FORGETTING TO REMEMBER
Seventy years ago this writer was a flight cadet undergoing pilot training at No 1 AFA Begumpet and was commissioned there on 30 August 1952. On 12 February 2021, three of us Hyderabad based air force gallantry awardees/ NOKs from the 1971 Indo Pak war, were invited to Begumpet to be felicitated in commemoration of Swarnim Vijay Varsh. As we drove through air force station Begumpet, I recognised an old building which had housed our Parachute Section; it was still standing and my memory went back to an incident there 69 years ago.
Post-commissioning, 14 of us went to nearby Hakimpet to undergo our fighter conversion. On 28 October1952 the Centaurus aero engine of the Tempest IIA aircraft I was flying burst into flames; after a traumatic struggle I managed to bale out and on landing became the youngest Indian member of the Caterpillar Club. My instructor, Flt Lt Hosali, familiarised me with the tradition that all members of the club were expected to make a cash gift to the SEW (Safety Equipment Worker) who had packed the parachute, and host a party for the Section. (All this was in the pre ejection seat era when parachutes were packed and operated manually). He suggested that a gift of Rs. 50, plus a tea party would demonstrate my thanks and that he would make the necessary arrangements.
We had drawn our first salaries so I still had about fifty rupees when he dropped me off at the old barrack building in Begumpet where I was received by the Sergeant-inCharge and introduced to Corporal Jaiswal who had packed my parachute. Both in age and service he was my senior and seemed a trifle embarrassed to receive a cash gift from a young newly commissioned pilot officer! The arrival of tea and snacks lightened the atmosphere in our small gathering of five persons. We soon discovered that Jaiswal belonged to Ranchi (then in Bihar) where I myself had studied in the 1940s and were soon communicating quite freely. The tea bill of Rs. 7 was handed over to me and I was deeply embarrassed to find that I had only Rs. 5 in my wallet! I had to borrow Rs. 2 from Cpl Jaiswal who cheerfully loaned me the amount with a laugh.
A few days later one of my coursemates visiting Begumpet offered to take my Rs. 2 and hand it over but returned saying that Jaiswal was on leave outstation. Meanwhile, owing to a series of conrod failures in the Centaurus engine, the Tempest was grounded, our training was curtailed and we were posted to our very first squadrons. I was to report to No 7 Squadron which was equipped with Vampires and was delighted as I had never even seen a jet aircraft before! In all the excitement, I completely forgot my debt.
A decade later I was a flight commander in a squadron based in Palam and attended the Air Force Day function of inviting all the SNCOs to the Officers Mess for a glass of beer. One of our guests peered at my name tab and asked politely if I was the same pilot who had bailed out at Hakimpet in 1952. I said I was and he smilingly responded, “In which case Sir you still owe me two rupees!” I was happy to meet up with Flt Sgt Jaiswal again; much laughter (and beer) covered my apologies and his protests while I insisted upon repaying my debt immediately! We caught up with our respective news and I learned that, having completed his service, he would soon be leaving the air force. We never met again.
On our return drive from Begumpet after the felicitation function I related this anecdote to my wife. Unfortunately, in the dark, I was unable to identify or point out the old barrack building where this story had begun near seven decades ago.