#OTDin1944 No 1 Sqn #IAF took a brief break from ops over #Imphal to celebrate. Signal from Air Marshal Sir John Baldwin, AOC 3rd TAF, announced DFC to CO, then-Sqn Ldr Arjan Singh. Pic, nicked as often from bharat-rakshak.com, shows Fg Off Talwar reading out signal …/2

On #VEDay80, a flashback to something I wrote for #VEDay75 - on what was happening in India's neck of the woods:

thewire.in/history/ve-d...

So what should arrive in my corner of Hyderabad, India but a generously autographed copy of @philmcraig's funny, thoughtful "1945: The Reckoning" - thank you, Phil!! Not a great photo, but against a pic of another fine Indian WW2 veteran, much like those in the book!!

Bangladesh & India shared a globe-changing victory, 54 years ago. Which makes current strains between the two countries even sadder. I wrote this (some of which I have said before), to remind us both how much blood & sweat we shared, that historic year:

www.sampantravel.com/magazine/ech...

On the eve of #AnzacDay2025, sharing pix of IAF-connected antipodeans Sqn Ldr GS Sharp DSO, CO 4 Sqn IAF; Flt Lt CV "Ketchil" Bargh DFC, 67 Sqn RAF who escorted Jumbo Majumdar DFC of 1 Sqn IAF; & Sqn Ldr Robert Hayes, CO 273 Sqn RAF, which flew wing-to-wing with 4 & 9 Sqns IAF:

G'dAnzacDay folks!!

It's 25 March. I’ve written before on its significance; no apology for repetition; it led to hugely significant events in India's & Bangladesh's history. So with thanks (& apologies) to several folks who gave me platforms, or listened to me before, on #Bangladesh1971, a 🧵:

Reposting my earlier post on #DibrugarhUniversityInternationalLiteratureFestival, with a chuckle over this tongue-in-cheek middle from Krishna Shastri Devulapalli, who didn't make it - I unequivocally enjoyed it, and learned a great deal too!!

www.deccanchronicle.com/opinion/colu...

Looking forward to all @avculturesconf.bsky.social's events

(They'll probably all be at ungodly hours in the time zone I live in - but I have faith, worth it!!)

Earlier this month, had the privilege of attending & speaking at #DibrugarhUniversity's Int'l LitFest. Not the best-known of India's many litfests, but should be better known - sylvan location, great weather & AQI, bright-eyed univ students 😊

I know, I know; I am *always* late to these posts!! ...

Not quoted often enough:

1/5: It's 15 February. In keeping with my interest area, #OTD in 1944, Fg Off (later Air Cmde) JC Verma of 6 Sqn, #IndianAirForceinWW2 & Plt Off Inder Bhattacharji, on a Tac/R sortie in support of encircled 7 Indian Div on the Arakan front, were bounced by Japanese Oscar fighters ... /2

Hello BlueSky-ers (what's the appropriate collective noun?). Newbie here, but a few years on the "other place". Happy Valentine's Day, where appropriate; and I'll be back with more interest-specific content soon!!