Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee was the first Indian
Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force. He was Air Chief from 1 April
1954 to 8 November 1960. He was one of the six recruits selected for
training at RAF Cranwell, when the decision to give commissions in the
RAF to Indians was taken. He was inducted in the Indian Air Force as
pilot in 1933, when the first Indian Air Force Squadron was formed. In
July 1938,he was put in command of 'B' flight of the No.1 IAF Squadron
in the rank of Flying Officer. Subroto Mukherjee became the first Indian
Officer to command a Squadron when he took over No.1 on 16 March 1939.
On 15 August 1947, when India achieved Independence, Air Commodore
Mukherjee was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and posted as the Deputy
Chief of Air Staff at Air HQ. On 1 April 1954, Mukherjee took over from
Air Marshal Gerald Gibbs as the Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air
Force. Subroto Mukherjee died on 8 November 1960 in a Tokyo restaurant,
when he choked on the food which blocked his air passage.
