<P> On 8 October 1932, the six Indians cadets were commissioned in the Royal Air Force . On the same day, the Indian Air Force Act was passed by the Indian Legislative Assembly, and the Indian Air Force was born . Subroto was commissioned as a pilot . After completing their training at Cranwell, the Indian pilots passed through the Army Cooperation School at Old Sarum in Wiltshire . They served in RAF squadrons before coming back to India to serve Indian Air Force . On 1 April 1933, "A" Flight of the No 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force, was formed at Karachi . Subroto was one of the five Indian pilots who made up the flight . The flight was equipped with four Westland Wapiti biplanes . </P> <P> A rebellion took place in North West Frontier region (India--Afghanistan border) in 1936, led by the Pukhtoon tribes . The Indian Air Force would play a major role in controlling the rebellion in the harsh terrains of the region . Subroto Mukerjee was awarded India General Service Medal with clasps "North West Frontier 1936 - 37", and "North West Frontier 1937 - 39" and "Mentioned - in - Despatches" in 1942 for service during the operations in North West Frontier Province . </P> <P> Subroto Mukerjee was one of the three flying officers of the three flights of No. 1 Squadron of IAF in 1938 . Coastal Defence Flights (CDFs) of the Indian Air Force Volunteer Reserve were formed with the outbreak of World War II . At the outbreak of war in 1939, Mukerjee was the senior-most Indian commissioned officer in the IAF . By June 1940, he had been promoted to the acting rank of Squadron Leader and taken over command of No 1 Squadron, IAF . He had many "first" s to his credit: the first Indian to command a Flight, a Squadron, a Station (Kohat), and finally, the Service itself . He was also the first IAF pilot to carry out an airdrop over a beleaguered army picket . He commanded RAF Station Kohat from August 1943 till December 1944 . In June 1945 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Military Division). </P> <P> India became independent from British rule on 15 August 1947 . However, due to partition of India, assets of the Indian Air Force (like other branches of the military) had to be divided between the new countries of India and Pakistan . The first three Air Chiefs of independent India, Air Marshals Sir Thomas Elmhirst KBE, CB, AFC, Sir Ronald Ivelaw Chapman, KBE, CBE, DFC, AFC, and Sir Gerald Ernest Gibbs, KBE, CIE, MC, were from the RAF . The IAF had to reorganise itself after the partition . Subroto assisted the Air Chiefs in reorganising the IAF . He went to the Imperial Defence College in England for further training in 1952 . </P>

Who led the fly past on 15 aug 1947