Service No : 25307
Birth Place : Patiala, Punjab
Service: Air Force
Last Rank: Wing Commander
Unit : 115 HU AF
Operation : CI & IS Ops
Date of Martyrdom : Jul 04 , 2017
Wing Commander Mandeep Singh Dhillon
Wing Commander Mandeep Singh Dhillon hailed from Patiala in Punjab and belonged to a family with a history of military service. Wg Cdr Dhillon had completed his schooling from RIMC, Dehradun and joined the prestigious NDA as an Air Force cadet. He was selected for the flying branch in the IAF and got trained as a helicopter pilot. After his basic flying training, he served in various Air Force bases, flying different types of helicopters over varied terrain, from icy mountains to the jungles of North East India.
By 2017, Wg Cdr Dhillon had completed about 18 years of service and had evolved into a professionally competent pilot with expertise in various air operations. Later he was posted as commanding officer of 115 HU unit based at Air Force station Tezpur in Assam. He never liked being away from the flying duties and pursed his passion of flying with utmost sincerity. Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon was also a long-distance runner and a fine hockey player. He also had a tenure at NDA as an instructor and groomed scores of young cadets to become good officers.
During 2016-17, Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon was commanding 115 HU AF based at Air Force station Tezpur in Assam. During July 2017, parts of North East faced torrential rains and land slides necessitating massive rescue operations. His unit was entrusted with the job of providing help to the beleaguered civilians in the inaccessible areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Helicopter Crash: 4th July 2017
As part of ongoing rescue operations in Assam and parts of Arunachal Pradesh, 115 HU unit had planned a number of sorties on 04 July 2017. One ALH of the unit tasked for the operation was being flown by Flt Lt Pramod Kumar Singh and his commanding officer Wing Commander Mandeep Singh Dhillon. The two pilots carried out sorties to rescue stranded people at Sagalee village following major landslides in Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh. The pilots continued their missions despite inclement weather conditions as precious civilian lives had to be saved.
Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon and Flt Lt Pramod Kumar Singh carried out 5 sorties during the day rescuing over 100 people trapped in remote areas. As the day progressed the weather deteriorated further making the task of the flying crew riskier. When Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon and Flt Lt Pramod Kumar Singh came for their sixth sortie the weather had turned hostile to the extent that they decided not to take the civilians onboard and risk their lives. The ALH took off for the return journey only with the flying crew but the helicopter lost communication with the ground — the Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Chabua in Assam, minutes after it took off from Sagalee village. It was evacuating people from Sagalee to the helipad at Naharlagun near Itanagar. The rescue teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Arunachal Pradesh Police were formed to trace the helicopter but the rescue operation was called off due to the bad weather. The wreckage of the helicopter was found on Wednesday 5 July 2017 in Sopo Yuha, near Hostalen village, about 30 Kms from Itanagar.
Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon, Flt Lt Pramod Kumar Singh and flight Gunner Sgt Gujjar could not survive the crash and laid down their lives in the service of the nation. Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon is survived by his wife Prabpreet Kaur, son Eshar and daughter Sehaj.
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Source
- http://www.mensxp.com/special-features/today/38104-a-wing-commander-gave-up-his-life-saving-169-people-the-nation-needs-to-know-his-tale-of-heroism.html
- http://presspunjab.com/2017/07/11/sikh-commender-mandeep-singh-dhillon-died-in-a-terrible-helicopter-crash-throughout-a-flood-rescue-operation-in-arunachal-pradesh/
- http://www.indiatimes.com/lifestyle/self/wing-commander-ms-dhillon-died-saving-169-people-and-i-lost-a-brother-i-never-knew-i-had-325757.html
- http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/mandeep-singh-dhillon-the-brave-iaf-officer-who-lost-his-life-in-mission-to-save-others/757483/
- http://www.ndtv.com/video/news/news/last-journey-of-wing-commander-mandeep-singh-dhillon-462392
- https://www.indiablooms.com/ibns_new/news-details/N/32564/wing-commander-mandeep-singh-dhillon-a-tribute.html
- http://presspunjab.com/2017/07/11/sikh-commender-mandeep-singh-dhillon-died-in-a-terrible-helicopter-crash-throughout-a-flood-rescue-operation-in-arunachal-pradesh/
- https://dailyworld.in/mandeep-singh-dhillons-cremation/
- http://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2017/7/11/Mandeep-Dhillon-Landslide
- http://www.thebetterindia.com/108039/iaf-officer-wg-cdr-mandeep-singh-dhillon-tribute/
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/neighbours-mourn-wing-commander-dhillons-untimely-demise/articleshow/59508628.cms
- https://thenortheasttoday.com/arunachal-pradesh-recalling-the-samaritan-mandeep-singh-dhillon-who-rescued-160-people-before-embracing-death/
- https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Wing%2BCommander%2BMandeep%2BSingh%2BDhillon/photos-keyword
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HARSHITA
2018 at 7:21 pmKuch muskurahataten kabhi padti nahi fiki, log mit bhi jayen toh nahi mara karte.
Jinda rehte hain dilo mein aise ,
Ki kafan bhi nahi kar sakta bandh dafan mein.
We miss u Dhillon sir.
Ganesh bhatt
2018 at 7:34 pmWe miss you Bhai.
Sqn Ldr Aditi Jain
2018 at 7:52 amDhillon sir, your infectious energy and positivity stay with us forever. Remembering you on this day, I am sure you are spreading the joy wherever you are…
SreeKumar
2018 at 5:14 pmRIP RIMCO and AIR WARRIOR
Sanjeev
2019 at 9:03 pmHe led the academy in the cross country run. Full of Josh always… RIP
Siddharth
2019 at 2:47 pmWill always love and remember you as the excellent mandy.True Rimcollian ,talented ,hard working and team spirited to the core
Air Veteran ANIL KUMAR ROY
2022 at 7:42 amWill always love and remember you all Wg Cdr Mandeep Singh Dhillon, Flt Lt Pramod Kumar Singh and flight Gunner Sgt Gujjar.
N Prasada Rao
2022 at 3:21 pmSalute to the brave soldiers.
Eshar Dhillon
2024 at 10:59 pmMy father was the actual superhero as strong as Thor as brave as Captain America and as smart as Ironman