Bot at 13:26, 8 October 2022

2022-10-08T13:26:06Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian Air Force Vir Chakra recipient (born 1933)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]]
| name = Denzil Joseph Keelor
| honorific_suffix = [[PVSM]], [[Kirti Chakra|KC]], [[AVSM]], [[VrC]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Air Marshal Denzil Joseph Keelor
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1933|12|07|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Lucknow]], [[British India]]
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| birth_name =
| allegiance = India
| branch = [[India Air Force]]
| serviceyears = 1954 - 1991
| rank = [[File:India-AirForce-OF-8-collected.svg|30px]] [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]]
| servicenumber = 4805
| unit =
| commands = [[Maharajpur Air Force Station]] [[Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment]] [[No. 4 Squadron IAF|4 Squadron]]
| battles = [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
| battles_label =
| awards = [[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] [[File:Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Kirti Chakra]] [[File:Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] [[File:Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg|20px]] [[Vir Chakra]]
| spouse =
| relations = [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Trevor Keelor]] (brother)
| laterwork =
| signature =
| website =
| other_name =
| memorials =
| signature_size =
| signature_alt =
| module =
}}

[[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] '''Denzil Keelor''' [[PVSM]], [[Kirti Chakra|KC]], [[AVSM]], [[VrC]] (born 7 December 1933) is a retired [[air officer]] of the [[Indian Air Force]] and a hero of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]].<ref name=mgl>[http://mangalorean.com/browsearticles.php?arttype=Feature&articleid=637 Sabre Killers- Keelor Brothers Denzil Keelor at Mangalorean.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220140/http://mangalorean.com/browsearticles.php?arttype=Feature&articleid=637 |date=27 September 2007 }} accessed June 2007</ref> He had a younger brother [[Trevor Keelor|Trevor]], who was also honoured for his service in the [[Indian Air Force]]. The brothers were both awarded the [[Vir Chakra]] for shooting down [[Pakistan Air Force]] [[North American F-86 Sabre|Sabres]].<ref name=mgl/>

==Early life==
Keelor was born on 7 December 1933 to Elizabeth and Charles Keelor in [[Lucknow]]. He attended [[St. Francis' College|St. Francis’ College, Lucknow]].

==Military career==
Keelor was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 6 November 1954. He scored a kill during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]].

===Vir Chakra===
Denzil Keelor's first award was the [[Vir Chakra]] in 1965. The citation for the [[Vir Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=SQUADRON LEADER DENZIL KEELOR {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/squadron-leader-denzil-keelor |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vir Chakra (VrC), Awardee: Air Mrshl Denzil Keelor, PVSM, KC, AVSM, VrC, VM @ TWDI |url=http://twdi.in/node/4040 |website=twdi.in}}</ref>
{{Quotation|Gazette Notification: 133 Pres/65, 22-9-65
Operation: 1965 Riddle
Date of Award: 19 Sep 1965

{{center|'''CITATION''' 
'''SQUADRON LEADER DENZIL KEELOR''' 
'''(4805) GD (P)'''}}
On the 19th September 1965, Squadron Leader Denzil Keelor was providing fighter escort to Mystere aircraft during a strike mission in the operations against Pakistan. His section of four Gnat aircraft was engaged by four enemy Sabre jet aircraft and the battle was fought at a height of less than 2000 feet from the ground where enemy anti-aircraft guns were also active. Under his guidance, his sub-section leader shot down a Sabre jet aircraft. Thereafter Squadron Leader Keelor himself engaged another Sabre Jet and crippled it.

Throughout the operations Squadron Leader Denzil Keelor was a source of inspiration to his pilots and ground personnel. His courage and devotion to duty were in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.|sign=|source=}}

Keelor took command of the [[No. 4 Squadron IAF|4 Squadron]] in early January 1973. The squadron was based out of [[Tezpur Air Force Station]]. In 1977, he took over as the [[Commandant]] of the [[Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment]] (TACDE), the premier training establishment of the Indian Air Force which trains the best fighter pilots in aerial combat.<ref name="bharat-rakshak.com">{{cite web |title=Service Record for Air Marshal Denzil Joseph Keelor 4805 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/4805 |website=Bharat Rakshak |language=en-gb}}</ref>

===Kirti Chakra===
The citation for the [[Kirti Chakra]] reads as follows:<ref name="bharat-rakshak.com"/>
{{Quotation|Date of Award: 27 Mar 1978

{{center|'''CITATION''' 
'''GROUP CAPTAIN DENZIL KEELOR, VrC''' 
''' (4805) FLYING (PILOT)'''}}
On the 27th March, 1978, while Group Captain Denzil Keelor was flying a combat aircraft at high altitude, its canopy flew off and this exposed him to explosive decompression ad severe wind blast. His eyes, ear-drum and left arm were injured and he experienced great difficulty in controlling the aircraft. Although abandoning the aircraft in the circumstances would have been justified, he decided to recover the aircraft. Under these adverse conditions, wherein he was not able to have a proper view due to wind blast, and that too only with one eye, he brought the aircraft back to base and executed a safe emergency landing.

Again, on 17th May 1978, during a live airto-air sortie, a 23 mm High Explosive shell burst as it left the gun muzzle. Shrapnel damaged the aircraft and caused total failure and a serious throttle restriction. The cone extended fully and the associated engine rumbling and surge gave every indication of engine bearing failure. Without electric instruments and Radio Telephony, Group Captain Keelor had no way of either knowing what had happened or of asking for assistance. Assuming that the engine bearing had failed, he decided to attempt am emergency recovery. With his flying skill and experience, he returned to the airfield, set up a flame out pattern and executed a safe landing. The throttle was stuck at 60% revolutions per minute, and in spite of this he was able to stop the aircraft without damage.

Group Captain Denzil Keelor thus displayed conspicuous courage, exemplary professional skill and devotion to duty of an exceptional order.

Gp. Capt. Keelor who had rich and wide combat experience and the destruction of a Sabre aircraft to his credit, was flying a MiG-21 FL on 27 Mar 78, when due to structural failure the canopy of the aircraft detached and flew off. Gp Capt Keelor felt sudden decompression and loss of control, but managed to fly back to base and execute a safe emergency landing without the canopy. Later on 17 May 78, during firing trials one of the 23 mm Cannon Shells exploded causing extensive damage and total electrical failure to his aircraft. He successfully executed another safe landing back at his airbase.|sign=|source=}}

From 1980 to 1982, Keelor served as the [[air attaché]] at the Embassy of India in [[Paris]], France, in the rank of [[air commodore]]. He later took over command of the [[Maharajpur Air Force Station]] as [[air officer commanding]].
Keelor was awarded with the [[Ati Vishist Seva Medal]] on 26 January 1986 and the [[Param Vishist Seva Medal]] on 26 Jan 1989.<ref name=oldmartinians>[http://www.oldmartinians.co.uk/page102.html 'Sabre Killers – Keelor Brothers' from Old Martinians' UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827140305/http://oldmartinians.co.uk/page102.html |date=27 August 2007 }} accessed July 2007</ref>

He retired in 1991. Following his retirement he worked as the president of the [[YMCA]] for ten years. He was the chairman of [[Special Olympics Bharat]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://specialolympicsbharat.org/images/reg.pdf|title=Special Olympics Bharat|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|
|[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg|105px]]
|
|-
|colspan="4"|[[File:Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]] [[Image:Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg|105px]] [[File:Wound Medal-India.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:India General Service Medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Samar Seva Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Poorvi Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Paschimi Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND Raksha Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Sangram Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND 25th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| colspan="2"|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
| colspan="2"|[[Kirti Chakra]]
|-
| colspan="1"|[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
| colspan="2"|[[Vir Chakra]]
| colspan="1"|[[Wound Medal (India)|Wound Medal]]
|-
|[[General Service Medal 1947|General Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Samar Seva Star]]
|[[Poorvi Star]]
|[[Paschimi Star]]
|-
|[[Awards and Decorations of the Indian Armed Forces|Raksha Medal]]
|[[Sangram Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|25th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|30 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keelor, Denzil}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Indian aviators]]
[[Category:Pilots of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:La Martinière College, Lucknow alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:YMCA leaders]]

Denzil Keelor - Revision history

Bot at 13:26, 8 October 2022