Arjan Singh

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC (Punjabi: ਅਰਜਨ ਸਿੰਘ) (15 April 1919-) is the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to five-star rank, equal to a Field Marshal, to which he was promoted in 2002. He was born in the Punjab town of Lyallpur, British India, into an Aulakh family. With the death of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in June 2008, he is presently the only living Indian military officer with a five-star rank.

Early life and career
Arjan Singh was born on 15 April 1919 in Lyallpur in the Punjab in what was then British India. He was educated at Montgomery, India (now in Pakistan). He entered the RAF College Cranwell in 1938 and was commissioned as a pilot officer in December 1939. As a distinguished graduate of the RAF College, Singh's portrait is now to be found on the walls of the College's west staircase.

Singh led No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force into command during the Arakan Campaign in 1944. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944, and commanded the Indian Air Force Exhibition Flight in 1945. Singh almost faced a court martial when he tried to raise the morale of an air force pilot by conducting a low level air pass over a house in Kerala, but he insisted that such tricks are needed for every cadet to be a fighter pilot.

Career and commands held
He was Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), from 1 August 1964 to 15 July 1969, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1965. He also became the first Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force when, in recognition of the Air Force’s contribution in the 1965 war, the rank of the Chief of Air Staff was upgraded to that of Air Chief Marshal. After he retired in 1969 at the age of 50, he was appointed the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland in 1971. He concurrently served as the Ambassador to the Vatican. He was appointed High Commissioner to Kenya in 1974. He was member of the Minorities Commission, Government of India from 1975-1981. He was Lt. Governor of Delhi from Dec 1989 - Dec 1990 and was made Marshal of the Air Force in January, 2002.

Career highlights

 * 1938 - Entered RAF College Cranwell as a Flight Cadet
 * 1939—Commissioned in Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer
 * 1940 - Flying Officer
 * 1942 - Flight Lieutenant
 * 1944 - Squadron Leader
 * 1945—Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
 * 1947—Wing Commander, Royal Indian Air Force, Air Force Station, Ambala
 * 1948—Group Captain, Director, Training, Air Headquarters
 * 1949—Air Commodore, Indian Air Force AOC, Operational Command
 * 1961—Air Vice Marshal, Air Officer in Charge, Administration, Air HQ
 * 1963—Deputy Chief of Air Staff and subsequently Vice Chief of Air Staff
 * 1964—Chief of Air Staff (Air Marshal)
 * 1965—Chief of Air Staff rank upgraded to that of an Air Chief Marshal
 * 1965—Awarded Padma Vibhushan
 * 1966—Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee
 * 1969—Retired from Indian Air Force
 * 1971—Ambassador to Switzerland and the Holy See
 * 1974—High Commissioner to Kenya
 * 1980—Member of the Minorities Commission
 * 1989—Lt. Governor, Delhi
 * 2002 - Marshal of the Air Force