Mervyn Middlecoat
Encyclopedia
Wing Commander
Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat (1940 – 12 December 1971) was a Pakistan Air Force
(PAF) fighter pilot
who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars
, before being shot down on 12 December 1971. He was credited with several air-to-air kills and was one of a number of distinguished Pakistani strike and fighter pilots of the period. Before his death he was stationed in Karachi
, Pakistan
where he flew the F-104 Starfighter
.
descent, Middlecoat joined the PAF and upon graduation in 1954, he was awarded the trophy for the best performance in Ground Subjects. Soft spoken and mild mannered, Middlecoat was considered to be the epitome of an officer and a gentleman, besides also being an outstanding pilot. Although he flew a number of different aircraft during his service career, he came to master the F-104 Starfighter
.
. That night, Karachi was attacked by the Indian Air Force
(IAF), and PAF F-86 Sabre
s responded with an aggressive defence. Middlecoat flew an F-86 in which he shot down two IAF aircraft, killing both pilots. He was credited with defending Karachi from the Indian Air Force. Later he was transferred to PAF Lahore where he joined Mushaf Airbase under the leadership of Air Commodore
W. J. M. Turowicz.
During the war Middlecoat commanded No. 9 Squadron Griffins as a Squadron Leader and believed in leading from the front. He kept the morale of the Squadron very high and guided his pilots in a highly professional manner. During the three week war, Middlecoat flew 17 air defence sorties and three photo reconnaissance missions over forward Indian airbases. For his leadership and devotion to duty, he was awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat, the third highest award in the Pakistani military, in 1965.
After strafing aircraft parked on the runway, Middlecoat and his wingman were forced to abort their mission after they were bounced by two IAF MIG-21 aircraft from No. 47 Squadron IAF. Middlecoat quickly reduced altitude, and maintained a high speed. He managed to deflect the first missile, however at a range of just 300 metres (328.1 yd) he was shot down over the Gulf of Kutch
. The Indian pilot that shot him down, Flight Lieutenant Bharat Bhushan Soni, saw Middlecoat eject into the Arabian Sea, and contacted a nearby IAF base to send a rescue team, however he was nowhere to be found when they reached the site. Middlecoat had ejected in shark infested waters and it was considered unlikely that he survived. Declared missing in action, he was posthumously awarded a Bar to the Sitara-i-Jurat. His remains were never found.
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat (1940 – 12 December 1971) was a Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
(PAF) fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars
Indo-Pakistani Wars
Since the partition of British India in 1947 and creation of India and Pakistan, the two South Asian countries have been involved in four wars, including one undeclared war, as well as many border skirmishes and military stand-offs...
, before being shot down on 12 December 1971. He was credited with several air-to-air kills and was one of a number of distinguished Pakistani strike and fighter pilots of the period. Before his death he was stationed in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
where he flew the F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
.
Early life
Born in 1940 of Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
descent, Middlecoat joined the PAF and upon graduation in 1954, he was awarded the trophy for the best performance in Ground Subjects. Soft spoken and mild mannered, Middlecoat was considered to be the epitome of an officer and a gentleman, besides also being an outstanding pilot. Although he flew a number of different aircraft during his service career, he came to master the F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
.
1965 Indo-Pakistani War
By then a Flight Lieutenant, in 1965 Middlecoat was stationed at Masroor AirbaseMasroor Airbase
PAF Base Masroor is the largest airbase of Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area of Karachi, Sindh. It was originally known as RPAF Station Mauripur and after 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur.-Name origin:...
. That night, Karachi was attacked by the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
(IAF), and PAF F-86 Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
s responded with an aggressive defence. Middlecoat flew an F-86 in which he shot down two IAF aircraft, killing both pilots. He was credited with defending Karachi from the Indian Air Force. Later he was transferred to PAF Lahore where he joined Mushaf Airbase under the leadership of Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
W. J. M. Turowicz.
During the war Middlecoat commanded No. 9 Squadron Griffins as a Squadron Leader and believed in leading from the front. He kept the morale of the Squadron very high and guided his pilots in a highly professional manner. During the three week war, Middlecoat flew 17 air defence sorties and three photo reconnaissance missions over forward Indian airbases. For his leadership and devotion to duty, he was awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat, the third highest award in the Pakistani military, in 1965.
Operation Amritsar Radar
Promoted to Wing Commander, at the outbreak of war on 3 December 1971 Middlecoat was on a training visit abroad in Egypt. He returned to Pakistan immediately and joined operations with such keen interest that he inspired all the squadron pilots. He was one of the six strike command officers who were selected to conduct the aerial operation "Amritsar Radar", and was assigned to attack the heavily defended Indian airbase at Jamnagar on 12 December, the day after his return.After strafing aircraft parked on the runway, Middlecoat and his wingman were forced to abort their mission after they were bounced by two IAF MIG-21 aircraft from No. 47 Squadron IAF. Middlecoat quickly reduced altitude, and maintained a high speed. He managed to deflect the first missile, however at a range of just 300 metres (328.1 yd) he was shot down over the Gulf of Kutch
Gulf of Kutch
The Gulf of Kutch is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat, and renowned for extreme daily tides .The maximum depth of Gulf of Kutch is ....
. The Indian pilot that shot him down, Flight Lieutenant Bharat Bhushan Soni, saw Middlecoat eject into the Arabian Sea, and contacted a nearby IAF base to send a rescue team, however he was nowhere to be found when they reached the site. Middlecoat had ejected in shark infested waters and it was considered unlikely that he survived. Declared missing in action, he was posthumously awarded a Bar to the Sitara-i-Jurat. His remains were never found.