People, Positions and Obituaries · 21 September 2026
Vir Chakra-winning 1965 war veteran Alfred Tyrone Cooke passes away
Exam-focused facts from the 21 September 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, a 1965 Indo-Pak War hero and Vir Chakra awardee, died at Base Hospital in New Delhi.
- The Vir Chakra, India's third-highest wartime gallantry award, was given to Cooke for his role in the air battle over Kalaikunda in West Bengal during an air attack launched from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, on September 7, 1965.
- According to his gallantry award citation, Cooke shot down a Pakistan Air Force Sabre jet during the 1965 war while flying a Hawker Hunter with his wingman, Flying Officer Subodh Chandra Mamgain, holding off a force three times their size.
- Cooke settled in Australia after retiring from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and was in India to attend an event organised by his former unit, 14 Squadron.