Om Prakash Mehra

Who is Om Prakash Mehra?

Om Prakash Mehra was Chief of the Air Staff from 1973 to 1976 . He received Param Vishistht Sewa Medal in 1968 . He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1977. He later became governor of Maharashtra from 1980 to 1982 and governor of Rajasthan from 1982 to 1985.

Air Chief Marshal OP Mehra was born on 19 January 1919 at Lahore. His basic education was at the Sacred Heart Convent. He finished school at the Central Model School in 1933 and joined Government College University, Lahore and completed a Masters Degree from the Punjab University in mid 1940.

After a short spell of flying at the Northern India Flying Club, Lahore, he was selected for the Indian Air Force and joined the services as Pilot Officer on 30 November 1940.

On completion of his training, he was posted to No.1 Squadron in August 1941. In March 1946 Mehra was selected to serve as the Indian Air force representative at the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Australia - An organization set up to provide Administrative and Logistics support to the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces located in Japan. In view of Nationalization of the armed forces, he was recalled and posted in February 1947 as the Chief Ground Instructor at the No.1 Advance Flying School Ambala, to replace the RAF Officer who was returning home.