Muhammad Mahmood Alam
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| Muhammad Mahmood Alam | |
|---|---|
| born 6 July 1935 | |
  MM Alam in 1965, Sitara-e-Jurat |
|
| Place of birth | Calcutta, British India |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Pakistan Air Force |
| Rank | Air Commodore |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 |
| Awards | Sitara-e-Jurat (2 times) |
Muhammad Mahmood Alam (Bengali: মুহাম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম, Urdu: محمد محمود عالم) or shortly M. M. Alam is a retired Air Commodore of Pakistan Air Force. He is a recipient of the Pakistani military decoration, the Sitara-e-Jurrat ("The star of courage") and a bar to it for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
He was born July 6, 1935 in Calcutta, British India. He is popularly known as "M.M. Alam" and nicknamed "Peanut" due to his short stature. He hailed from East Pakistan.
His brother M. Shahid Alam is an Economist and a professor at Northeastern University, Boston.
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[edit] Air-to-Air kills
MM Alam is known for his actions during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 when he was posted at Sargodha. During this war he was involved in various dogfights. He claims to have downed nine Hunters of the Indian Air Force in air-to-air combat, 5 of them in less than a minute.[1] The PAF has revised the claims to 5 planes, with 3 of them being shot down in less than a minute.[2]. These are:
- September 6, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Squadron Leader Ajit Kumar Rawlley, No 7 Squadron, Killed in action, near Tarn Taran.
- September 7, 1965, Three Hawker Hunters (in one mission): Squadron Leader Onkar Nath Kacker, No 27 Sqn, POW, Squadron Leader Suresh B Bhagwat and Flying Officer Jagdev Singh Brar, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Sangla Hill.
- September 16, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Flying Officer Farokh Dara Bunsha, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Amritsar.
The Indian sources attribute Alam with only four of these kills,[3][4] attributing one of the "kills" claimed by PAF, Sqn Ldr Onkar Nath Kacker's aircraft loss, to booster failure.[4]
Alam was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Dassault Mirage III fighters procured by the PAF. However he was not very popular with the top management of the PAF and was shortly removed from command, on the excuse that he was not "literate enough"[5]
During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, all personnel who were of Bengali origins or were born in Bengal were grounded to prevent any defections. Thus, Alam was posted on a staff job and did not fly in combat. M.M. Alam retired in 1982 as an Air Commodore and currently resides in Karachi. One of the roads of Gulberg in Lahore is named after him as M.M. Alam road.
[edit] Citation
| “ | "On 6th September, 1965, during an aerial combat over enemy territory, Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam flying as pilot of an F-86 Sabre Jet, shot down two enemy Hunter aircraft and damaged three others. For the exceptional flying skill and valor displayed by Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam in operations, he was awarded Sitara-i-Juraat. On 7th September, 1965, in a number of interception missions flown by Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam against enemy aircraft attacking Pakistan Air Force Station, Sargodha, Squadron Leader Alam destroyed five more enemy Hunter aircrafts in less than a minute, which remains a record until today. Overall, he had nine kills and two damages to his credit. For the exceptional flying skill and valour shown by him in pressing home his attacks in aerial combats with the enemy, Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam is awarded a bar to his Sitara-i-Juraat." [6] | ” |
[edit] Official Sources
- History of PAF - Government of Pakistan
- "Laying the Sargodha Ghost to rest." Vayu Aerospace Review. November 1985
[edit] References
- ^ Singh, Pushpindar (1991). Fiza ya, Psyche of the Pakistan Air Force. Himalayan Books. ISBN 81-7002-038-7.
- ^ Alam's Speed Shooting Classic by Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail, Defence Journal
- ^ 30 Seconds over Sargodha: The making of a myth by Rakesh Koshy, www.bharat-rakshak.com
- ^ a b IAF Combat Losses in 1965 - www.bharat-rakshak.com<
- ^ Pakistan's Sabre Ace by Jon Guttman, Aviation History, Sept 1998 - Also available at [1]
- ^ Citation of PAF Heros, PakDef.info
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Muhammad Mahmood Alam, YesPakistan.com
- Citation of PAF Heros, at Pakdef.info
