Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh, PVSM, MBE (4 February 1909 – 6 September 1971) was an Air Officer in the Indian Air Force. He was one of the earliest to join the newly created Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1933 in the lowest rank of 'Hawai sepoy'. In a career spanning over three decades and two wars, he rose from the lowest enlisted rank to the then second-highest rank in the Indian Air Force. Hailed as technical wizard and innovator, he is considered a legend of the IAF.
Born in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab Province, Singh became an orphan at the age of 11, having lost his father and siblings to plague very early and his mother a few years later. Raised by his aunt in Jalandhar, he joined the MacLagan Engineering College, Lahore at the age of 17. Graduating five years later, he left a potentially comfortable life as a graduate engineer in civil service and joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a 'hawai sepoy'. After his apprenticeship, he joined the Indian Air Force at RAF Drigh Road. He served in the Northwest Frontier Province during the Waziristan campaign. In World War II, he led the enlisted men as the warrant officer of No. 1 Squadron IAF in the Burma Campaign.
Singh was commissioned as a Flying Officer after his return from Burma. In June 1943, Singh was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). He then served at RAF Station Kohat and as the Chief Technical Officer of the RAF Operational Training Unit at Peshawar. After the partition of India, he led the technical and maintenance ability of the IAF. He ensured a high serviceability of aircraft during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. In 1948, he was appointed Station Commander at Kanpur in the rank of Group Captain.
In April 1950, at the age of 41, Singh earned his wings after completing his flying training. In January 1955, Singh took command of the newly created Maintenance Command. He would be at the helm of the command for about 9 years, until his retirement. In 1958, the post was upgraded to Air Commodore, and in 1959, to Air Vice Marshal. During this stint, he designed and built a light communication aircraft which he test-flew, he launched the first Indian-built jet engine and manufactured the Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft at Kanpur.
He had many firsts to his credit - the first Indian corporal, the first Indian sergeant, the first Indian warrant officer, the first Indian engineering commissioned officer and the first Indian to be awarded the MBE in the IAF.
Early life and education
Singh was born on 4 February 1909 in a Jat Sikh family in Sirhala-Kurhad village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab Province. The youngest of three children, he lost his father and siblings to the plague very early. By the time he was 11, he lost his mother as well, and was raised by his paternal aunt in the village of Mahil Gaila, near Banga, Jullundur where his uncle Sampuran Singh Mahal was a zaildar. He was successful in the competitive entrance examination and joined the MacLagan Engineering College, Lahore. In his third year, he was elected secretary of the young engineers association. As secretary, he wanted to organise a visit to the RAF station. The adjutant of the unit refused saying that Indians were not allowed inside going on to communicate that Indians were racially inferior. Hurt by this, he resolved to join the Air Force and prove the officer wrong.
In 1928, the Government of India agreed to the entry of Indians to the Royal Air Force College Cranwell. The ground staff were to be trained in India and were to be selected from 'D' Class apprentices in the Indian Railways and be termed Hawai Sepoys 3rd class. The apprentices in the railways were illiterate young boys and engineering graduates were not considered for the post. Singh persisted, writing to the RAF repeatedly. The pay and stature of the post was meagre, much less than what he was paid as stipend in his final year of engineering. He also had an offer for the post of superintendent of Gujranwala Power House. In spite of this, Singh was determined to join the Air Force. In November 1930, he was selected and was asked to join in January 1931 at Karachi. Leaving a life of possible luxury as an engineer, he joined in the lowest rank of Hawai Sepoy.