Lest we forget Jack and Aku

Aku Roy was an excellent pilot who was held in high esteem by the aviation community. He was a lovable character who believed in living life to the hilt. His was a restless soul, always itching for action. It was perhaps because of this that during the ’71 war he was chosen to fly a sortie close to the Pak border which was definitely dangerous for a slow aircraft like the Alize. That ended up as the only naval aircraft loss of the war. Two years earlier, he was flying off Vikrant over the Bay of Bengal and had to ditch in the sea due to a technical hitch. I was on board the rescue destroyer Trishul and witness to the incident, though ignorant of the identity of the pilot. But I had a sinking feeling that it was Aku. We rushed to the spot of ditching but were just beaten to it by a chopper from Vikrant. It was such a relief when we saw the plane’s crew being picked up safely. That the crew survived the hazardous ditching was itself a tribute to Aku’s flying skills. Alas, Aku’s luck ran out during the war though for a long time there were stories that he had been picked up by the Pakistanis.

Aku was tall and handsome and irresistibly charming. He and Jack were different personalities yet they shared many traits. Above all, both were very eligible bachelors. In view of their fate, it was perhaps better it was so. Still, they left behind numerous friends who would never forget them.

These two are among the hosts of others that the prime minister lays a wreath for every 26 January. Lest we forget!