Pakistan Air Force Orbat 1947-48
v.1.0 March 31, 2002

Pushpindar Singh & Ravi Rikhye

Source: History of the PAF
[Unfortunately, we have lost the published date and other details. They will be provided as soon as we recover them.]

Headquarters in August 1947

• Air Vice Marshal A.L.A. Perry Keene (RAF) Air Commander, RPAF
• Group Captain M.K. Janjua,  Administration
• Group Captain E.J.P. Davy (RAF) Senior Air Staff Officer
• Group Captain E. Evans (RAF) Senior Technical Staff Officer
• Wing Commander D. Singleton (RAF) Senior Equipment Staff officer
• Wing Commander H. Raza, Air Staff Intelligence
• Wing Commander M. Rabb, Training Staff Officer
• Wing Commander R.F. Tibbey (RAF) Chief Signals Officer.

[Despite his last name, Wing Commander Rabb was a Pakistan national, one of only three in HQ at the formation of the Royal Pakistan Air Force.]

Aircraft Allotted and Given

From the joint Royal Indian Air Force, Pakistan’s aircraft share was:

Aircraft	Allotted	Given
Dakota	12	8
Tempest	35	16
Harvard	29	20
Tiger Moth	16	10
Auster	10	2

Serviceability was 50%, which is low, but then the British Empire was at peace in 1947 after a six-year war and all branches of the Indian armed forces were short of money for maintenance and reequipment.  The reason for the shortfall in actual transfer is not known ton us.  The Pakistanis say it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage their young air force; the Indians say that the very short notice given for partition and the messiness of the situation precluded a fair and accurate delivery.

PAF Orbat

• No. 5 Squadron (Tempest)
• No. 9 Squadron (Tempest)
• No. 12 Squadron (Dakota)
• No. 1 AOP Flight (Auster)
• Communications Flight (Harvard)

Operational Bases

• Peshawar
• Risalpur
• Chaklala
• Kohat

Support Bases

• No. 1 Aircraft Repair Depot (Lahore)
• Armament Depot (Naoshera – this was a minor facility of little consequence)

Statistics First Kashmir War 1947-48

• Fighter squadrons saw no action
• Transport squadron flew 437 sorties, dropping 500 tons of supplies in Northern Areas
• Harvards used for reconnaissance and communication flights