lt. Satish Bhardwaj , KIA in the same chambh sector during 1965 indo pak war while executing a ground attack mission flying a vampire aircraft https://t.co/eIc5ioLZfq