Our pride, second to none

12 December is remembered in the history of PAF for daring action against Jamnagar airfield in broad daylight. The War of 1971 was in full swing and air attacks against Karachi were constantly being made from the Jamnagar airfield of Bharat. Like all fighter bases, the Jamnagar airfield has two runways; however, its construction is such, both these runways are not parallel but at almost 75 degrees to each other. There are two additional landing strips in between these two runways, making it four runways for operations from Jamnagar. Completely neutralizing this airfield is difficult in the presence of ack ack guns and missiles placed all around these six runways in different directions and angles. The PAF bombers were heavily engaged in night bombing on Jamnagar, but the Bharati operations still continued from the Jamnagar airfield. On 12 Dec, 1971, a duo of PAF was assigned to attack Jamnagar in daylight. These brave sons were Wing Commander Mervin Leslie Middlecoat and Flight Lieutenant Tariq Habib. Both the pilots were recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat during the 1965 war.

Jamnagar personnel were stunned to see two Pakistani F-104s (Star fighters) egressing in broad daylight and challenging their myth. After successful attack on the base, Middlecoat and Tariq made their way back to Pakistan. According to Tariq Habib, the attacked base like to engage the attackers to keep them in air for a longer time. As the fighter aircraft have limited fuel and time bound missions they have to perforce leave the battlefield to have safe landings and live for another day to fight. Tariq recalls both of them were over the Indian Ocean (inside the Bharati territory) when Middlecoat gave a call “Look out for missiles”. Tariq saw around but could not see any of them. Next call from the Middlecoat was “I have been hit”. Tariq immediately saw the Bharati MiG-21 which was trailing behind Middlecoat and had hit him on the tail. The war veteran recalls he maneuvered to come behind the MiG-21 to shoot but he experienced some jerks in he smooth flight of Starfighter F-104, making it difficult to fly straight and levelled. For a moment, Tariq Habib thought he has also been hit and must eject, but immediately recalled a similar occurrence in past where he had experienced the same phenomenon in this type of aircraft. By the time he recovered from these jerks the Bharati pilot had fled the area. Tariq asked Middlecoat, if he could land on some land instead of sea to which he replied negative. The last call of Tariq Habib to Middlecoat was “Good luck”. Flight Lieutenant Bharat Soni who shot Middlecoat, remembers he saw the shot pilot bailing out and getting down with his parachute in the deep Indian Ocean. It is, however, not confirmed whether Middlecoat was shot by Soni Bharat while coming down or Middlecoat was unconscious. Flight Lieutenant Bharat Soni was asked to return to his native base immediately.

Leslie Middlecoat, daughter of Wing Commander Middlecoat, remembers his father’s martyrdom when she was only 11 years old. She was the beloved and only child, who had deep influence of her father. Those days they were living at Khyber Road, Peshawar and families would pray for the safe return of all the aircraft taking off for missions against the enemy. She got in touch with Flight Lieutenant Bharat Soni (through Facebook) who had shot her father and came to know about his version of the aerial fight. She was invited by the Bharati Air Force as a state guest to visit the site where her father was last seen ejecting. She was offered to lay a floral wreath at the ejection place of her father. She was also offered to see the wreckage of Star fighter F-104 which has been placed in the Bharati Air Force museum. All of these offers were denied by her, expressing how would her father feel on visiting the adversaries against which he has laid his life. She categorically states that she does not want to see the wreckage of the Pakistani aircraft which was once the star of PAF and a nightmare for the Bharati pilots due to its speed and lethal kills.

Leslie gets emotional in speaking about her father. She remembers German Air Force had lost many F-104 aircraft and wanted PAF to share how excellently they were managing these aircraft. She narrates her father who had flown both the F-86 and F-104 would compare both the aircraft as a wife and a mistress. To Middlecoat F-86, was an obedient, dependable and a forgiving wife whereas F-104 was a mistress demanding, needed to be controlled and asking for attention.

Leslie recalls her father was respected by his coursemates and friends for his pleasant nature and etiquettes. He would groom his shy coursemates by making them his roommates. In most of the disputes, they would agree to the solution of Middlecoat. He was an outstanding pilot who was sent to Syria for their pilots’ training. Leslie remembers after the death of her father she disrespected the way her mother would put on dark lipstick. However, before the death her mother disclosed the secret of putting on dark lipstick as Wing Commander Middlecoat liked that. A widow in her youth would put on the lipstick expecting Middlecoat to return and see her waiting. Leslie recollects when her mother was on deathbed, she received a group photo of all the squadron pilots of No 9 squadron with signatures and prayers for her. The squadron commander also sent souvenirs, squadron cap and the squadron insignia to the widow of former squadron commander Middlecoat. In her last days, her mother would ask Leslie to put this squadron insignia on her heart. After her death, Leslie slipped this squadron insignia into her coffin box (without being noticed by the priest) accompanying her in her last journey.

Leslie recalls how she was declared the guest of honor and welcomed during the visit to No 9 Squadron. She spent complete one day with the squadron pilots. She remembers she automatically was attracted by a door of an office, where she clung for some time. Later she was told, it was the door of the room where his father would sit.

She also remembers her earlier childhood spent at the PAF Base Sargodha and the beautiful life there. Uncle Sarfaraz Rafiqui, Younus, MM Alam and others are all fresh in her memories. Pakistan Air Force has been ingrained in her mind and blood by her great father Mervin Leslie Middlecoat.

She recollects her father still comes in her dreams. Earlier, he would not let her get closer and touch him, now she feels glaring eyes of her father but he does not speak. Leslie lives in Karachi and does not want to leave Pakistan, despite so many opportunities outside Pakistan. I will not leave this country which is my identity, she says.