Pratap Chandra Lal

Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal PV, PB, DFC
Born	(1916-12-06)6 December 1916 Ludhiana Punjab, India
Died	August 1982 (aged 67)
Allegiance	British India (1940-1947) India (from 1947)
Service/branch	Royal Air Force Indian Air Force
Years of service	1939-1973
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	Chief of the Air Staff (1969–1973) Vice Chief of the Air Staff Western Air Command No. 7 Squadron
Battles/wars	World War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Awards	Padma Vibhushan Padma Bhushan Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal (6 December 1916 – August 1982) was the Chief of Air Staff (India) of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. He served in the IAF from 1939 until his retirement in 1973. He was the CO of No. 7 Squadron, AOC-in-C of Western Command, Vice Chief of the Air Staff before going on to head the IAF. He was the Chief of Air Staff at the time of Operation Chengiz Khan, the preemptive strikes that were carried out by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) that marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Early life and education

Pratap Chandra Lal was born on 6 December 1916 in Ludhiana.Having qualified for a diploma in journalism at King's College, London in 1938, Lal expected to return to full-time study of law at the Inns of Court in the fall of 1939.

References

Military offices
Preceded by Arjan Singh	Chief of the Air Staff (India) 1969–1973	Succeeded by Om Prakash Mehra