A tribute to the Son of Pak Sarzameen - Cecil Chaudhry

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Cecil Chaudhry (May his soul rest in peace) was a heroic Jawaan of Pak Air Force who safeguarded and served this land on the basis of sheer love for Pak Sarzameen. Despite belonging to the minority, he proved his love for Pakistan by heroically contributing to the 1965 and 1971 wars against the hostile enemy. The national hero aslo participated in PAF battles against Israel in 1967. Pakistan today is proud of her son, irrespective of the color, cast or creed when his soul rests in peace, having given his duty to the Pak Sarzameen with all his sincerity and devotion. The great son of PakSarzameen truly trusted and believed to what the founding Father - Quaid-e-Azam said at the creation of Pakistan:   

We are starting with the fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state. No matter what is his colour, caste or creed is first, second and last a citizen of this state with equal rights, privileges and obligations..

Chaudhry was schooled at St Anthony’s High School and was an alumnus of the Forman Christian College. He joined the Pakistan Air Force Academy in 1958, where he studied aeronautics and mechanical engineering. It was as a pilot that Chaudhry developed his legacy as national hero for several flight missions including the 1965 and 1971 wars for which he received a Sitara-e-Jurat and Tamgha-e-Jurat.


He served as the principal of St Anthony’s High School in Lahore and St Mary’s Academy Lalazar, Rawalpindi. “He struggled for the rights of minorities and women,” said retired Brigadier-General Samson Simon Sharaf, who was close to Chaudhry and present at the hospital. “He was a great fan of Quaid-e-Azam’s ideals and was critical of the Objectives Resolution [of 1949].”

*Cecil Chaudhry, the son of Faustian Elmer Chaudhry, the famous Chief Photographer of Pakistan Times, Lahore, was born in 1941. His interest in aircraft and flying brought him to the PAF and he graduated in 1960. He soon established himself professionally and in 1965 was working as Flight Commander (Training) under the renowned Squadron Leader Sarfraz Rafiqui. When war broke out on 6 September, 1965, Cecil busied himself flying numerous Close Support missions to ward off the Indian ground attack against Lahore and Sialkot. He was detailed to fly a dusk strike mission against Halwara under the command of Squadron Leader Rafiqui. 


There were unavoidable delays in their take-off and Halwara got forewarned because of the successful PAF strike against Pathankot. When Rafiqui, Yunus and Cecil reached their target Halwara, they were intercepted by numerous Hunter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. During the engagement, after shooting down one Indian Hunter, Rafiqui’s guns jammed and he handed over the lead to Cecil. The three fought bravely against heavy odds but Rafiqui and Yunus were shot down while Cecil managed to return safely after shooting down a Hunter. The loss of his mentor Rafiqui and friend Yunus enraged Cecil and he fought the rest of the war aggressively and with determination. For his acts of courage, dedication and professional ability, Cecil received the Sitara-i-Jurat.


During the 1971 war also Cecil, by now a Squadron Leader, fought with valour. On 7 December, during his second mission of the day over Zafarwal-Shakargarh sector, Cecil’s aircraft was hit by ground fire and badly damaged. He had to eject in enemy territory but he managed to make good his escape and reached Sargodha base safely. He continued to fight valiantly despite fractured ribs and exacted his revenue on 11 December, when he managed to shoot down an Indian SU-7 fighter right over the area where he had lost his aircraft.


During the course of his service, Cecil commanded the prestigious No 9 Squadron and the Combat Commander’s School PAF. He retired in 1986 in the rank of Group Captain. Not one to sit idle, he took time to educate himself and subsequently became the Principal at St. Anthony’s School at Lahore. He continues to turn out scores of motivated young men who are bubbling with zeal and enthusiasm to serve their country with dedication, pride and honour.


Squadron Leader William Desmond Harney, a Navigator of exceptional courage and dedication to duty needs special mention. Born in Chittagong in 1937, after receiving his early schooling at St. Placids, W.D. Harney joined PAF Academy in 1957 and graduated in 1960.


In 1965, when war broke out, W.D. Harney was posted as Navigator in a Bomber Squadron. During the war, inspite of a hand injury, he voluntarily undertook 14 bombing missions and especially the most hazardous ones to Adampur, Halwara, Jodhpur, Pathankot and Ambala. In all the missions, he excelled in leadership, courage and devotion to duty. His mission-planning and execution of the missions was so meticulous that despite heavy odds, he always reached his targets and contributed significantly to the accuracy of the attacks. For his display of extreme courage and professionalism, W.D. Harney was awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat.


Squadron Leader W.D. Harney participated wholeheartedly in the 1971 war also and undertook a number of daring missions. He retired in 1974 and decided to settle in Australia where he had gone to attend to his ailing father.* [1]

[1] Defence Journal


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