Spitfire Singh

Despite their heroics during World War I, the British officers of the Royal Air Force did not believe that Indians were capable of waging war from the air. They were considered inferior, and the fledgling Indian Air Force (IAF) was equipped with outdated machines and forced to operate in impossible working conditions.

Harjinder Singh, a determined orphan, entered this military world in mid-1930s as a lowly sepoy, and yet thanks to his courage, determination and sheer skill, he enjoyed a meteoric rise over three decades of service, becoming one of the leading figures of the IAF – a thrilling career that spanned World War II, Indian independence and the carnage of Partition.

Using an extensive collection of personal diaries, notes and letters with a thread of humour throughout, Spitfire Singh unleashes this untold story – one of mutual respect forged and strengthened across lines of religion, caste, creed and race.