AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 5 – War Diary CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 70 of 332 On receipt of an SOS from army, we sent one helicopter to carry vital equipment and ammunition to Narsingdi as well as evacuate serious casualties. 16 Dec 71 Surrender Day Back at Agartala, on 16 th morning, we heard that Maj Gen Jacob was being sent from Calcutta to Dacca to discuss surrender terms. With Paki garrisons in Dacca surrounded from west, north, east and south, no place to run to, and the whole Bengali population hostile to Pakis, we stayed tuned into pocket radios confident that by the end of the day the sun would set on East Pakistan, and rise over a new democratic country called Bangladesh. Our morale went sky high when an Avro arrived at Agartala from Calcutta with Gen Aurora, V Adm Krishnan and their entourage. Soon another Avro arrived from Guhati with Air Mshl Diwan and large number of IAF officers. Two more Avros brought journalist. By 3 O’clock Agartala was chock-a-block with Avros, Kilo Flt Dak, Alouettes from Tezpur & Bhagdogra, Air OP Chetaks and Krishaks from 659 Sqn, besides the valiant Mi-4s of 110, 105 and 111 HU. Dacca runway had been severely bombed, with many large craters, and was unfit for use except by helicopters. Therefore, it was decided to fly the VIPs to Dacca in Alouettes Troops Disembarking at Narsingdi