Subroto Mukherjee

Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee OBE
First Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force
Born	5 March 1911 Calcutta, British India
Died	8 November 1960 Tokyo, Japan
Allegiance	British India (1932-1947)  India (from 1947)
Service/branch	Royal Air Force  Indian Air Force
Years of service	1932–1960
Rank	Air Marshal
Battles/wars	North West Frontier Rebellion, World War II
Awards	Order of the British Empire (OBE) India General Service Medal (1936) (IGSM) 1939–1945 Star War Medal 1939–1945 India Service Medal Indian Independence Medal King George VI Coronation Medal Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, OBE (Bengali: সুব্রত মুখার্জী Shubroto Mukharji) (5 March 1911 – 8 November 1960) was the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Born in a Bengali family of repute, he was educated in India as well as England. He joined the Royal Air Force and later was one of the first recruits of the Indian Air Force. He had an illustrious career and had been awarded with many honours until his accidental death in 1960. He has been called the "Father of the Indian Air Force".

Subroto Mukerjee was born in Kolkata (then Calcutta) on 5 March 1911. His paternal grandfather, Nibaran Chandra Mukherjee, a Brahmo, was a pioneer in social and educational reforms in the country and a member of the Brahmo Samaj while his maternal grandfather, Prasanna Kumar Roy of the Indian Education Service, was the first Indian Principal of the Presidency College, Calcutta. His maternal grandmother Sarala Roy was the founder of the Gokhale Memorial School. His father was Satish Chandra Mukherjee, an early Indian ICS officer and mother was Charulata Mukherjee, daughter of Dr. P. K. Roy. Youngest of four children, Subroto was taken to England when he was three months old. However, he spent his childhood in Krishnanagar and Chinsura of Bengal. From his very early days Subroto had shown an aptitude for a military career – probably infused by his uncle, Indra Lal Roy, who had joined the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War. Roy was the first Indian to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the only Indian flying ace.