The Indian Air Force paid a solemn final tribute to Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, VrC (Retd), decorated fighter pilot and veteran of the 1965 Indo-Pak War, as his last rites were held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, and Air Marshal George Thomas, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, paid homage to the veteran fighter pilot on behalf of the Indian Air Force.
Flt Lt Cooke is remembered for his exceptional courage during the 1965 Indo-Pak War, particularly for his actions during an aerial engagement over Kalaikunda on September 7, 1965.
Flying the Hawker Hunter with No. 14 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, Cooke engaged enemy aircraft despite being outnumbered and shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-86 Sabre during the fierce aerial battle.
His actions during the engagement earned him the Vir Chakra, one of India’s wartime gallantry awards, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty.
The aerial battle over Kalaikunda remains an important chapter in the Indian Air Force’s combat history, with Cooke’s courage and skill under difficult circumstances becoming part of the legacy of IAF fighter operations during the 1965 war.
The Indian Air Force, while paying tribute to the veteran, said his valour and service to the nation would continue to inspire generations of Air Warriors.
With his passing, the country bids farewell to a decorated veteran whose service represented the courage and fighting spirit of the Indian Air Force.
“Touch the Sky with Glory.”
