The Boyra battle - 1971

The year is 1971. Across the Border in East Pakistan, the Bangla people have risen up against their Pakistani Overlords, forming the Mukti Bahini, an armed insurgent force, aimed at Achieving independence from Pakistan. These Muktis, as they are fondly called, are being trained in India, and although India has not yet officially joined the war, Indian forces nonetheless assist the Mukti Bahini against Pakistani forces. The Pakistanis have repeatedly used air support against the coalition, and Indian forces have repeatedly requested air support from the IAF, but Indian aircraft are forbidden from venturing into Pakistani airspace before the official start of the conflict. However, today, the Pakistani aircraft, Canadian-Built CL-13s, a Canadian version of the Legendary American F-86 Sabre, have made a fatal mistake. During the course of the attack, the strayed into Indian airspace, and are immediately painted on Indian Radar. The sirens blare at Dum Dum Airport in Calcutta, where a detachment of the Indian Air Force’s 22nd Squadron, are on standby. 4 Young IAF pilots Dash out towards their aircraft, and quickly get into the air. The PAF had breached Indian airspace once earlier during the day, but they had retreated back into their own airspace by the time Indian aircraft reached the area. However, this time, the pilots are determined not to let it happen again. The formation goes full throttle, and heads for Boyra, the town that would subsequently give the epic battle its name. Then Flying officer Donald Lazarus, who was the number 4 in the formation, is fully concentrated on the task of flying his Folland Gnat, an extremely small, but nimble aircraft, armed with two hard hitting 20mm ADEN cannons. He knows that the Sabres the enemy ius fielding today, were one of the best dogfighters of its era, and trying to outturn it would be a death sentence. Instead, they rely on fighting them in the vertical arena, where the Gnats have the advantage. He has no clue, that he is going to be involved in one of the most legendary air combat incidents of the Indian Air Force…… Here, we introduce to you Group Captain Donald Lazarus, who has given us the absolute honour of being on this show, where he describes the Battle of Boyra, through his own eyes, around 50 years ago, as it happened.