Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke

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Briefly

Man Aman Singh Chhina, Sep 21, 2025: The Indian Express

As the country marks the 60th anniversary of the 1965 war, there is still time to correct some mistakes of the past when it comes to gallantry awards. One case in point is that of Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, who was awarded the Vir Chakra in an action against Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Sabre jets near Kalaikunda in West Bengal in September 1965.

Cooke’s gallantry in taking on four Pakistani Sabre jets, out of which he shot down one, damaged two and chased away a fourth (the last one without any ammunition) definitely entitles him to India’s highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra. For reasons unknown, Cooke was awarded the third-highest gallantry award.

The Vir Chakra citation

The citation for Vir Chakra of Flt Lt Cooke, as published in the Gazette of India in 1966, is reproduced here:

“On the 7th September, 1965 when Kalaikunda airfield was under attack by six Pakistani Sabre Jet aircraft Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke who was leading two of our aircraft on combat air patrol immediately led the aircraft into intercept them. Although our own anti-aircraft guns had already started to fire, he had engaged two of the enemy aircraft in complete disregard of his personal safety. The enemy aircraft tried evasive and counter-offensive manoeuvres; but with firm determination and exceptional skill Flight Lieutenant Cooke outmanoeuvred the enemy and pressed home his attack and shot down one of the enemy aircraft which disintegrated in mid air. Subsequently, he skillfully put his aircraft in a favourable position behind another enemy aircraft, but by then he had no ammunition left.

However, he kept the enemy on the run and the remaining enemy aircraft fled in confusion. In this action Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke displayed great courage, leadership and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force (IAF).”

This issue has been highlighted in a previous edition of Military Digest, too, but the 60th anniversary of the war dictates that it must be highlighted again in the hope that someone in the IAF hierarchy will notice the glaring injustice done to Cooke.

Subsequent investigations by military historians and aviation experts, including former IAF pilots, have concluded that the Vir Chakra citation does not adequately address the valour shown by Cooke in those fateful minutes of combat.

Incidentally, Flt Lt Cooke’s wingman, Flt Lt Subodh Mamgain, was also awarded the Vir Chakra in the same action.

A former Mirage pilot, Squadron Leader Sameer Joshi, has written an exhaustive account of Cooke’s air battle at Kalaikunda, and this matches the one which has been given by Cooke himself. A leading aviation historian of the country, Jagan Pillarisetti, has also written a detailed account of Cooke’s action in his book on the 1965 war co-authored with Sameer Chopra.