Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya Age, Wiki and Bio

Quick Info

Profession	Defence Personnel
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	24/12/1932
Age	32 years (died on 07, Sep, 1965)
Birthplace	Coorg, Coorg Province, British India (now Kodagu, Karnataka, India)
Date of Death	07/09/1965

Bio/Wiki

Other Names	Ajjamada Devaiah A. B. Tabby Devaiah
Nickname	Tabby
Names Earned	Wings of Fire Tiger of Kodagu
Famous for	Being the only IAF officer to receive the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously Being part of the IAF squadron that raided the Sargodha Air Base of Pakistan in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War Being the only Indian pilot to have shot down the American F-104 Starfighter jet during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 9" (175 cm)
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

Degree	Graduation in science

Personal Life

Hometown	Kodagu, Karnataka
Zodiac sign	Capricorn

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married

Family

Father

Ajjamada Bopayya (deceased; doctor)

Mother

Neelamma (deceased)

Spouse

Sundari Devayya

Children

Son	None
Daughters	Smitha Preetha

Career

Service/Branch	Indian Air Force
Rank	Squadron Leader
Service Years	6 November 1954 - 7 September 1965
Stream	Flying (Fighter Pilot)
Career Ranks	Flying Officer (6 November 1954 - 6 November 1955) Flight Lieutenant (6 November 1959) Squadron Leader (before September 1965)
Service Number	4810 GD(P)
Military Decoration	Maha Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously on 23 April 1988
Legacy	An old private bus stand circle in Madikeri, Karnataka, is named after him (7 September 2009) A 600 kg bronze statue of him was erected in Madikeri in his honour

Some Lesser Known Facts

From a young age, Devayya dreamed of becoming a pilot in the Indian Air Force.
He attended the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, UK, where he excelled as one of the top students.
Joined the IAF as a Flying Officer in November 1954 after completing his military training.
He became one of the few fighter pilots to be an instructor within five years of service.
Participated in a significant air raid during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War under the leadership of Group Captain Om Prakash Taneja.
Initially designated as MIA, Devayya's fate remained uncertain for years until a 1979 publication provided insights into his final moments.
In 1988, he was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, making history as the first IAF personnel to receive this distinction posthumously.