Om Prakash Taneja

Retired Defence Personnel

Indian Punjab Province, British India

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Quick Info

ProfessionRetired Defence Personnel
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth29/10/1928
Age88 years (died on 22, Jul, 2017)
BirthplacePunjab Province, British India
Date of Death22/07/2017

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Bio/Wiki

Nickname(s)
  • Omi
  • Wild Jack
  • OP
Famous forLeading the IAF squadron that raided the Sargodha Air Base of Pakistan in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 9" (175 cm)
Eye ColorDark Brown
Hair ColorSalt and Pepper (Semi-bald)

Educational Qualification(s)

College/UniversityLahore Government College (now Government College University, Lahore)
Educational QualificationGraduation in science

Personal Life

ReligionHinduism
HobbyReading

Relationships & More

Wife/SpouseZohra (ex-wife)
Children
  • Rahil
  • Nikhil
  • Sanjana (lives in New Jersey)

Family

SpouseZohra (ex-wife)
ChildrenRahil, Nikhil, Sanjana

Career

Milestones
  • Joined the Indian Air Force on 15 April 1950.
  • Became a Flying Officer on 15 April 1951.
  • Participated in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, leading a successful raid on the Sargodha Air Base.
  • Retired voluntarily from the IAF in 1975.
  • In April 1959, served in the 3rd Squadron as commanding officer at Kalaikunda, West Bengal till December 1961.
  • On 1 December 1962, posted to Adampur, Punjab, in the 8th Squadron as flight commander.
  • On 22 September 1969, deployed to Amritsar as station commander till 11 May 1970.
  • On 06/09/1965, led his squadron on its first strike mission into enemy territory, targeting fuel wagons in the Gujranwala sector.
  • On 07/09/1965, led a formation of 12 aircraft in a dawn strike against the Sargodha Airfield.
Service/BranchIndian Air Force
RankGroup Captain
Service Years15 April 1950 - 31 August 1975
StreamFlying (Fighter Pilot)
Service Number3843 F(P)
Career Ranks
  • Flying Officer (15 April 1951 - 15 April 1955)
  • Flight Lieutenant (15 April 1955 - 15 April 1961)
  • Squadron Leader (15 April 1961 - 1 April 1967)
  • Wing Commander (1 April 1967 - 1 April 1971)
  • Group Captain (1 April 1971 - 31 August 1975)
Military DecorationVir Chakra, awarded on 1 January 1966 for his role in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War
Unit1 Sqn AF

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Nicknamed 'Wild Jack' during college for breaking the boundary wall to meet the warden.
2. Motivated to join the Air Force after hearing a speech by an Indian RAF pilot.
3. Despite his father’s opposition, he pursued a career in the Air Force.
4. Attended the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, UK, and excelled in his studies.
5. Survived a crash of his Hawker Tempest II during a training sortie.
6. Instrumental in executing a successful air raid at Sargodha, destroying significant enemy resources.
7. After retirement from the IAF, he worked in the stock exchange for a while.
8. Maintained a daily swimming routine until his passing in 2017.
9. Portrayed by Akshay Kumar in the 2025 Hindi film Sky Force.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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