1965 war hero Alfred Tyrone Cooke dies, IAF pays tribute

Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, a Vir Chakra awardee and 1965 Indo-Pak War hero, died on Friday at Base Hospital in New Delhi. The Indian Air Force paid tribute to the decorated war veteran, recalling his “legendary dogfight” over Kalaikunda.

IAF in a post on X extended its condolences on the passing of Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, VrC, and described him as a war hero whose courage during the 1965 Indo-Pak War remains etched in military aviation history.

Recalling his “legendary dogfight over Kalaikunda”, the IAF said the battle was a “masterclass in aggressive air combat and unwavering resolve”.

Cooke was awarded the Vir Chakra for his “conspicuous gallantry, tactical brilliance, and disregard to personal safety”, the IAF said, adding that his memory would continue to inspire generations of Air Warriors.

He was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, for his role in the air battle over Kalaikunda in West Bengal during an air attack launched from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, on September 7, 1965.

Cooke settled in Australia after his retirement from the IAF. He was in India to attend an event organised by his former unit, 14 Squadron, authorities confirmed on Saturday, according to The Tribune.

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According to his gallantry award citation, Flight Lieutenant Cooke shot down a Pakistan Air Force Sabre jet during the 1965 war, the report added.

He was caught in the middle of the PAF’s second raid on the airfield while on combat air patrol in a Hawker Hunter fighter jet with his wingman, Flying Officer Subodh Chandra Mamgain.

The two pilots held off a force three times their size, an action that influenced the subsequent course of the war, particularly in the eastern theatre, the report added.