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{{Short description|Indian Air Marshal and diplomat}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]]
| name = A M Engineer
| honorific_suffix = [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = [[File:Air Marshal Aspy Engineer.jpg|200px]]|
| caption = Air Marshal Aspy Merwan Engineer
| office = 6th [[Ambassador]] of India to [[Pahlavi Iran|Iran]]
| term_start = 6 December 1964
| term_end = 6 December 1966
| predecessor = [[Mirza Rashid Ali Baig|M. R. A. Baig]]
| successor = K. V. Padmanabhan
| office1 = 9th [[Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee]]
| term_start1 = 4 June 1962
| term_end1 = 24 July 1964
| president1 = [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan|Sir S. Radhakrishnan]]
| primeminister1 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] [[Gulzarilal Nanda]] (''acting'')
| predecessor1 = [[Ram Dass Katari]]
| successor1 = [[Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman]]
| office2 = 5th [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of Air Staff]]
| term_start2 = 1 December 1960
| term_end2 = 31 July 1964
| predecessor2 = [[Subroto Mukerjee]]
| successor2 = [[Arjan Singh]]
| president2 = [[Rajendra Prasad]]
| primeminister2 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1912|12|15}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2002|05|01|1912|12|15}}
| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (Pakistan)|Punjab Province]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
| alma_mater = [[RAF Cranwell]]
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} (1933–1947) {{flag|India}} (1947–1964)
| branch = {{air force|British India}} {{air force|India}}
| rank = [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]]
| serviceyears = 1933–1964
|unit = [[No. 1 Squadron IAF]]
| commands = [[Western Air Command (India)|No.1 Operational Group]] [[PAF Base Kohat|Air Force Station Kohat]] [[No. 2 Squadron IAF|No.2 Squadron]]
| battles = [[Waziristan campaign (1936–39)|Waziristan Campaign]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]] [[Annexation of Goa]] [[Sino-Indian War]]
| awards = [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
| relations = [[Minoo Merwan Engineer]] (brother)
| blank1 = Later work(s)
| data1 = ''Founder'', California Zoroastrian Center
}}

[[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] '''Aspy Merwan Engineer''' [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]] (15 December 1912 – 1 May 2002) was an officer in the [[Indian Air Force]] who rose through the ranks to become independent India's second [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]], succeeding [[Subroto Mukerjee]] in 1960 and preceding [[Arjan Singh]].

His flying career began in 1930 at the age of 17, when as a [[First officer (aeronautics)|co-pilot]] he accompanied his friend [[Ram Nath Chawla|R. N. Chawla]] to [[Croydon Airport]], [[London]] from [[Karachi]] in [[British Raj|British India]], by flight and were the first Indians to do so. Shortly afterwards, he won the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]] contest for being the first Indian to fly the journey between England and India, solo and within a one-month time frame.

Engineer subsequently joined the [[Royal Indian Air Force|Indian Air Force]], trained at [[RAF Cranwell]], saw action on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North Western Frontier Provinces]] (NWFP) and at [[Burma Campaign 1944–45|Burma]] and as a result was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] (DFC). By the end of the [[Second World War]] he became [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]].

Following retirement, he served as [[India]]'s ambassador to [[Iran]] and later spent time living in California, before his last days in [[Mumbai]].

==Early life==
Aspy Engineer was born Aspy Merwan Irani on 15 December 1912 in [[Lahore#British|Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]], [[British India]],<ref name=spsAviation/><ref name=Singh2002>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Kuldip |title=Obituary: Air Marshal Aspy Engineer; Former Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force |work=The Independent |date=21 Jun 2002 |location=London}}</ref> to Meherwan Irani and Maneckbai. Meherwan was a Divisional Engineer for the [[North Western Railway (British India)|North Western Railway]].<ref name=BharatBrothers/> His interest in mechanics led his friends to rename him Engineer.<ref name=spsAviation>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id=578|title=Aspy Engineer (1912–2002) – SP's Aviation|website=www.sps-aviation.com|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Air-Chiefs/Chiefs-Air-5.html|title=Air Marshal Aspy Merwan Engineer DFC [Air Chiefs Since 1947]|last=Pillaristetti|first=Jagan|date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206050217/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Air-Chiefs/Chiefs-Air-5.html|archive-date=6 February 2007|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref name=Sorabji2012>{{Cite journal|last=Sorabji|first=Rusi|date=2012|title=The First historical landmark in the annals of Aviation, both Civil or Military in the Sub-Continent, the Aga Khan Race 1930|url=https://zoroastriansnet.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/aspy-engineer.pdf|journal=Hamazor|issue=2|pages=47–53}}</ref>{{sfn|Sapru|2014}} Aspy was the eldest amongst eight siblings – two girls and six boys. His brothers, [[Minoo Merwan Engineer|Minoo]], Jungoo and Ronnie, also joined the Indian Air Force, while another brother, Homi, joined the Indian Army. Aspy, Minoo and Ronnie were recipients of the DFC, a unique feat where three brothers were decorated with gallantry awards.<ref name=BharatBrothers>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Tributes/1074-Engineers.html|title=Brothers-in-Arms : The Flying Engineer Brothers|last=Singh|first=Farida|website=www.bharat-rakshak.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-02-19|archive-date=19 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219183357/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Tributes/1074-Engineers.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Sorabji2012/>

At the age of seven, Engineer witnessed aviators [[Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown|Alcock and Brown]] make an emergency aircraft landing on the Race Course grounds opposite his father's railway bungalow in [[Hyderabad, Sindh]].<ref name=Sorabji2012/> He later recounted, "I dreamt of nothing else thereafter but aircraft landing on the roof-top of our spacious bungalow."<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

He completed his early education from the [[Panchgani#Education|Billimoria Parsi School]], [[Panchgani]],<ref name=Sorabji2012/> and the [[DJ Science College]] in [[Karachi]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1255960|title=Karachi's air history|date=3 May 2016|newspaper=Dawn|location=Pakistan|first=Sohail|last=Ansari|accessdate=9 July 2020}}</ref> On his 17th birthday, his father presented him with a second-hand [[de Havilland DH.60|de Havilland Gipsy Moth]] and after less than three months of lessons, he obtained his license to fly from the [[Aero Club of India|Karachi Aero Club]].<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

==Aga Khan contest==
In November 1929, the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]], 48th Imam of the [[Isma'ilism|Ismailai]] sect of Muslims{{sfn|Chowdhury|2018}} announced a prize of £500{{sfn|Chowdhury|2018}} to the first Indian who could fly solo between England and India within a one-month time-frame.{{sfn|Rao|2000}}

Shortly after the announcement, Engineer as [[First officer (aeronautics)|co-pilot]] and his friend R. N. Chawla set on a flight to England in March 1930, at a time lacking [[radio communications]] or [[air traffic control]]. On 21 March 1930, they flew into [[Croydon Airport]] where the [[William Waterlow|Lord Mayor of London]] and the press greeted them with garlands.<ref name=Sorabji2012/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2017/mar/19/flashback-of-first-flier-who-flew-farthest-in-1930-1582930.html|title=Flashback of first flier who flew farthest in 1930|website=The New Indian Express|date=19 March 2017 |access-date=18 February 2019}}</ref>

The other contestants included; [[J. R. D. Tata]], who later founded [[Tata Motors]] and [[Air India#History|Air India]], and another Bristol trained pilot, [[Man Mohan Singh (pilot)|Man Mohan Singh]].{{sfn|Rao|2000}}{{sfn|Chowdhury|2018|p=369}} Engineer left Croydon on 25 April 1930, crossing paths with Tata in Cairo. Tata gave Engineer the spare much needed [[spark plug]] which allowed Engineer to complete the journey from Croydon Airport, England, to [[PAF Base Faisal|RAF Drigh Road]], [[Karachi]], now in [[Pakistan]], in his Gipsy Moth and was awarded the prize, winning over Man Mohan Singh by one day.<ref name=spsAviation/>{{sfn|Sapru|2014}}<ref name=Flight1930>{{Cite journal|date=23 May 1930|title=The Aga Khan Prize|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1930/UNTITLED0%20-%200583.PDF|journal=Flight|pages=559}}</ref>

In response, [[Sir Frederick Sykes]], [[Governor of Bombay]], arranged for a public reception at [[Bombay#Portuguese and British rule|Bombay]] and the [[Imperial Legislative Council|Legislative Council of India]] awarded Engineer 10,000 rupees. However, as a result of an aircraft accident at [[Bhuj]], he instead flew to his old school and landed on its playing field.<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

==Military career==
===Early career===
In 1931, Engineer entered the [[Royal Air Force College Cranwell]].<ref name=Sorabji2012/><ref name=Shillidy1935>{{cite journal |last1=Shillidy |first1=J. A. |title=Civil aviation in India |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Arts |date=1935 |volume=83 |issue=4299 |pages=477–492 |jstor=41360427 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41360427 |issn=0035-9114|url-access=subscription}}</ref> At Cranwell, he was awarded the Grove's Memorial Flying prize for the best all-round pilot during his term. He was commissioned as a pilot and joined the newly formed [[No. 1 Squadron IAF]]. The No. 1 Squadron had only one [[flight (military unit)|flight]] and was then stationed in [[RAF Drigh Road|Drigh Road]], [[Karachi]]. The flight was equipped with four Westland Wapiti biplanes.
As part of the 'A' flight of the squadron, Engineer flew a [[Westland Wapiti]] and saw action in the [[Waziristan campaign (1936–1939)]].<ref name=Sorabji2012/><ref name="EngineerMemoirs1993">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/ww2/veterans/1188-aspy-engineer.html|title=Air Marshal Aspy Engineer's Recollections|last=Engineer|first=Air Marshal Aspy|website=www.bharat-rakshak.com|language=en-gb|access-date=16 February 2019|archive-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217030257/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/ww2/veterans/1188-aspy-engineer.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1938, for action against the tribals, he became the first IAF officer to be [[mentioned in dispatches]].<ref name="IAF Bio">{{cite web |title=Aspy Merwan Engineer DFC CAS {{!}} Indian Air Force {{!}} Government of India |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/content/aspy-merwan-engineer-dfc-cas-0 |website=indianairforce.nic.in}}</ref> In July 1938, three flights of the No. 1 Squadron IAF were formed and Engineer took command of the flight. He was one of the three flying officers of the three flights of No. 1 Squadron, the other two being [[Subroto Mukerjee]] and [[Karun Krishna Majumdar]].<ref name="IAF Bio"/>

===World War II===
In 1941, the [[No. 2 Squadron IAF]] was formed at [[Peshawar]] under the command of Squadron Leader A B Awan.{{sfn|Ramunny|1997|p=100}} Engineer was one among seven pilots to be deputed to form the squadron and served as the squadron [[adjutant]].<ref name="IAF Bio"/> In June 1941, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Squadron Leader]] and took over as the [[Commanding Officer]] of No. 2 Squadron. The squadron converted from Wapitis to the [[Hawker Audax]] in September, and later to the [[Westland Lysander]], under him.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of IAF {{!}} Indian Air Force {{!}} Government of India |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/content/history-iaf-0 |website=indianairforce.nic.in}}</ref> Engineer led the squadron in operations in the [[Tochi Valley]]. In December 1942, Engineer was mentioned in dispatches for the second time and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for distinguished services in Waziristan.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35825 |supp=y|page=5497|date=15 December 1942}}</ref><ref name="Flying1945">{{cite journal |title=Flying Magazine |date=January 1945 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iEtdS34ZupIC&q=aspy+engineer |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Ahluwalia|2012}} In late 1942, he relinquished command of No. 2 Squadron, handing over to Squadron Leader Habib Ullah Khan. He subsequently held staff appointments at Air Headquarters.

In December 1944, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] and took command of [[PAF Base Kohat|Air Force Station Kohat]] from [[Subroto Mukerjee]]. After commanding the airbase for over a year, Engineer was selected to attend the [[RAF Staff College, Bracknell]]. On his return to India in November 1946, he was promoted to the acting rank of [[Group Captain]] and then moved to Air HQ as the Air Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA).<ref name="RIAF Appointments 1947"/>

===Post-Independence===
On 15 August 1947, with the [[partition of India]], a new Air Headquarters of the [[Dominion of India]] was formed. Engineer was promoted to the acting rank of [[Air commodore (India)|air commodore]] and continued as AOA. After Mukerjee, he was the second air commodore to be appointed in the RIAF.<ref name="RIAF Appointments 1947">{{cite web|title=RIAF Appointments|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-08-14_355.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India – Archive|date=14 August 1947|access-date=26 January 2019}}</ref> The assets of the Indian Air Force (like other branches of the military) had to be divided between the Dominions of India and Pakistan. Subroto Mukerjee and Engineer led the air force part of this committee.{{sfn|Sapru|2014}}

In September 1948, he assumed command of the [[Western Air Command (India)|No. 1 Operational Group]] (later rechristened Western Air Command) from Air Commodore [[Mehar Singh (pilot)|Mehar Singh]].<ref name= "WAC History">{{cite web |title=WESTERN AIR COMMAND {{!}} Indian Air Force {{!}} Government of India |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/content/western-air-command-1 |website=indianairforce.nic.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jet Planes for RIAF |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1948-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1948-11-06_341.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=6 November 1948}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=PIB (Defence Wing) |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1948-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1948-09-27_247.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=27 September 1948}}</ref> As the [[Air Officer Commanding]] (AOC), he led the [[Group (military aviation unit)|group]] to support ground troops in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]].{{sfn|Sapru|2014}} In July 1949, the group was renamed Operational Command.<ref name= "WAC History"/> He was selected to attend the [[Imperial Defence College]] and embarked for the [[United Kingdom]] in late 1950. After the year-long course, he returned to India and was appointed Air Officer-in-Charge Technical & Equipment Service at Air HQ.

In 1952, Engineer took over as the [[Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Deputy Chief of the Air Staff]] and Deputy Air Commander, IAF.<ref>{{cite web |title=Air Vice Marshal Engineer |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1954%20DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1954-12-02_373.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=2 December 1954}}</ref> He was promoted to the rank of [[Air vice marshal (India)|air vice marshal]] on 1 October 1954. In November 1954, he led the Air Force in a goodwill mission to [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=IAF GOODWILL MISSION TO INDONESIA |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1954%20DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1954-11-26_355.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=26 November 1954}}</ref> Engineer was deputed to the [[Hindustan Aircraft Limited]] (HAL) for a period of three years in 1958. On 28 May, he took over as the [[General Manager]] of HAL. On 23 May 1959, he became the second Indian to be promoted to the rank of air marshal.<ref name="PIB 25-11-60">{{cite web |title=AIR MARSHAL ENGINEER NEW AIR CHIEF |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1960-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1960-11-25_207.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=25 November 1960}}</ref>

===Chief of Air Staff===
In November 1960, [[Air India]] inaugurated its service to [[Tokyo]], Japan. Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, CAS and Air Commodore (later [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|ACM]]) [[Pratap Chandra Lal]], then [[General Manager]] of the [[Indian Airlines Corporation]] were passengers on this flight. After landing in Tokyo, on 8 November 1960, Mukerjee was having a meal in a restaurant with a friend, an officer in the [[Indian Navy]]. A piece of food got lodged in his [[windpipe]], [[choking]] him to death before a doctor could be called for. The next day, his body was flown to [[Palam Airport]], [[New Delhi]].{{sfn|Lal|1986|p=85}}

After Mukerjee's untimely demise, Engineer was appointed the next Air Chief in late November. On 1 December 1960, he took over as the second Indian Chief of the Air Staff.{{sfn|Chowdhury|2018}}{{sfn|Khan|2004|p=194}}

His rise to become the second Indian Chief of Air Staff inspired a generation of Parsi officers. A broader historical review of Parsi representation in the IAF, including Engineer’s role, is chronicled in this essay on community contributions to Indian military aviation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gupta |first=Anchit |title=The Faravahar Soars: Parsis in the IAF |url=https://iafhistory.in/2023/10/29/the-faravahar-soars-parsis-in-the-iaf/ |website=IAFHistory |date=29 October 2023 |access-date=5 May 2025}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=India General Service Medal 1947.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=United Kingdom Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=India General Service Medal 1936 BAR.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon - 1939-45 Star.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon - War_Medal_%26_MiD.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon India Service Medal.png|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="1"|[[General Service Medal 1947]]
|colspan="2"|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
|colspan="1"|[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
|-
|[[India General Service Medal (1936)|India General Service Medal]]
|[[1939–1945 Star]]
|[[War Medal 1939–1945]] (with [[Mentioned in dispatches|MID]] oak leaf)
|[[India Service Medal]] (1945)
|}

*Source:<ref>{{cite web |title=Vintage photo of Aspy Merwan Engineer 1963 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-photo-Aspy-Merwan-Engineer/dp/B01M0BINF0 |website=www.amazon.com}}</ref><ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" />

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF1B.svg|35px]] || [[Pilot Officer]] || [[Royal Indian Air Force]] || 15 July 1933
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF1A.svg|35px]] || [[Flying Officer]] || [[Royal Indian Air Force]] || 15 January 1935<ref name="Air_Force_List_Jan38">{{cite book|pages=1275–1276|title=The Air Force List: January 1938|publisher=HM Stationery Office|year=1938}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF2.svg|35px]] || [[Flight Lieutenant]] || [[Royal Indian Air Force]] || 15 January 1940<ref name="Air_Force_List_Oct40">{{cite book|pages=702|title=The Air Force List: October 1940|publisher=HM Stationery Office|year=1940}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF3.svg|35px]] || [[Squadron Leader]] || [[Royal Indian Air Force]] || 1 June 1941 (acting) 30 April 1943 (substantive)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" />
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF4.svg|35px]] || [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] || [[Royal Indian Air Force]] || 15 December 1944 (acting)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record">{{cite web |title=Service Record for Air Marshal Aspy Merwan Engineer 1554 GD(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/1554 |website=Bharat Rakshak |language=en-gb}}</ref> 2 May 1947 (substantive)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" />
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF5.svg|35px]] || [[Group Captain]] || [[Royal Indian Air Force]] || 2 November 1946 (acting)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" />
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF6.svg|35px]] || [[Air Commodore]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 15 August 1947 (acting)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" /> 15 August 1948 (substantive)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" />
|-
|align="center" |[[File:UK-Air-OF6.svg|35px]] || [[Air commodore (India)|Air Commodore]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveFirstPhase/HOME%20AFFAIRS/1950/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India – Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725065516/https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveFirstPhase/HOME%20AFFAIRS/1950/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=25 July 2021}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Air_Vice_Marshal_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 1 October 1954
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Air_Marshal_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 23 May 1959 (acting)<ref name="Bharat Rakshak service record" /><ref name="PIB 25-11-60"/> 1 December 1960 (substantive)<ref>{{cite web |title=AIR MARSHAL ENGINEER TAKES OVER |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1960-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1960-12-01_217.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=1 December 1960}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Later life==
He retired from the Indian Air Force on 31 July 1964, after which he served as India's ambassador to Iran.<ref name=Sorabji2012/> Around 1990, he moved to [[Southern California]] where he founded the California Zoroastrian Center.<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

==Death==
He died on 1 May 2002.<ref name=Sorabji2012/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{citation|first1=Prof. L. S. Seshagiri|last1=Rao|title=J. R. D. TATA|year=2000|isbn=9788128017438|publisher=Sapna Book House (P) Ltd.}}
*{{citation|first1=Mohindra S.|last1=Chowdhury|title=Defence of Europe by Sikh Soldiers in the World Wars|year=2018|isbn=9781788037983|publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd}}
*{{citation|first1=S.|last1=Sapru|title=Combat lore : Indian Air Force 1930-1945|year=2014|isbn=978-9383649259|publisher=KW Publishers Pvt Ltd}}
*{{citation|first1=J. A.|last1=Khan|title=Air Power And Challenges To IAF|year=2004|isbn=81-7648-593-4|publisher=APH Publishing Corporation}}
*{{citation|first1=A. S.|last1=Ahluwalia|title=Airborne to chairborne : memoirs of a war veteran aviator-lawyer of the Indian Air Force|year=2012|isbn=978-1469196572|publisher=Xlibris}}
*{{citation|first1=Murkot|last1=Ramunny|title=The sky was the limit |year=1997|isbn=978-8172110840|publisher=Northern Book Centre}}
*{{citation|first1=P.C.|last1=Lal|title=My years with the IAF|year=1986|isbn=8170620082|publisher=Lancer Publishers}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.britishpathe.com/video/from-india-in-17-days From India In 17 Days 1930], Movie footage of arrival at Croydon with Ramnath Chawla, March 1930
*[https://issuu.com/yazdi/docs/hamazor_12-2_ebook ''Hamazor Issue 2012 – 2 '']
*[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/images/history/ww2/engineers/AspyEngineerRecollections.pdf "Air Marshal Aspy Engineer's Recollections"]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=A B Awan}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Commanding Officer]] [[No. 2 Squadron IAF]] |years=1941–1942}}
{{s-aft|after=Habib Ullah Khan}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Subroto Mukerjee]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commanding Officer, [[PAF Base Kohat|RAF Station Kohat]]| years = 1944–1946}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mehar Singh (IAF officer)|Mehar Singh]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mehar Singh (pilot)|Mehar Singh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Air Officer Commanding]] [[Western Air Command (India)|No. 1 Operational Group]] |years=1948–1950}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Arjan Singh]]}}
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Subroto Mukerjee]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Deputy Chief of the Air Staff]]|years=1952–1958}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Diwan Atma Ram Nanda]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]] |years=1960–1964}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Arjan Singh]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vice admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] [[Ram Dass Katari]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee]]|years=1962–1964}}
{{S-aft|after=Vice Admiral [[Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman]]}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mirza Rashid Ali Baig]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Ambassador of India to [[Iran]] |years=1964–1966}}
{{s-aft|after=K V Padmanabhan}}
{{end}}

{{Chief of Defence Staff (India)}}
{{Chief_of_the_Air_Staff_(India)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Engineer, Aspy Merwan}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Indian military aviators]]
[[Category:Chiefs of the Air Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Indian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:People of the India–Pakistan war of 1947–1948]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Iran]]
[[Category:Parsi people]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell]]
[[Category:D. J. Sindh Government Science College alumni]]
[[Category:Irani (India) people]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies]]
[[Category:Deputy chiefs of Air Staff (India)]]
[[Category:People from Punjab Province (British India)]]

Aspy Engineer - Revision history

StephanieWentwor at 07:07, 19 March 2026