Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas

Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas:- A Hero who set an Extraordinary Example of Bravery and Rationality.

Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas 2883 GD(P) awarded with the First Ashoka Chakra to the Indian Air Force for incredible presence of mind, courage and Skill he used for maintaining the Stricken aircraft and saving the lives of many Senior Army Officers. Let’s know more about him

Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas:-

On 9^th September,1924, in Kolkata Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas was born. His father’s name was Sri Samuel Biswas. On 24^th April,1944 he  got commission in the Indian Air force as flying Pilot. He had saved life of several Army officers.

An incomparable Story of Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas:-

On the 3rd of February, 1952, The Northern Area’s command of the Indian Army planed an important war exercise in Lucknow. To Witness this Exercise, top officers Army had decided to fly down to the Exercise in Lucknow. The Then GOC-in-C Western Command Lt Gen S. M Shrinagesh (Later COAS) , The Chief of General Staff Maj Gen S. P. P. Thorat (later GOC-inC East),  The Quarter Master General Maj-Gen K. S . Thimayya (later COAS), Maj Gen Mohinder Singh Chopra The Military Secretary Maj Gen Sarda Nand, and Brig Ajaib Singh boarded the special IAF HQ and Communications Flight De Havilland Devon (HW 516) arranged by Indian Air Force. Flt Lt Suhas Biswas was flying the plan. The Devon safely reached Lucknow and after completion of the exercises, the Officers returned for the return flight to Delhi.

It was around 1800 Hrs when Devon took off and just after the Aircraft took off, its engine malfunctioned and cew observed that it started burning. It became difficult to control the Aircraft and as the fire kept moving towards the main fuselage. In between this Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas with an effort to reduce altitude put the flight in a dive. He decided a crash landing before the fuel tank caught fire and blew up. At the same time, Aircraft started shaking in the airflow and the port engine broke away and fell on the ground. Biswas controlled the Aircraft bravely and started second engine. He then landed Aircraft successfully at an open ground near the Sandilla Railway Station.
All the passengers walked out of the Aircraft unhurt with the pilot being the last to leave. Flt Lt Suhas Biswas was the first Indian Air force Officer to get awarded with Ashoka Chakra for his intelligence, bravery and skills .
The Air Force Head, Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, had decided to remove the passenger chairs from the wrecked Devon and gifted one chair each to all the survivors with a Brass Plate inscribing the circumstances of the crash.