{"id":26665176,"date":"2026-10-05T10:49:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/indian-air-force-day-1932-founding-westland-wapiti-no-1-squadron\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T10:50:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:50:19","slug":"indian-air-force-day-1932-founding-westland-wapiti-no-1-squadron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/indian-air-force-day-1932-founding-westland-wapiti-no-1-squadron\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian Air Force Day: Four Wapitis and the Birth of the IAF in 1932"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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On Thursday it turns 94. Its first combat unit was four fabric-covered biplanes and a handful of young pilots on an airfield outside Karachi.<\/p>\n<p>Every year on 8 October, India marks Air Force Day, the anniversary of the date in 1932 when the force was legally born. This is the story of how it started: the Wapitis, the first cadets, and the man who was too short to fly.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Founded:<\/strong> 8 October 1932, under the Indian Air Force Act 1932<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Status:<\/strong> Auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force in British India<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>First unit:<\/strong> No. 1 Squadron, formed 1 April 1933 at Drigh Road, Karachi<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>First aircraft:<\/strong> Four Westland Wapiti biplanes<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>First commander:<\/strong> Flight Lieutenant Cecil Bouchier, RAF<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Royal title:<\/strong> Royal Indian Air Force from 1945; \"Royal\" dropped in 1950<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">An air force on paper<\/h2>\n<p>The Indian Air Force Act of 1932 created the service on 8 October that year as an auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force. It wore RAF uniforms, badges, brevets and insignia, and for its first years it was very much a junior partner. But it was Indian, and for many of the young men who joined, that mattered enormously.<\/p>\n<p>The first cadets had been sent to the RAF College at Cranwell in England. Five of them were commissioned as pilots in 1932: Harish Chandra Sircar, Subroto Mukerjee, Bhupendra Singh, Aizad Baksh Awan and Amarjeet Singh. A sixth, J. N. Tandon, had to switch to logistics duties because, according to the history of the service, he was too short to fly.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Stca9ygzI4s\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic\">Peepul Tree World's short film on the birth of the Indian Air Force in the 1930s.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Four biplanes at Drigh Road<\/h2>\n<p>On 1 April 1933, the first operational unit came to life: 'A' Flight of No. 1 Squadron, at Drigh Road in Karachi. It had four Westland Wapiti biplanes and was led by Flight Lieutenant Cecil \"Boy\" Bouchier, a decorated First World War veteran of the RAF who had volunteered for the job.<\/p>\n<p>The Wapiti was a two-seat, single-engine general-purpose biplane of the late 1920s, a sturdy workhorse built for army co-operation and policing the frontier rather than for dogfighting. It was hardly glamorous. But it was the aircraft on which the IAF learned its trade, and one survives today at the Indian Air Force Museum at Palam in New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/westland-wapiti-iia-pair-in-flight.jpg\" alt=\"Two Westland Wapiti IIA biplanes in flight\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A pair of Westland Wapiti IIA biplanes in RAF service. The IAF's first flight flew the same type from Drigh Road, Karachi, in 1933. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>The squadron's barracks at Drigh Road were, according to the unit's history, nicknamed \"Gandhi Hill\" by the men who lived there, a small sign that the young force saw itself as part of a country that was beginning to think about independence.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From the frontier to Burma<\/h2>\n<p>No. 1 Squadron flew its first operations in September 1937 over the North-West Frontier, operating from Miranshah against tribal forces in Waziristan. When the Second World War came, the IAF expanded rapidly. No. 1 Squadron flew <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/westland-lysander\/\">Westland Lysanders<\/a> and then <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/hawker-hurricane\/\">Hawker Hurricanes<\/a> in Burma from 1942, and fought in the campaign around Imphal in 1944.<\/p>\n<p>In recognition of that wartime service, King George VI granted the force the prefix \"Royal\" in 1945. It became the Royal Indian Air Force. When India became a republic in 1950, the \"Royal\" was dropped and the service became the Indian Air Force again.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/no-1-squadron-iaf-hurricanes-imphal-ww2.jpg\" alt=\"Hawker Hurricane IIBs of No. 1 Squadron IAF under maintenance at Imphal\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Hawker Hurricane IIBs of No. 1 Squadron IAF in a revetment at Imphal during the Burma campaign. Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The cadet who became Chief<\/h2>\n<p>Of the original five, Subroto Mukerjee went furthest. He rose through the war years and partition, and on 1 April 1954 became the first Indian Chief of the Air Staff, taking over from British officers who had led the service since its creation. He is still remembered as the father of the Indian Air Force, and a national school football tournament bears his name.<\/p>\n<p>No. 1 Squadron, the unit that began with four Wapitis, still exists today. Known as \"The Tigers\", it is based at Gwalior and flies the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mirage-2000\/\">Mirage 2000<\/a>. Its motto, in Hindi, means \"Strength in Unity\".<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k9dHxPDA71o\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic\">The Quint traces the aircraft of the Indian Air Force, from the Wapiti to the Sukhoi.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Ninety-four years later<\/h2>\n<p>On Thursday, the IAF will mark Air Force Day with ceremonies and flypasts. It is a very different force from the one that started at Drigh Road: supersonic, nuclear-capable and short of fighter squadrons, as its chief warned only last week.<\/p>\n<p>Its motto, chosen from the Bhagavad Gita, has stayed the same through all of it: Nabha Sparsham Deeptam.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Touch the sky with glory&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11<\/strong> &mdash; the source of the Indian Air Force motto, Nabha Sparsham Deeptam<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>Every Rafale pilot in today's IAF is part of a line that goes straight back to five young men from Cranwell and four Wapitis in Karachi.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dBONyNV-s40\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic\">WION traces the journey of the Indian Air Force from its founding in 1932.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (History of the Indian Air Force, Indian Air Force, No. 1 Squadron IAF, Subroto Mukerjee), Indian Air Force, WION, The Quint<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>When was the Indian Air Force founded?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Indian Air Force was founded on 8 October 1932 under the Indian Air Force Act 1932, as an auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force in British India. India celebrates 8 October each year as Air Force Day; 2026 marks the 94th anniversary.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What was the first aircraft of the Indian Air Force?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The first aircraft of the Indian Air Force was the Westland Wapiti, a two-seat general-purpose biplane. No. 1 Squadron formed its first flight with four Wapitis at Drigh Road, Karachi, on 1 April 1933. A preserved Wapiti is on display at the Indian Air Force Museum at Palam, New Delhi.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who were the first pilots of the Indian Air Force?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The first five Indian pilots, trained at the RAF College Cranwell and commissioned in 1932, were Harish Chandra Sircar, Subroto Mukerjee, Bhupendra Singh, Aizad Baksh Awan and Amarjeet Singh. A sixth cadet, J. N. Tandon, moved to logistics duties because he was considered too short to fly.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who was the first Indian Chief of the Air Staff?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, one of the original five pilots commissioned in 1932, became the first Indian Chief of the Air Staff on 1 April 1954. He is often called the father of the Indian Air Force.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why was it called the Royal Indian Air Force?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">King George VI granted the prefix \"Royal\" in 1945 in recognition of the force's service in the Second World War, including in Burma. It became the Royal Indian Air Force. The prefix was dropped in 1950, when India became a republic.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the motto of the Indian Air Force?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The motto of the Indian Air Force is \"Nabha Sparsham Deeptam\", usually translated as \"Touch the sky with glory\". It is taken from Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When was the Indian Air Force founded?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Indian Air Force was founded on 8 October 1932 under the Indian Air Force Act 1932, as an auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force in British India. India celebrates 8 October each year as Air Force Day; 2026 marks the 94th anniversary.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the first aircraft of the Indian Air Force?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The first aircraft of the Indian Air Force was the Westland Wapiti, a two-seat general-purpose biplane. No. 1 Squadron formed its first flight with four Wapitis at Drigh Road, Karachi, on 1 April 1933. 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It is taken from Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/golden-arrows-75-years-no-17-squadron-iaf-mig-21-rafale-ambala\/\">Golden Arrows at 75: No. 17 Squadron, From MiG-21 to Rafale<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iaf-chief-ap-singh-36-40-fighters-a-year-tejas-delay-last-press-conference-2026\/\">IAF Chief A.P. Singh: India Needs 36 to 40 New Fighters a Year<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/su-30mki-indian-air-force-two-seat-fighters-explained\/\">Su-30MKI: Why the Indian Air Force Flies With Two Crew<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story Today the Indian Air Force flies Rafales, Su-30MKIs and Tejas fighters and is one of the largest air forces in the world. On Thursday it turns 94. Its first combat unit was four fabric-covered biplanes and a handful of young pilots on an airfield outside Karachi. Every year on 8 October, India [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":26664576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26665176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Indian Air Force Day: How the IAF Began in 1932 | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Indian Air Force Day falls on 8 October. 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