IAF war hero presents bravery medal to Bulls squadron

A decorated Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, who won the Vir Chakra for his heroics in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, on Monday presented his bravery medal to his Bulls squadron on the 50th anniversary of the war.

Flt. Lt. Alfred Tyrone Cooke, now settled in Australia, specially came to the air force station in Ambala, 45 km from Chandigarh, to present his medal.

Cooke narrated at length his personal experience while performing the feat that fetched him the coveted Vir Chakra.

"Fifty years ago, on September 7, 1965, Flt. Lt. Cooke shot down one raiding Sabre and crippled another over the skies of Kalaikunda in the eastern theatre. On combat air patrol in his Hawker Hunter (fighter), together with his wing man, they beat back three times the number of Sabre jets, which changed the future course of war especially in the eastern theatre," a defence ministry spokesman said here on Monday.

Cooke was credited for bravely taking on multiple enemy aircraft and forcing them to retreat.

The event was attended by other war heroes, veterans and senior army and IAF officers.

The air force station in Ambala played a key role for the IAF in all the operations during the war.