Five Star Hurricane
1:24 Trumpeter Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC flown by SQN Ldr Arjan Singh, DFC
CO 1 SQN IAF, IMPHAL FEB 1944
I was really keen to get my hands on
the Hurricane IIC by Trumpeter, coz this is the ac that truly represents the
Indian Air force during the Second World War and the Burma campaign. The
IAF began the war by flying cast-off Wapitis, Audax/Harts, Lysanders Blenheims
and Vengeances. Almost all the nine IAF sqns then converted to the
Hurricane I/II B, C/IV by the final Arakan campaign in end 1943 as RAF sqns
converted to the Spitfire V/VIII/XIV and Thunderbolt. Initially the
IAF carried out mainly TacR roles but then moved onto ground attack against
Japanese bridges, rolling stock, river craft and troop concentrations. Nos
6 and 9 sqns also escorted RAF/USAAF Dakotas and Commandos on supply drop
missions as well as guiding them to the various scattered groups of the SOE
‘force 136’ and Wingate’s Chindits.
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This model has been named “Five
Star hurricane” becoz its pilot- then a Sqn Ldr rose to become the first and
so far only, Marshall of the Air Force- Arjan Singh. The model represents
Hurricane IIB AP953 ac flown by then Sqn Ldr Arjan Singh who flew TacR sorties
during the siege of Kohima while commanding No 1 Sqn at Imphal/Sinthe in Mar
1944. The sqn spent 14 months in-theater, a record, not matched by any
allied sqn. As the Japanese 33 Div encircled Kohima and cut off the
Kohima-Imphal Rd, the British Indian garrison was squeezed into the tennis
courts behind Government house. Arjan while flying a TacR sortie on the
evening of 22 Mar spotted a battalion of Japs closing around the besieged
garrison. Four Hurribomber sqns including No 1 sqn IAF scrambled and using
landing lights strafed the Japs and landed at night. Arjan was later
awarded the DFC in Apr 44 and received it in the field by none other than the
supreme commander ACSEA, Admiral the lord Louis Mountbatten. In Mar 44 the
IAF was also allowed the prefix “Royal” by royal warrant of his majesty the
king.
Arjan Singh was born on 15 April
1919, in Lyalpur (today Pakistan), completing his education at Montgomery. He
was still in college in 1938, 19 years of age when he was selected for the
Empire Pilot training course at RAF Cranwell. Arjan excelled both in the air and
on the ground and won blazers for swimming and hockey. His first posting on
being commissioned was flying Westland Wapiti biplanes in the North Western
Frontier Province as a member of the No.1 IAF Squadron. Promoted to
Squadron Leader in 1944, Arjan Singh led the squadron against the Japanese
during the Arakan Campaign. After the war, he was given command of the IAF
Display flight flying Hawker Hurricanes which toured India giving
demonstrations. On 15 August 1947, he had the unique honour of leading the
fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over Delhi, over the Red Fort the last
seat of the Mughal Empire.
On 01 August 1964, Arjan Singh took
over as the Chief of Air Staff in the rank of Air Marshal. Arjan was
called to testing time came in September 1965, when the subcontinent was plunged
into war. When Pakistan launched its Operation Grand Slam, in which an armoured
thrust targeted the vital town of Akhnur, he was summoned into the Defence
Minister's office with a request for air support. With a characteristic
nonchalance, he replied "...in an hour." And true enough, the air
force struck the Pakistani offensive in an hour.
Arjan Singh was awarded the Padma
Vibhushan (Second highest Civilian award) for his leadership of the air force,
and subsequently in recognition of the air force's contribution in the war, the
rank of the CAS was upgraded to that of Air Chief Marshal and Arjan Singh became
the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force. He retired in August 1969,
thereupon accepting ambassador ship to Switzerland. He remained a flyer to the
end of his tenure in the IAF, visiting forward squadrons & units and flying
with them. Arjan Singh was a source of inspiration to a generation of Indians
and airmen.
In recognition of his services, the
Government of India conferred on him the rank of the Marshal of the Air Force in
January 2002 making him the first and the only 'Five Star' rank officer with the
Indian Air Force.
The model is placed on a wooden base
depicting five stars for the Marshall of the Air force. The model was
built in about five days as there are relatively few parts. I did very
little work in the engine though I displayed it open. Nothing except a few
wires were added and the rest is OOB. Paints are MM with pastel
weathering and silver-an- toothpick chipping. The kit came with the
windscreen broken in half. Just had no option but to stick it together and press
on. Tail markings are painted and SEAC roundels are from a 1/48
Spitfire from model decals that had a scheme with oversized roundels on a PR
Spitfire. They came to exact scale. The rest of the decals are from the
spares box.
The last two pics are the first from
his log book as CO 1 sqn in 1944 and the last when he was called to RAF Cranwell
to pin wings onto RAF cadets in 1996.
Polly Singh
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