Flashback: August 15, 1947

My father was described by fellow pilots as the ‘opening batsman’ of the 1948 war over Kashmir

This is a page from my father Air Commodore Syed Mansoor Ahmed Shah’s flying log book – the date is August 15, 1947 and you can spot a small Pakistani flag on the right, with the words ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. Known to colleagues as ‘Polly Shah’, he joined the Indian Air Force in 1944 and opted for the Pakistan Air Force at Partition.

Described by fellow pilots as the ‘opening batsman’ of the 1948 war over Kashmir, he did some pinpoint para-dropping over very difficult terrain in Kashmir, flying a four-engine Halifax bomber. He was an important member of the cavalcade which formed the nucleus of PAF in its embryonic phase under Air Marshal Asghar Khan’s command. He passed away last year at the age of 87.

PHOTO: DAUD SHAH

CONCEPT: SANAM MAHER

DESIGN: SAMRA AMIR

This August, The Express Tribune will feature photographs from contributions to an open call for images from the struggle for independence and Pakistan’s formative years.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2014.