Kolkata: A two-day seminar on ‘Air Offensive for Liberation of Bangladesh: 1971’ was held on November 24-25 at Air Force Station Hashimara in north Bengal to commemorate golden jubilee celebrations of The Swifts, the 22 Squadron which is based there.
The squadron was formed on October 15 in 1966 at Air Force Station Bareilly as the eighth Gnat squadron and was named ‘Hell’s Angels’.
The unit was awarded the President’s Standard for its distinguished service to the nation in November 2015.
Operating Gnat airplanes at that time, the Squadron was based at the Kalaikunda in West Bengal and flew missions into the erstwhile East Pakistan out of Dum Dum.
It moved to Kalaikunda in West Bengal for the 1971 operations. Operating Gnat aeroplanes at that time, the Squadron flew missions into the erstwhile East Pakistan out of Dum Dum.
It was later shifted to Hashimara and was renamed ‘The Swifts’ and is one of the youngest fighter squadrons of Indian Air Force.
At the event veterans of the squadron were felicitated. A special cover was also released by India Post.
The Akaash Ganga sky diving team enthralled the spectators with the manoeuvring their colourful canopies while arriving to touch down. The air warrior drill team carried out immaculate and synchronised drill movements against an impressive backdrop of aircraft on static display. Many war veterans paid tribute to their alma mater.
Most prominent among them was the nonagenarian Air Marshal B.S. Sikand (Retd), who was the commanding officer of the squadron as a young wing commander then. Other notable war veterans included the then Flying Officer Soares, one of the Gnat pilots that carried out the famous attack on Boyra on November 22 in 1971.
