CHANDIGARH: After he chose to be part of the Indian Armed Forces just before the country was declared independent 70-years back, Air Marshal Randhir Singh was assigned the task to carry out the fly-past over the Red Fort on August 15, 1947 to celebrate India's first Independence Day.Commissioned in the Royal Air Force, Air Marshal Randhir Singh was a young Flight Lieutenant during partition. He was posted in the No-3 squadron at Risalpura airbase, Naushera near Peshawar (Pakistan).After the partition, they were asked to choose between Pakistan Air Force and Indian Air Force."I, along with 21 other Air Force officers deployed in our airbase opted to go with the IAF . Thereafter, our squadron shifted to Agra airbase and then to Pune. A few days before August 15, 1947, we were asked to shift our 12-aircraft (Tempest) fleet to Palam airbase near Delhi and were assigned for the fly past on the morning of August 15, 1947 over the Red Fort," recalled Randhir.The 96-year-old veteran, who lives in Chandigarh at present, said their 12-aircraft team was led by Group Captain Arjan Singh (Now Marshal of the Air Force) while he was flight commander."I remember Marshal Arjan Singh was promoted from Wing Commander to Group Captain on the final day of the rehearsal. We heard the midnight speech of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru on the eve of India's independence as young pilots in Delhi," Randhir Singh said.Mentally reliving that momentous day, he said the fly past in formation was, in itself, not a difficult task for them as they were used to sorties. The problem, he said, was that of timing, which accurately managed by their commander, Arjan Singh.Explaining the situation, he said they did not have advanced radars to guide pilots and everything was to be managed by highly trained pilots.The officers' approach to the situation was typical. They took it as a task to be done well, without being overwhelmed by its magnitude. "It was an assignment. Jawahar Lal Nehru took the salute. It was a task completed with great accuracy and timing", Singh said.Singh is a highly decorated IAF officer settled in Chandigarh. Commissioned in the Royal Air Force in 1942, he participated in the 1965 and 1971 wars and is a recipient of Vir Chakra (VC) for gallantry.

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