Mervyn Middlecoat

Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat (July 1940 – 12 December 1971) was a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter pilot who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, before being shot down on 12 December 1971. He was credited with several air-to-air kills and was one of a number of distinguished Pakistani strike and fighter pilots of the period. Before his death he was stationed in Karachi, Pakistan where he flew the F-104 Starfighter.

Early life
Middlecoat was born in Ludhiana, India, in July 1940. His parents were Percy and Daisy Middlecoat. He received his early education at St. Anthony's High School (Lahore) and Lawrence College Murree. Middlecoat joined the PAF, passed out of the 16th General Duty Pilot (GDP) Course in 1954, and won the Best Performance Trophy in ground subjects.

Soft spoken and mild mannered, Middlecoat was considered to be the epitome of an officer and a gentleman, besides also being an outstanding pilot. Although he flew a number of different aircraft during his service career, he came to master the F-104 Starfighter.

On September 27, 1957, he married Jane, the daughter of a Christian family from Karachi. On October 21, 1959, a daughter named Leslie Ann was born to the Middlecoats.

1965 Indo-Pakistani War
A Flight Lieutenant in 1965, Middlecoat was stationed at Masroor Airbase. The night Karachi was attacked by the Indian Air Force (IAF), PAF F-86 Sabres responded with an aggressive defence. Middlecoat flew an F-86 in which he shot down two IAF aircraft, killing both pilots. He was credited with defending Karachi from the Indian Air Force. Later he was transferred to PAF Lahore where he joined Mushaf Airbase under the leadership of Air Commodore W. J. M. Turowicz.

During the war Middlecoat commanded No. 9 Squadron Griffins as a Squadron Leader. He kept the morale of the Squadron very high and guided his pilots in a highly professional manner. During the three-week war, Middlecoat flew 17 air defence sorties and three photo reconnaissance missions over forward Indian airbases. For his leadership and devotion to duty, he was awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat, the third highest award in the Pakistani military, in 1965.

Operation Amritsar Radar
Promoted to Wing Commander, at the outbreak of war on 3 December 1971 Middlecoat was on a training visit abroad in Egypt. He returned to Pakistan immediately and joined operations with such keen interest that he inspired all the squadron pilots. He was one of the six strike command officers who were selected to conduct the aerial operation "Amritsar Radar", and was assigned to attack the heavily defended Indian airbase at Jamnagar on 12 December, the day after his return.

After strafing aircraft parked on the runway, Middlecoat and his wingman were forced to abort their mission after they were bounced by two IAF MIG-21 aircraft from No. 47 Squadron IAF. Middlecoat quickly reduced altitude, and maintained a high speed. He managed to deflect the first missile, however at a range of just 300 m he was shot down over the Gulf of Kutch. The Indian pilot that shot him down, Flight Lieutenant Bharat Bhushan Soni, saw Middlecoat eject into the Arabian Sea, and contacted a nearby IAF base to send a rescue team, however he was nowhere to be found when they reached the site. Middlecoat had ejected in shark infested waters and it was considered unlikely that he survived. Declared missing in action, he was posthumously awarded a Bar to the Sitara-i-Jurat. His remains were never found. The aviator king Hussein of Jordan wrote to Middlecoat's widow stating that his death was a personal loss for the King, requesting to bury him with the Jordanian national flag under his head if he was to be wrapped in the Pakistani flag. Middlecoat had fought for the King earlier during the Six Day War war with Israel.