Service No : 4657 F(P)

Date of Birth : July 6, 1933

Place of birth : Nowshera, (Pak)

Last Rank : VrC, VM

Unit : 47 Sqn AF

Arm/Regt : Indian Air Force

Operation : Indo-Pak War 1971

Martyrdom : December 13, 1971

Wg Cdr Hersern Singh Gill VrC,VM

Wing Commander Hersern Singh Gill was born 6th July 1933 in Nowshera (Now in Pakistan). Son of an Army veteran Maj Pooran Singh Gill, he later moved to Delhi for his higher studies. Subsequently his family moved to Bareilly, when his father who served in the Army in the Army Medical Corps retired from the active service. He later got selected to join the Indian Air Force and was commissioned on 16 Jan 1954 at the age of 20 years. He was trained as a fighter pilot and gradually gained experience in flying various fighter aircraft of the IAF.

 

He became one of the first pilots to be selected to fly a highly sophisticated aircraft introduced in the Indian Air Force. He achieved a Master Green instrument rating on MiG-21 aircraft and became an Instrument Rating Instructor. A pilot of outstanding ability, he set the pace for the highest standards in his squadron. He was twice selected for low-level aerobatics displays and in recognition of his outstanding skill once a visiting dignitary awarded him his country’s “ Class I Pilot’s Brevet ”on the spot. By the year-1971, he had been promoted to the rank of Wing Commander and developed into an ace fighter pilot with expertise in diverse air operations.

 

Badin Air Strike Mission: 13 Dec 1971

 

During the operations against Pakistan in December 1971, Wg Cdr Hersern Singh Gill was commanding a Fighter Squadron operating MiG -21 aircraft based in the Western sector. When Pakistan Air Force attacked various air basis of the IAF on 3rd Dec 1971, 47 Sqn got involved in various air operations against the enemy forces. As commanding officer of 47 Sqn, Wg Cdr Hersern Singh Gill led several operational missions on air defense, close support, and counter-air operations from 3rd Dec onward. He led from the front like a true military leader and inspired his pilots. His Squadron shot down successfully one enemy F-104 aircraft over Jamnagar on 11th Dec 1971 and hit another F-104 aircraft on 12th December 1971.

 

On 12th Dec 1971, Wg Cdr Gill undertook a strike mission over the Badin Signals Unit Complex in Pakistan in the face of intense enemy Anti-Aircraft fire. On 13th December 1971, he led another strike mission on the same target. The target was heavily defended by enemy air defense assets and entailed great risk. Despite that, displaying extraordinary courage and professional skill, Wg Cdr Gill pressed on with the attack. However, during this attack, his aircraft got hit by the enemy Anti-Aircraft guns and crashed. Wg Cdr Gill ejected and is presumed to have been taken over as a POW (Prisoner of War). He was captured and his name was subsequently announced on Pakistan radio, the same day, as captured “ace Indian pilot”. However, successive regimes in Pakistan have denied the existence of Indian PoWs in its jails. Wg Cdr Gill was given the gallantry award, “Vir Chakra” for his exceptional courage, leadership and professional skill of a very high order.

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11 Comments
  • Khushi

    2022 at 11:06 pm Reply

    +919312225239 pl contact on this no.

    • Dr Manish Bhatnagar

      2022 at 11:11 pm

      Whose number is this. How can I contact immediate family of brave Wing Comdr Gill. Who are there in his family

  • R kumar

    2022 at 11:06 pm Reply

    His daughter now serviving in Gurudwara, Ashoka rd New Delhi.She wants to contact his relatives (Lt Col Vijay Kumar Asc rtd) her mausa(her mother’s sister husband belongs to Bhatinda).

  • Manjeet

    2022 at 11:07 pm Reply

    We join the family of Wg Cdr Hersern Singh Gill in paying tribute to him for his bravery skill and sacrifice

  • sparsh

    2022 at 11:07 pm Reply

    plz give your reply. we r waiting.

    • N Gill

      2022 at 11:10 pm

      Hi Sparsh- we are the family of Wing Commander Hersern Singh Gill. Please let me know what you would like to know about the missing 54. You can also read the book “missing in action” by Chandersuta Dogra.

  • Sparsh

    2022 at 11:08 pm Reply

    Prashant Kulkarni sir, Our small group want to do something about Missing-54.
    Plz guide us. I also want to know more thing about missing-54. I am from Gujarat, Porbandar.

  • Prashant Kulkarni

    2022 at 11:08 pm Reply

    My father was posted in SF Station jamnagar during the war and I distinctly remember having seen this brave officer the day before he took off on his final sortie….I remember to this day what I felt when we heard the news that he was shot down. I was a young boy if 15 then, and I remember I had tears when this news came through. Long live these bravehearts. Long live the spirit of sacrifice and bravery. And long live the spirit of resilience and fortitude that the bereaved families must have had to face in he face of such tragedies.

  • Divya Jha

    2022 at 11:09 pm Reply

    This tribute is very small in front of the exemplary courage and grit shown by our brave Wing Commander H.S Gill. It is because of people like him that we feel proud to call ourselves Indian. We can never imagine let alone even tolerate the torture and suffering our brave hearts go through when they are captured by enemies. Thank you for inspiring me and for fighting for our safety. You put your lives at risk for us and your tenacity to tolerate the torture and still not spill out valuable information is commendable. You are the true celebrities of India and deserve the most noble award, best facilities for housing, for your family and highest salary. We salute you and you will always be alive in our hearts. We promise to put our best effort in completing the mission for which you so valiantly laid down your life. We will fight terrorism till our last breath. Our condolences to your family. They have not only lost their son, brother, husband, nephew or father but the whole nation has lost a son- a veer jawan whom we are proud to call- Martyred Wing Commander H.S Gill.
    Jai Hind

  • Simmi Waraich

    2022 at 11:10 pm Reply

    His name is among the Missing in Action – a report first tabled by Min of State for Ext Affairs, Samarendu Kundu in 1979 in reply to starred question 6803 by Amarsinh Pathwa.

    Plus Mohan Lal Bhaskar who wrote a book ” Main Bharat ka Jasoos tha” and who was repatriated in 1974 met Maj Ayaaz Ahmed Sipra and a Col Asif Shafi in Kot Lakhpat jail, Lahore. Both these Pakistani officers had been in Atttock jail ( a military jail) for the Attock conspiracy against Bhutto. They told Bhaskar that they had met a Gill of the IAF in Attock. Sipra later told Sqn Ldr Jain’s son in law Manish in Canada that he had played badminton with HS Gill in Attock. There is a photo pf a plane which may have been Gills in Badin where his plane was shot down. India has , sadly no separate category for Missing in Action so like my father ( Maj SPS Waraich) was captured alive and we got a letter from the CO saying he is Missing. Later in 1973, it was changed to “Now presumed Killed in Action” to release pensionary benefits. these families have lived for years with no certainlty. WE had asked for a Missing in Action cell to trace each case and come to a logical conclusion in each case. ie Where presumed killed, ask for remains to confirm. Where in doubt, follow up the cases.
    SO we have many who may have been captured alive – there is evidence of Maj Ashok Suri, Maj SPS Waraich, WG Cdr HS Gill etc. India is not trying to trace these men – either their remains leave alone the ones Missing though we allow USA to trace their dead from World War !!!!!

  • Himanshu Sheth

    2022 at 5:26 pm Reply

    The country is proud and ever indebted to hero
    like Wing Commander Hersern Singh Gill.

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