The Galwan Clash in 1962, A fledgling helicopter fleet and the tragic passing of Air Vice Marshal Eric Pinto are closely linked to the late Flight Lieutenant Satnam Singh Sondhi.
4 October 1962
During October 1962, the areas of Galwan and Hot Springs emerged as critical conflict zones with China, making it vital to establish and maintain an Indian presence there. These locations, encircled by Chinese forces, could only be accessed by air, which was still relatively new and untested at the time.
On October 4, 1962, the 1/8 Gurkhas were being replaced by the 5th Battalion of the Jat Regiment at Galwan, a manoeuvre executed right under the observation of Chinese forces. This operation was conducted using two Mi-4 helicopters from the 107 Helicopter Unit. During one of these flights, one of the helicopters experienced engine trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing on a riverbed in the Hot Springs area.
The pilots, Badhwar and Kiddo Narayanan, began trekking back towards the Galwan post. However, they soon noticed Chinese soldiers descending from the nearby hills towards them. Badhwar pretended to slip in a smart move and feigned an injury, indicating that he could not continue moving.
Badhwar, realising the situation’s gravity, sat down and attempted to communicate to the Chinese soldiers that he had wounded soldiers on board the helicopter. However, the Chinese did not seem convinced by this explanation. In response, Badhwar and Narayanan decided to restart the helicopter, and fortunately, the engine began functioning. At this point, the Chinese soldiers started firing at the helicopter.
The dust around the helicopter obscured the Chinese soldiers’ view, making it difficult for them to aim accurately. Despite the engine exhibiting signs of malfunction again, the pilots managed to gain enough altitude. They successfully reached Galwan, although the helicopter was in such a condition that a rescue operation would be required the following day to retrieve them.
Sodhi to the rescue
No pilot with the necessary expertise was available for the critical task of rescuing the stranded crew. Flight Lieutenant SS Sodhi, who was in training for operations in Ladakh, courageously volunteered to undertake this perilous mission. Despite having only 78 hours of flying experience on this aircraft type and needing more familiarity with the region, Sodhi stepped forward.
Recognising the risks but understanding the situation’s urgency, Sodhi was allowed to proceed with the mission. He landed at the post around 4:30 PM during the challenging fading light conditions. After the servicing team disembarked, he immediately flew the stranded crew to safety. For his brave and skilful execution of this mission, Flight Lieutenant Sodhi was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal.
A year after his commendable bravery, Flight Lieutenant SS Sodhi faced a tragic fate. On November 22, 1963, he was piloting a Chetak helicopter that crashed at Poonch. The helicopter was carrying high-ranking officials, including the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Air Command and an Army Command officer. Tragically, six individuals, including Sodhi himself, were killed in this accident.
Mi-4 Galwan rescue
In a separate but related incident, the recovery of the previously stranded Mi-4 helicopter at Galwan is also worth noting. The following day after the initial incident, Narayanan, accompanied by the unit’s engineering officer, A.K. ‘Mukho’ Mukhopadhyay, and a team of technicians, landed at Hot Springs. They conducted a thorough inspection of the helicopter and, once deemed safe, successfully flew it out to Chushul.
Upon inspection, it was found that the Mi-4 helicopter had cracks in its rotor head, a critical issue likely requiring a part replacement. However, the team faced a significant challenge: a replacement rotor head or the necessary tools on site. Consequently, the decision was made to leave the helicopter at Chushul. It remained there for the war, a silent witness to the ongoing conflict.
The situation was further complicated by the lack of insights from the Soviets, the helicopter manufacturers. Replacing the rotor head at Chushul was not feasible, especially given the absence of a crane capable of lifting the helicopter onto a flatbed for transportation.
In this context, Air Vice Marshal Eric Pinto, then the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Western Air Command, faced a tough decision. Despite the challenges, he determined that the aircraft should be allowed. This decision by Pinto underlines the value placed on military assets and the efforts made to preserve them, even in the face of logistical and technical difficulties.
Narayanan was assigned to fly the Mi-4 helicopter out, with Mukhopadhyay accompanying him as the co-pilot. Before embarking on this risky endeavour, they conducted extensive ground checks to ensure the helicopter’s airworthiness. Once they were confident in the condition of the aircraft, Narayanan successfully took off.
Given the risk associated with the cracked rotor head, potentially leading to rotor failure, a cautious approach to flying was adopted. The helicopter was decided to fly at a low altitude and deficient speed. This strategy was chosen to minimise the risk of severe injuries if the helicopter encountered a sudden failure and fell from the sky.
While en route to Leh, Narayanan, unfortunately, misjudged the distance from the valley wall, leading to a catastrophic incident where the helicopter’s rotor struck the wall and caused a crash. During this crash, a revolver that Mukhopadhyay had in his pocket accidentally discharged, resulting in his severe incapacitation.
Despite being injured, Narayanan demonstrated remarkable bravery and presence of mind by pulling Mukho out of the wreckage. Shortly after, a relief helicopter arrived, quickly transporting Narayanan and Mukho to the Military Hospital in Leh for urgent medical care. This unfortunate incident led to the loss of the helicopter that had previously played a significant role in the Galwan operations.
In the following years, Kiddo Narayanan achieved distinction as India’s first Rotary Wing test pilot. Tragically, he passed away in a crash in 1970. Mukho, on the other hand, continued his career in the Indian Air Force, eventually retiring as an Air Marshal from the engineering branch. Their stories, marked by heroism and tragedy, remain integral to Indian military aviation history.
Originally published on Twitter
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