On the evening of 3 Dec 1971, Sqn Ldr Preet Pal Singh 'Pops' Gill was taking his wife and two children to the open-air cinema at Air Force Station Poona. At the gate, an IAF vehicle stopped him and summoned him to the Operations Room. Pakistan had attacked Indian airfields, and Gill was soon preparing to fly his Canberra bomber against Karachi. We lost this remarkable 1971 war veteran, a Vir Chakra awardee of No. 35 Squadron (Rapiers), on 16 Oct 2026. Gill's own recollections of the war make for some extraordinary reading. On that first mission, after refuelling at Jamnagar, his Canberra developed an electrical fault. With both engines running, Gill climbed out through the escape hatch and tried to open the electrical panel. The only suitable tool he could find was a Pakistani coin from the currency issued to aircrews for use if shot down over enemy territory. The coin opened the panel, but the stubborn circuit breaker would not reset. Finally, an exasperated thump did the trick. Gill climbed back into the cockpit, took off, and completed his bombing mission over the heavily defended Karachi airfield. He later recalled with considerable amusement how he had paid Pakistan back in its own coin! This was one of several night missions for which Gill received the Vir Chakra. The Canberras of 35 Squadron flew long-range strikes from Poona against airfields and installations around Karachi, staging through Jamnagar on several of these missions. The operations were dangerous, and Gill had more than his share of close calls. On one sortie, he recalled looking back at the explosions from the bombs dropped by a following Canberra, only to find his own aircraft descending perilously towards the Arabian Sea. His altimeter briefly indicated zero before he pulled clear. The squadron was not without losses. Flt Lt S C Sandal and his navigator, Flt Lt K S Nanda, were killed when their Canberra IF-923 failed to return from a mission against Masroor airfield near Karachi. Gill also wrote vividly about the 15 December strike on Karachi Harbour. As he recalled it, a malfunctioning target indicator threatened the bombing run, while the Pakistani radio jammers filled the IAF frequency with a Noor Jehan ghazal. Once the song ended, he was able to pass targeting information to the other crews. He then had to evade an approaching night fighter, diving towards the Arabian Sea and escaping at wave-top height. His Vir Chakra citation recognised his repeated successful bombing missions deep inside enemy territory, his courage under heavy opposition, and the example he set for fellow aircrew. An alumnus of the 18th NDA and 80th Pilots Course, Gill also served with 43 and 44 Squadrons, flew the An-12 and subsequently joined Air India. He remained an engaging chronicler of his flying years. But perhaps one of his most moving reflections came much later. In January 2025, writing about his childhood in Montgomery in pre-Partition Punjab, Gill remembered Abdul, his closest boyhood friend. Partition had separated them. He went on to become an Indian bomber pilot, while Abdul might have joined the Pakistan Army. Gill wondered whether the two childhood friends might unknowingly have been on opposing sides during the 1971 war. "Among my unfortunate victims could have been my dear friend Abdul." Rest in peace, Pops Gill. Your stories, and your service, deserve to be remembered. #IAFHistory @IAF_MCC