First and only Indian flying air ace

Ray

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Indra Lal Roy (Bengali: ইন্দ্রলাল রায়), DFC (2 December 1898 – 22 July 1918) was the first Indian flying ace. He served in the First World War with the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force. He claimed 5 aircraft destroyed (including 1 shared), and 5 'down out of control' wins (including another shared) in just over 170 hours flying time.[1]

The son of Bengali parents - P. L. and Lolita Roy - he was born in Calcutta. When World War I broke out, Roy was attending St Paul's School, Hammersmith in London, England.

Five months after turning 18, in April 1917 he enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 5 July 1917. After training and gunnery practise at Vendôme and Turnberry, he joined No. 56 Squadron on 30 October 1917. Roy was part of "A" Flight, commanded by flying ace Captain Richard Maybery.

Two months later, Roy was injured after he crash-landed his S.E.5a fighter on 6 December 1917. While recovering, Roy made numerous sketches of aircraft — many of which still exist. Though concerns were raised that he was medically unfit, Roy was successful in returning to duty after he completed his period of recuperation. Subsequently he was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was transferred to Captain George McElroy's flight in No. 40 Squadron in June 1918.

On his return to active service Roy achieved 10 victories (two shared) in thirteen days. His first victory was a Hannover over Drocourt on 6 July 1918. This was followed by three victories in the space of 4 hours on 8 July 1918 (two Hannover Cs and a Fokker D.VII); two on 13 July 1918 (a Hannover C and Pfalz D.III); two on 15 July 1918 (two Fokker D.VIIs); and one on 18 July 1918 (a DFW C.V). Roy's final victory came the following day when he shot down a Hannover C over Cagnicourt. He was thus first and only Indian flying air ace to this day.

He was killed over Carvin on 22 July 1918 while flying in formation with two other S.E.5a in a dog fight against Fokker D.VIIs of Jagdstaffel 29. Roy was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in September 1918 for his actions during the period of 6–19 July 1918. He is buried at Estevelles Communal Cemetery.

His nephew Subroto Mukerjee too was a fighter pilot who later became the first Indian Chief of Air staff of the Indian Air Force. His father's name was Prof. P K Roy, a distinguished academician, a member of Indian Education Service and the first Indian principal of the Presidency College, Calcutta. His mother Sarala Roy, a daughter of Durga Mohan Das was a well known educational reformer who established the 'Gokhale Memorial Girl's School' and college, one of the premier institution for women.

Victories
Date/ Time/ Unit/ Aircraft/ Opponent/ Location/
1 6 Jul 1918 / 0545/ 40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ Hannover C (OOC)/ Drocourt/
2 8 Jul 1918 / 0645 /40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ Hannover C (OOC)/ Drocourt/
3 8 Jul 1918 / 0925 40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ Hannover C (OOC) 1/ E of Monchy/
4 8 Jul 1918 / 1025 40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ Fokker D.VII (OOC)/ SE of Douai/
5 13 Jul 1918 / 0645 40/ S.E.5a (B180) /Hannover C (DES) 2 /W of Estaires/
6 13 Jul 1918 / 2005 40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ Pfalz D.III (DES)/ Vitry-Brebières/
7 15 Jul 1918 / 2005 40/ S.E.5a (B180) /Fokker D.VII (DES)/ Hulloch/
8 15 Jul 1918 / 2005 40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ Fokker D.VII (OOC)/ Hulloch/
9 18 Jul 1918 / 2040 40/ S.E.5a (B180)/ DFW. C (DES)/ SE of Arras/
10 19 Jul 1918 / 1025 40/ S.E.5a (B180) /Hannover C (DES)/ Cagnicourt/
1 Shared with Capt George McElroy, Lt Gilbert Strange
2 Shared with Capt George McElroy, Lt Gilbert Strange, Lt FH Knobel (D3528)
Indra Lal Roy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

W.G.Ewald

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IL Roy (later RFC) (rear right) is seen with his brother PL Roy (rear left) of the Honorable Artillery Company (HAC) on 20 Dec 1914 at OTC. PL Roy survived the war.

1/48 Lindberg SE 5a - An Online Magazine Devoted to Scale Aircraft Modelling
However, on 06 Nov he crash landed whilst flying SE5 (Scout Experimental 5) B 567. Lying unconscious, he was taken for dead and laid out with other dead in a morgue at Etaples, France. After coming to, he kept banging on the closed morgue door but the frightened attendant did not open the door until well after he had stopped shouting in his school boy French. After recuperating and a further stint of training in England he joined 40 sqn at Bryas in France under Major AW Keene MC. Flying SE 5As again he became a protégé to George McElroy and soon claimed his first victory, a Hannover scout on 06 Jul 1918. Steadily increasing his score, several times shooting down two machines on the same patrol he had been credited with a confirmed nine kills in 13 days by 19 Jul. But by the time his award of the DFC was gazzetted on 10 Sep, he was dead. On the 22 Jul at 0830 he had climbed with the dawn patrol when the flight was attacked by four Fokker D VIIs. Even as two of the attackers were shot down, Roy was seen flaming downwards over Carvin in German territory. He was buried in the Levil cemetery near Lens. He thus became the first Indian to win the DFC and also the only Indian to claim nine kills so far. His example has remained a shining light for all Indians and indeed his nephew, Subroto Mukerjee was amongst the first batch of pilots to be commissioned in the fledgling IAF from Cranfield in 1933 and became the first Indian Chief of Air Staff.
 

W.G.Ewald

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Above photos is SE 5 B 189 of 40 sqn. Roy sent down a Hannover, his first kill on 06 Jul and another on 08 Jul in this aircraft. On that date he shared another Hannover and also sent down a Fokker D VII. 40 sqn carried special markings on their ac such as the white stripes on the elevators and the ac's individual letter was transferred from the fuselage to the fin top. The zigzag marking on the rear fuselage can also be seen. The 'painted over' letter 'S' on the fuselage can still be seen.
 

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