K C Cariappa

Air Marshal K C "Nanda" Cariappa is the son of Field Marshal General K. M. Cariappa, the first Indian Army Commander-in-Chief. Air Marshal Cariappa was a Squadron Leader with No.20 Squadron during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. He was shot down while carrying out air attacks during the 1965 war with Pakistan and was taken prisoner. President Ayub Khan, former colleague of General Cariappa before the 1947 Partition, offered to release his son. But the General's terse reply was: “They [POWs] are all my sons, look after them well.”. After repatriation K C Cariappa went on to Helicopters for a short while, commanding No.111 Helicopter Unit at Hasimara during the 1971 War. He would later command No.8 Squadron in the mid 70s at Pune. He wrote a biography on his father, Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa in 2007. He presently lives in his deceased father's house Roshanara in Madikeri. He takes an active part in forest conservation measures.