Two Goan-origin Air Marshals (AOC-in-C)
Valmiki Faleiro
Two Goan-origin Air Marshals (AOC-in-C)
Air Vice Marshal EW Pinto was the first Goan-origin Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the then unified Operational Command of the Indian Air Force responsible for air operations throughout India. He ought to have headed this list. But the post of AOC-in-C those days was held by an officer of the rank of Air Vice Marshal, while the two AOC-in-C described below were a notch higher as Air Marshals.
Ironically, Air Vice Mshl Pinto was in sure fire line for the post of Air Chief Marshal, but died prematurely in a helicopter accident, together with some top army brass. Else he may have been the first Goan-origin Air Chief Marshal – in fact, the first Goan to head any of the three arms of the defence services of India.
Air Marshal Terence ("Hindustan Warner") Joseph Desa (Veteran) with roots in Sangolda, was born in Bombay in 1928 and, after Inter Science at St. Xavier's-Bombay, was selected to the IAF in October 1947 and commissioned in the Fighter Pilot stream in 1950. As a Flying Officer, he had two flying incidents in 1952, both on Tempest-II aircraft. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1955.
As a Squadron Leader, he was CO of 2 Squadron at Palam, 1960-62. As Wing Commander, he directed staff at the College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad, 1962-64. He was deputed to Egypt for two years. On return, he was CO of 31 Squadron at Pathankot, 1966-68 and Chief Instructor at the Armament Training Wing in Jamnagar, 1968-70. As Group Captain, he was Station Commander of 28 Wing, one of the largest fighter aircraft bases at Hindon in 1970, and was promoted to Air Commodore in 1976. He attended the National Defence College in 1978.
Posted as Director-Ops (Offensive) at Air HQ in 1979, he was then, as Air Vice Marshal from 1980, Commandant of the Air Force Academy-Dundigal upto 1981. He was Director-Training at Air HQ from 1981 to 1984. At this time the IAF celebrated its Golden Jubilee. Air Mshl de Sa was Chief Organiser of the IAF's Golden Jubilee Celebrations in India and abroad during 1981-82. He fabricated a Golden Jubilee Capsule containing microfilms, video clips, photo albums and souvenirs, which is displayed in the VIP foyer at Air HQ. The capsule will be opened on the IAF's centenary in 2031-32.
A versatile fighter pilot, he flew over 5200 hours in 31 types of aircraft including transports and helicopters. He was Flying Instructor at training establishments and later an A2 Category Flying Instructor in Air Warfare.
As Air Marshal, he established the Southern Air Command with HQ at Akkulam, Thiruvananthapuram and was its first AOC-in-C from 18 June 1984, a post he held until superannuation on 30 November 1986. A multi-skilled officer, he was invited for diverse IAF honorary work in India and abroad post retirement. He was invited by the Air Forces of Abu Dhabi, Bhutan, Dubai, Malaysia, Syria, Singapore, Thailand, UK, among others. Air Mshl de Sa passed away on 14 January 1999.
Air Marshal Yeshwantrao Krishnarao Rane, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC (Veteran) has ancestral roots in the Poriem Rane clan of Sanquelim but this branch of the family had shifted to Gwalior. A daughter of the family was married to the Scindia maharaja of that kingdom.
Educated at elite institutions, Air Mshl Rane passed Senior Cambridge from Sherwood in Nainital and Intermediate from La Martinere in Lucknow and was selected to the NDA. He was commissioned in the Fighter Pilot stream in December, 1969.
As a Qualified Flying Instructor, among other instructional jobs, he was deputed to Iraq as flying instructor. As a Fighter Combat Leader, he was CO of two frontline fighter squadrons and was COO of a Mirage 2000 fighter base in Gwalior and later, as Air Commodore, became Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of the same fighter base. He was awarded Vayu Seva Medal in 1990.
Air Mshl Rane served on the faculty of College of Defence Management and has undergone the National Defence College course at New Delhi. He was Commandant of the Air Force Academy and held several other top-tier appointments at Air HQ.
He was Delegate/Team Leader of various IAF teams sent abroad from time to time. He headed the personnel branch as Air Officer in-charge Personnel at Air HQ and was the Chairman-PPOC. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service of an exceptional order in 2002.
Air Mshl Rane is a versatile fighter pilot with about 4600 hrs of flying to his credit. He has flown most of the fighter aircraft in the IAF inventory.
Air Mshl Rane took over as AOC-in-C, Southern Air Command at Akkulam, Thiruvananthapuram on 01 February 2007 and retired in 2010. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2008.
A keen sportsman, he follows cricket, golf and squash. He is son of Major General Krishna Rao Rane, among the first Indian Officers in the Indian Army (KCIO No. 0007) who was settled in Gwalior. Air Mshl Rane is married to Geeta, a graduate from Baroda University and has a daughter, Aakansha. Air Mshl Rane and family live in Gwalior.
Air Mshl Rane is closely related to Major Jaisinghrao Rane (Veteran) who shot to fame at Chhad Bet in the Rann of Kutch, when Pakistan, in a forerun of events to the 1965 war, intruded to provoke border skirmishes and establish a post inside Indian territory (which of course was foiled) and whose son, Second Lieutenant Jayendra Rane, VrC, was the 1971 war hero-martyr (attempting to save his trapped jawans, he took enemy fire on all sides except his back – he did not turn to escape).
(This first appeared in the Marathi language in Goa’s daily, Gomantak, 30 October 2022, and is excerpted from revised text of the book, Patriotism In Action: Goans in India’s Defence Services by Valmiki Faleiro, first published in 2010 by ‘Goa,1556,’ ISBN: 978-93-80739-06-9. Revised edition awaits publication.)
