"This officer has been a flying instructor since January 1942. During that period he has done much to provide liaison between the British and Indian members of his unit. An excellent flight commander, Flight Lieutenant Eduljee has set a fine example by his efficiency and enthusiasm. He has contributed a great deal to the training of the Indian Air Force."
Between March and December 1942, ten aircrew schools were opened in India.
Dinshaw Eduljee 'passed out' (i.e. graduated) from 1 SFTS (No. 1 Service Flying Training School) Ambala in January 1942 (7th course) and then became an instructor there at the same time.
Of the Indian Air Force training schools where Dinshaw Eduljee could have taught since instructing at Ambala in January 1942, we know of 1AGS (No.1 Air Gunners School also called No.1 Gunnery School) in Bairagarh, Bhopal, where he served as an instructor from October 16, 1943 up to an unknown date.
No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Ambala
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| Field Marshall Wavell reviewing the 10th anniversary parade on April 1, 1943. In this image a low flying Tiger Moth does fly by. Image credit: Bharat Rakshak |
The trainees were put through two courses called schools: the Intermediate Training School (ITS) and the Advanced Training School (ATS). The duration of each 'school' was about three months.
With the establishment of No.1 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) and No.2 EFTS, training at Ambala's Service Flying Training School (SFTS) constituted a third training stage that combined the ITS and ATS into a three and a half month program. In this regime, trainees went on for further training at an Operational Training Unit (OTU).
Among the aircraft used for training at the outset of the establishment of the school were the North America Harvard, Hawker Audax K3088, Hawker Hart, Vultee Vengeance, de Havilland Tiger Moth, Hawker Hurricane, Airspeed Oxford and Avro Anson (for images of these aircraft see our Aircraft Images page.
The Harvard Trainer
According to Major E. F. Eduljee (Retd.), one of the main aircraft that Dinshaw Eduljee trained pilots on was the North American T-6G known in British Empire/Commonwealth countries as the Harvard. The first Indian Air Force Harvards of the I and II series were delivered to No. 1 Flying Training School at Ambala.
The Indian Air Force used the Harvard for Advanced Training of Flight Cadets at Ambala, Begumpet and Jodhpur, as well as at the Flying Instructors School at Tambaram. The T-6 Harvards at Ambala were similar to the Harvard IIb FS-953 at Peshawar, shown in the image directly below.
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| Harvard IIB FS-953 from Peshawar similar to the T-6 Harvards deployed at Ambala. Photo credit: Peter Riley at Flypast Magazine |
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| A refurbished AT-16 Harvard IIB IT365 used by Indian-Air-Force for training. Image credit: Sean D'Silva at Planespotters |
The Training of Narayanrao (Nanu) Shitoley SN 1841
We will use Air Cmrd. (Retd) Nanu Shitoley's training route as an example of the training program aspiring Indian Air Force pilots were put through in the first half of the Second World War (cf. Memoirs at Bharat Rakshak).
About two years junior to Dinshaw Eduljee, Nanu Shitoley started his training in 1941 around the time Dinshaw Eduljee had received his commission (Eduljee became a trainer in January 1942).
1. Three months ITW: After passing his medical examination, Shitoley entered the Initial Training Wing [ITW] at Walton in Lahore for three months of 'square-bashing'. His instructor was Wg. Cdr. Hogg. The Chief Instructor was Wg. Cdr. Russell. The ITW was later shifted to Poona and the course extended from 10 to 14 weeks. Towards the end of 1943 the duration of the course was further extended to 18 weeks.
2. One year OT: Shitoley's ITW was followed by a one year's observer training course in Hyderabad. Observers, when they qualified, were entitled to wear half-wings with an 'O' as compared with 'N' for Navigators. Observer training was more rigorous than navigator training, and included training in advanced navigation, wireless telegraphy, gunnery, visual and artillery spotting. Observers could go on to pilot training.
3. Signals training of unknown duration: Shitoley undertook a signals course at Andheri in Bombay.
4. 10 weeks EFTS: Shitoley joined No. 1 EFTS [Elementary Flying Training School] at Begumpet in Hyderabad. The duration of the course was 10 weeks (later extended to 12 weeks). The other EFTS, No 2, was located at Jodhpur.
5. 10 weeks IT: Next came Intermediate Training at No. 1 SFTS [Service Flying Training School] at Ambala. This is where Dinshaw Eduljee was a trainer though we do not know if Eduljee and Shitoley's paths crossed.
6. 11 weeks of AT: Advanced Training (AT) - also at Ambala - came next. In Ambala, Shitoley flew about 150 hours on Harvards. Compared to the 550hp Harvard, the 130hp Tiger Moth was docile. In addition, the Howard had a retractable undercarriage, a variable pitch propeller, strong swing on take-off and a "predilection to (doing) ground-loop on landing". Training on the Howard prepared pilots for flying the Hurricane.
7. 12 weeks OTU: Next, Shitoley was sent to Risalpur where the Hurricane OTU (Operational Training Unit) was located. First he had to thoroughly master the Hurricane's cockpit drill in a dummy Hurricane cockpit. Only then was he permitted to fly the aircraft which he flew for forty hours of training. OTU training included gunnery training and a four-week fighter reconnaissance course.
Upon completing his OTU, Shitoley was deployed at No.1 Sqn at Imphal, arriving there in May or June 1944 - about the same time that Dinshaw Eduljee was deployed to the Squadron then under the command of Squadron Leader Arjan Singh. Shitoley came to know Eduljee and recorded the latter's crash in his memoirs.
[Note; No. 1 Squadron shared the Imphal airfield with the RAF's 28 Squadron who also flew Hurricanes. Also using the airfield was a squadron of USAF Dakotas. However, there was little or no interaction with the Americans who had their own mess, technical and living areas.]
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