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My friend Burjor…
Cmde Burjor Vachha and I were the first two Parsi officers flying from the deck of the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in the early 1960s and, to the best of my knowledge, the last. A young short service commissioned Parsi officer named Zariab Ranji is at present flying helicopters in the Indian Navy. Burjor was attached to 310 Squadron, based at Cochin, flying the anti-submarine Alize aircraft and I was with 300 Squadron at Goa, flying the Seahawk jet.
Cmde Burjor Vachha: a great flyer
He was a great flyer and a true friend, but I think he was an even better musician, whether at the keyboard or strings. I have seen him regale members in a club playing the piano and the violin until the wee hours of the morning without repeating a single piece. He was extremely meticulous in whatever he did, quite often to the extent of it being painful. As a result of this predilection, he often lost track of time and was invariably late for a flying briefing, academic class, social event or even a domestic chore. I called him Mr Late Latiff.
Fifty years ago, in September 1965, during the Indo-Pak conflict, 310 Squadron was ordered to move from Cochin on operational deployment. The Alizes took off in the morning and the rest of the squadron personnel and equipment were to move in the two Air Force Dakota aircraft positioned at Cochin. Burjor was scheduled to fly the first Dakota but when it was time to embark, he was missing. He was late. The aircraft’s departure could not be delayed, so a young officer, who was to have flown the second aircraft, was asked to take his place.
The first Dakota was airborne on schedule, without Burjor on board. A short while after takeoff, it crashed. There were no survivors.
I never ever called my friend Mr Late Latiff again.
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