K. Jaswant-Singh

Air Vice Marshal Kanwar Jaswant Singh, PVSM (15 September 1915 – 1 January 1963) was an Indian Army and Indian Air Force officer and also served in the Ghana Air Force. He was the Chief of Air Staff of the Ghana Air Force from May 1959 to August 1960. He was the AOC-in C of Training Command and Eastern command in Indian Air Force.

Early life Singh belonged to the royal family of Kapurthala. He was born to Jasbir Kaur and Mabel Singh on 19 September 1915 in Budaun, United Provinces. He was nicknamed Jumper because of his inability to pronounce his own name. In January 1927, he went to study at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun. He graduated from RIMC in February 1936. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy.

Military career Jaswant Singh joined the 4/12th Frontier Force Regiment in 1937. He saw action at Fort Jamrud against the Pashtuns in 1939. Singh signed up to be transferred to the IAF and was seconded in June 1940 as a Flying Officer. He was the fifth Army officer to offer himself for such an assignment. He joined the 3rd Pilot Course at the Initial Training School, Walton, Lahore, to undergo his ground and flying training, and completed his advanced training from the Service Flying Training School, Ambala, at the end of May 1941. He led a squadron into operations in Burma during World War II. He commanded the offices of several senior command and staff appointments. Jaswant Singh took charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command in March, 1962. He organised his command to undertake logistic support operations in the NEFA and Assam areas. He was also in the charge Air Officer in charge of Training Command. He later became the CAS of Ghana Air Force.

Awards He was posthumously awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service to the Indian Air Force.

Personal life Jaswant Singh married Mariam Khan (1920–1988), the only daughter of North West Frontier Province's former Prime Minister, Abdul Jabbar Khan, popularly known as Dr Khan Sahib, and niece of Abdul Ghaffar Khan. It was a high-profile wedding.

Death Twenty-five days later taking charge of AOC in C Eastern Command, on New Year's Eve of 1963, Singh died after suffering a heart failure.