Air Marshal (R) Harish Masand says.. DS Jog

I learnt more than flying from them: DILIP SHANKAR JOG

AOC Bareilly

In August 1972, a few months after the 1971 War, I was sent from 37 Squadron, in Hasimara flying Hunters, to 221 Squadron in Bareilly for conversion on the Su-7/22. Looking back at the events that led to this move, today I feel like laughing because it was funny and a little sadistic on someone’s part to send me on the Su-7. Till then, in over four years of my service, while raising the Annual Confidential Report form, I had never filled the column on Choice of next posting because I always believed that the higher ups or the powers that be in the Personnel Branch would know how best to utilise me based on my past performance. I had been on Hunters for the initial five years of my service, with little flying to show because of the serviceability in Hunter squadrons as well as the number of pilots in each due to the bulge after 1962 (at one time in early 1969, we had 52 pilots on the strength of the Squadron with me 35th in the seniority) while some of our juniors had gone straight to MiG-21s and had more than double our flying experience. Therefore, for the first time in 1971-72, I made the mistake of asking for a conversion on Supersonics thinking that I would get posted to a MiG-21 squadron, particularly after my performance in air combat in the 1971 War. Someone over there in Air HQ obviously had a strange sense of humour and ordered me onto Su-7 since technically even the Su-7 was a Mach 2 aircraft. Anyway, ours is not to reason why but just do and….!

So, it was in August 1972 that I packed almost all my meagre belongings in my Ambassador and drove to Bareilly from Hasimara. Most important in these belongings was my prized possession, a Cosmic music system with a turn table with all of 40W output and a collection of close to 100x33 RPM vinyls which, in those days, was something that many did not have. My first meeting with the Commanding Officer of 221 Squadron, then Wing Commander Dilip Shankar Jog, was almost immediate. I found it strange that I was already popular in Bareilly. As I drove in early on that Sunday morning, a number of permanent officers already there offered to share their room with me. As a Flying Officer, I was sanguine enough to know that it had nothing to do with my seniority or personality but more with the magnetism of the music system and the car. Anyhow, I settled in with Flt Lt Prakash “Phad-Phad” Bapat whom I had known earlier from when he was in 7 Sqn Bagdogra. Within the first 15 minutes, we had the Cosmic system unpacked and the latest music, like Jesus Christ Superstar, blaring at all of the 40W it could generate, The block we were staying in had paper-thin walls and the next door neighbour was then Flt Lt  CN “Ganju” Ghosh, again a friend from 17 Sqn in Hasimara. However, Ganju was a spiritual man and a Sarod player so he took umbrage to this loud western music and complained immediately. As it turned out, Wg Cdr Dilip S Jog came to play squash next door in the Officers’ Mess complex and came across on receiving this complaint. Soon, we were also joined by the O I/c Flying, then Wg Cdr “Chotu” Bakhle. Both Dilip Sir and he actually enjoyed the music while looking at my collection of LPs and told Ganju that if he did not like it, he could move to another room. While Phad-Phad and I had a great laugh, it indicated to me that both the Wing Commanders were fun loving and supported lively and spirited activities. Little did I know that Dilip Sir had already received a report on me but decided to see for himself instead of directly acting on it.

CO 221 Squadron

The next morning, I formally reported to Dilip Sir, as the CO of 221 Sqn, with my log book and blue books. Almost the first thing he asked me with a twinkle in his eyes and a fleeting mischievous smile, noticeable even through his big moustache, was “what happened to your hair”? He had obviously heard of my ‘encounter’ with Wg Cdr Johnie Greene, commanding 2 Sqn, on detachment in Srinagar. The story, a little funny now when I look back at it but deadly serious at that time, goes like this as follows in brief.  In late April 1972, I was sent off to Srinagar to do the Jungle and Survival Course for about three weeks. In Srinagar, I found a lot of old friends, like Rae DeMonte of 20 Squadron and Manchi Captain on Gnats, in 2 Squadron I think. There were also Allan Templeton and Maddu Khanna in the Squadron, both having moved to Gnats from our 37 Squadron. On my last day in Srinagar sometime in May, when I was to board a flight to Delhi for my return journey to Hasimara, Maddu and Allan suggested I drop in at the squadron and have breakfast with them.  Please remember, this was the early 1970s, I had come from the East where we generally had longer hair and I had spent almost a month out of Hasimara at an age of barely 25 when hair did grow pretty fast. So, after the survival course, my hair was a lot longer that day than what would have been permissible as per Air Force norms. As I walked over to 2 Squadron detachment complex, I found Allan and Maddu standing out in front of the complex in the warmth of brilliantly clear and sunny day in Srinagar with a few others including then Wing Commander Johney Greene. To cut the story short, WingCo Greene took umbrage at my hair and my explanation for that state.  On my return to Hasimara a couple days later, while my CO, WingCo Suppi Kaul did not take the kind of action that WingCo Johnie Greene had perhaps wanted, I was advised to promptly get a haircut. Since the alternate fashionable cut those days for me was a crewcut, I did just that and that is the kind of hair I landed up in Bareilly with, much to the amusement of Dilip Sir who also had also been obviously warned against me by WingCo Greene and was expecting an unruly indisciplined young man with long hair. I can only imagine the mirth with which Dilip Sir gave his feedback to WingCo Greene but, over there, I was quite apparently on the watch list.

Fortunately for me, my report from the ground school as well as my initial flying with Dilip Sir in September 1972 was apparently to his satisfaction though, initially, I did all my pre-solo sorties with him. It was a bit unusual for a CO to personally take on the conversion of a youngster but then, I suppose, he had to personally assess me because of the negative report he had received on me. Based on my performance and behaviour, in the end he actually started treating me like one of his own instead of any antagonism that I might have expected and, somehow, we kept good relations throughout thereafter.

Another incident that occurred in Bareilly was about a suspected late night reported on me by a doctor. What had actually happened was that a senior pilot, Flt Lt Shergill, met me in the bar while I was having my medicinal and restricted single bottle of beer before dinner and started pouring out his personal troubles and problems to me. Like a Good Samaritan, I listened to his tale of woes sympathetically till about 10.30 pm and then excused myself since I was on the programme for a solo sortie, my second or third solo on type, the next morning. The Flight Commander, then Sqn Ldr SV Bhutani, caught me as I arrived in the squadron after met briefing and castigated me for drinking and having a late night. While his monologue against me was continuing with threats of stopping my flying, Dilip Sir happened to walk into the Flt Cdr’s office and after listening for a while, directly asked me how much I had imbibed the previous night. I truthfully and honestly told him that I was strictly on a a single bottle of beer on weekdays and the night before was no different except that I sat with Flt Lt Shergill a little longer than I should have. I also assured him that I had a good night’s rest and was absolutely fit.

Dilip Sir then asked me to leave the office and I suspect he told the Flt Cdr to trust my word and let me continue with my sortie that day. These incidents taught me how a commander should actually win the trust and respect of his subordinates by trusting them first after invoking their honesty. Very few individuals then have the inclination to betray the trust placed in them and let their commander/leader down, except for some hard-core guys that one can identify in due course.  Because of these two incidents and the way Dilip Sir handled them, he won my respect and loyalty for a lifetime and this showed in the kind of relationship he permitted to be built with me while leaving behind a lesson for me to imbibe. 

Visiting Poona in late 1989 with his brother

While in Bareilly for almost two months, I realised that Dilip Sir was single, having separated from his wife for reasons I never delved into or found out, and was, therefore, mostly with the younger single officers in the Mess area. Almost every evening, he would be in the squash court playing against one youngster or another and, despite his age, almost always managed to beat the younger guy due to his deft placement of the ball and anticipation. I used to generally just watch him play and admire his game silently since I was not much of a sportsman, in squash or any other racquet game. What I noticed though was that Dilip Sir never rubbed his prowess or the defeat on the younger guy and always had an encouraging smile during and after the game. He also spent time with us in the bar on weekends and, on many occasions, in my room listening to music and just talking about various things. Due to his easy going style, I personally found it very easy to be with him despite his seniority and the age gap, as did most youngsters. This easy relationship, of course with due respect to his seniority and age, continued through our respective careers. 

At Bareilly

After completing my conversion syllabus with the final 13th sortie on 3 October, I bid good bye to Bareilly and drove back to Hasimara. Thereafter, I did not have any professional contact with Dilip Sir for some time till I bumped into him in Delhi in 1977 while passing through on annual leave to cool my heels after having been removed from the No. 11 FCL Course starting December 1977. I think he was in JD Air Staff Inspections as a Gp Capt then and with the same smile, indicating that he knew my problem, asked me to come and have a drink with him the next evening in Central Vista Mess where he was staying. I have described this story in adequate detail while writing on “Groupie” Denzil Keelor which was published earlier in the VAYU magazine, available at https://www.vayuaerospace.in/article/835/air-marshal-r-harish-masand-says-i-learnt-more-than-flying-from-them-denzil-keelor. Therefore, I would not describe the entire episode here except to highlight Dilip Sir’s care for his subordinates, particularly once he got to know them and their potential. With his and “Groupie” Denzil’s help and support, I got out of this problem and went on to redeem myself in No. 12 FCL starting March 1978. Once again, I never served under him again but saw him socially at various places while passing through or visiting where he was.

Professionally, I met him again in April 1988 when Dilip Sir was an Air Marshal and SASO/Chief of Staff in Western Air Command and I was commanding 28 Squadron on MiG-29s. Our Squadron was assigned an operational role in J&K sector and I was asked to report to him in WAC for a briefing and discussions. As usual, Dilip Sir had a warm smile on his face when I entered his office and he made me feel quite at ease during the discussion which was more like an informal chat. Our Op location was already selected as Srinagar and Dilip Sir asked me to go down to Srinagar for a couple of days to familiarise myself and work out the squadron’s technical and administrative requirements when deployed. While there, Dilip Sir also wanted me to consider MiG-29 operations from Leh. On the way back, I reported to him and the AOC-in-C, then Air Marshal MM Singh, and briefed them ending with that we had no problems at Srinagar, where the AOC, then Air Commodore AK Singh whom I had met in my Hunter days, was happy to have us and that, in my opinion, we could also operate from Leh without any problems. Dilip Sir said that we would get an opportunity to do that the next month, in May 1988. Sure enough, we operated a big detachment of 6 or 8 aircraft in Srinagar from 16 till 24 May 1988 and also enjoyed it, thanks to all the support we got from Srinagar and WAC largely due to Dilip Sir. I had also invited Dilip Sir to visit us while we were in Srinagar and fly the MiG-29. While he was very keen, the C-in-C decided to be in Srinagar to watch over us during this detachment and flew with us as also introduced the squadron to the Chief Minister, Shri Farooq Abdullah by asking me to do a low-level display for the CM.

SASO WAC

We operated another detachment with 8 fighters and a trainer in Srinagar in October-November 1988 for an air defence exercise being run by AOC J&K, then AVM Dushyant Singh. By this time, I had lost some of my senior pilots due to posting out, courses and leave and had just a young Sqn Ldr, Ramesh Goyal, who was also my standby low level aerobatics display pilot, and below him, Flt Lieutenants/Flying Officers with the senior most as Flight Lieutenant Rajiv Kothiyal (of later LCA fame). At that time, Rajiv had just around 150 hours on type, if I remember correctly, with little valley flying experience though he was a professionally capable and upright young man.

Just as we had done area familiarisation with an odd sortie of valley flying and did our first mission in the Exercise on 3 November, I got a call from Dilip Sir to ask me to move with Ramesh Goyal to Palam immediately for a display during the colour presentation ceremony for 17 Squadron and 105 HU which was scheduled on 8 November. When I showed just a hint of hesitation in leaving the detachment for this important exercise in the hands of a relatively inexperienced pilot on type, Dilip Sir gently asked me if I trusted the training I had imparted to my youngsters. He indirectly reminded me that I had been trusted to handle big responsibilities at a low-level of seniority and experience and I should have the same faith in my youngsters. While I did have that faith and trust and encouraged my younger folks to do everything I could and more, I was only worried about AVM Dushyant pushing Rajiv to do something that may be unsound, tactically or flight safety-wise.

In that regard, I still recall one evening earlier when I had flown back from Jamnagar to Poona with my Senior Technical Officer in the trainer and had encountered a severe squall and bad weather just North of Poona moving towards the airfield slowly but surely. The squadron was planning dusk and night flying that evening soon after and after giving my weather report to the Flight Commander, I went home. Soon, I heard an aircraft takeoff but held myself from calling up the squadron to intervene or recall the aircraft. I think, almost immediately it started pouring and Arup Raha, who had just taken off, landed quickly within minutes since I heard the whistle of jet on the landing run avoiding a diversion or an incident. I had learnt from my seniors including Dilip and Denzil Sir to let the younger lot take their decisions to groom them for higher responsibilities as also to be able to accurately assess their capabilities.

Anyway, Dilip Sir’s wish was a command for me and so, without any further reservations and, after briefing Rajiv, Ramesh and I flew to Palam that very afternoon. Fortunately, fortune favours the brave and we didn’t have any issues at Srinagar or Palam. Fortunately for us, the display went well too despite the poor visibility, usual in Delhi at that time of the year, and both Dilip Sir and the C-in-C then, Air Marshal Prithi Singh, complimented us on the display as well as the performance of the squadron in Srinagar.

Srinagar detachment May 1989: Gulmarg

Srinagar detachment May 1989: Pahalgam

Srinagar detachment May 1989: Sonamarg

The next time, our detachment in Srinagar was planned in mid-April 1989 for about two weeks. When I received that Op Order, I immediately called up Dilip Sir directly and requested him to shift the planned detachment to early May 1989 because all the school examinations were in the latter half of April and most of the airmen, with older children, generally coached and revised the syllabus with their children and liked to be with their children during examination time. Taking the airmen away at that time, while acceptable in operational conditions, did not make much sense. Dilip Sir readily accepted my logic and agreed to postpone the exercise to early May. That was a huge relief for my technical staff before the word even got to them.

Next, I requested Dilip Sir to make our detachment for 16 days in Srinagar with exact dates from 5 May till 21 May 1989. That perplexed him a bit and he asked jovially, in his exact words, “Harish, you bounder, what do have in mind now?” I told him that 28 Squadron had spent the last one and half years, since barely becoming operational in January 1988, almost 60-70% of the time on detachments due to the novelty of employing the MiG-29 everywhere, without ever complaining. However, our wives were now clamouring for an opportunity to come along with us, particularly to a holiday destination like Srinagar. Since there were three main touristy locales around Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam, these dates would give us three weekends when we could arrange a visit to these three places for the families. I also told him that by June-July 1989, I was likely to be posted out since I was completing two years in command and this would be my parting gift to the families. Dilip sir promptly responded with, “Let this be my gift to your squadron for the wonderful performance you all have put up” and added that he had mentioned this to the C-in-C too who was in full agreement. However, he did add a caveat; that I would have to manage transportation and accommodation for the families by myself. I readily agreed and managed these through PR at various levels and even flew the Squadron Gypsy and a couple of motorcycles to Srinagar in the IL-76 that was provided for the move. Some of the photographs, representative of the great time the families had in Srinagar, thanks to Dilip Sir, are attached in this article.

Dilip Sir had also assured me that he would visit Srinagar and fly the MiG-29 with me during this detachment since he was due to retire the next year. Unfortunately, he could not make it because the C-in-C was also on the move somewhere, I think. Dilip Sir retired in 1990 and we also did not meet again till 1993-96 when he was staying in NOIDA and I was in Air HQ in charge of the MiG-21 Bis Upgrade programme (Bison). One evening, when Wg Cdr ‘Macky’ Palamkote was also visiting Delhi, the three of us got together and I still remember that great evening together. Dilip Sir’s honesty and personal courage to admit the truth came out clearly that evening, yet another quality that I admired him for. He was reminiscing his days in the Air Force and suddenly said himself that while he had a great time, he did regret some mistakes that he had made which affected the Service. While what he regretted is not important for this story, the very fact that he was willing to admit such things through the power of self-realisation made me respect him even more as a professional and a human being.

Thereafter, I kept meeting him socially off and on whenever I was posted in Delhi and always enjoyed the time I spent with him. He led a spartan retired life in NOIDA and was now into regular golf and, on many occasions, he would give me a quick beer or a cup of tea when he had to rush for a game. We did have him over to our house too a couple of times and his routine on a weekday would be to get a game in Racecourse and then come spend the evening with Malini and me. 

Unfortunately, after 2005 when I moved to Bangalore and then retired in 2006, we didn’t see much of him since I was now taking care of Malini for her ailment. Therefore, it was quite a shock for us when we bumped into him in the RR Hospital in 2010 when I was taking Malini for some treatment and he was coming out with a walker. Cancer had caught up with him too and he was looking quite frail. It was sad to see this jovial man looking so frail and with a walker but he was still smiling and still called me a bounder. We heard about his passing the next year in 2011 with enormous grief. We had lost a mentor and a great father figure in Dilip Sir but his impish smile and the jovial affectionate use of “bounder” still makes me remember him with fondness. I hope he is smiling the same way up there in the Valhalla.                 

The author of this series, Air Marshal (R) Harish Masand