Subroto Mukerjee

Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, OBE ( Shubroto Mukharji) (5 March 1911 – 8 November 1960) was the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Born in a Bengali family of repute, he was educated in India as well as England. He joined the Royal Air Force and later was one of the first recruits of the Indian Air Force. He had an illustrious career and had been awarded with many honours until his accidental death in 1960. He has been called the "Father of the Indian Air Force".

Early life

Subroto Mukerjee was born in Kolkata (then Calcutta) on 5 March 1911. His paternal grandfather, Nibaran Chandra Mukherjee, a Brahmo, was a pioneer in social and educational reforms in the country and a member of the Brahmo Samaj while his maternal grandfather, Dr. PK Roy of the Indian Education Service, was the first Indian Principal of the Presidency College, Calcutta. His maternal grandmother Sarala Roy was the founder of the Gokhale Memorial School. His father was Satish Chandra Mukherjee, an early Indian ICS officer. Youngest of four children, Subroto was taken to England when he was three months old. However, he spent his childhood in Krishnanagar and Chinsura of Bengal. From his very early days Subroto had shown an aptitude for a military career – probably infused by his uncle, Indra Lal Roy, who had joined the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War. Roy was the first Indian to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the only Indian flying...
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