"I have seen most of this world through the eyes of the Royal Air Force"

By Sarwar Alam

When your grandfather, father, uncles, and 22 cousins either served or are currently serving in the Army, it seems like a no brainer that Sergeant Shiv Chand would follow suit and put on military uniform.

Whilst his family have had a decorated history in the Indian Army, it’s actually a traumatic event that is closest to Chand’s heart and played a key role in him joining the RAF.

“My father was a prisoner of war during World War II,” reveals Sgt Chand. “He was in the Dogra Regiment of the Indian Army. He was captured by Japanese forces whilst serving in Singapore. My grandparents first received telegrams to say he was missing and later they received one to say he was presumed dead.”

Sgt Chand says his grandparents went into ‘meltdown’ mourning the loss of their teenage son. But in April 1946, seven months after the end of World War II, he miraculously found his way back home to the Jalandhar District of Punjab.

“My grandfather worked in Raman Mandi train station in Punjab. One day one of his colleagues came running up to him and said he had seen his son, my father get off the train. My grandfather thought the man was mistaken and told him his son had died in the war. But the main insisted it was him and that he was marching with other soldiers to the local garrison town.

“My grandfather started running after the soldiers. He was able to get into the garrison base as he was previously in the Army and still went there to collect his pension. He ran up and down between the rows of soldiers and eventually found the son that he had lost all those years ago.”

Sgt Chand admits his father suffered greatly at the hands of Japanese soldiers before he was rescued by the British Army. Surely this experience must have led to his father leaving the Army and from Sgt Chand to ever wanting to join the military.

“My father stayed in the Army for another 16 years before retiring in 1962. He even served during Partition. He loved Army life,” he reveals.

Sgt Chand’s father came to England in 1963. He sadly passed away of a heart attack in 1975 when Sgt Chand was only 12 years old. For Sgt Chand, serving in the RAF was a way of making his father proud and keeping his memory alive.

“The Army gave my father a fantastic way of life. It taught him discipline, respect, and how to be a good person. He used what he learnt in the Army to raise us and his influence is still there in our family.”

Sgt Chand adds: “The Army is in my blood. My grandfather, father, uncles, cousins all served in the Army. At one time we had 22 cousins serving at the same time!”

The RAF, however, came into Sgt Chand’s life before he could take any steps towards the Army. As a 13-yar-old, he came across an RAF recruitment drive for their air training club for young cadets. Unsurprisingly, getting the chance to fly made the young Sgt Chand fall in love with the RAF.

He may have spent 33 years, and counting, in the RAF. But it wasn’t an easy road for him to get into the organisation.

“I wanted to be an aircraft technician in the RAF. But I failed the aptitude test when I first did it at the age of 19. Also, my mother didn’t want me to join as she had seen what my father went through as a solider during Partition and thought I would go through the same thing. Even though I knew life in the RAF would not be like that, I wanted to listen to my mother’s wishes.”

Sgt Chand ended-up doing a number of different odd-jobs such as working in an office and in a workshop.

It was the tragic passing of his older sister that brought the RAF back into his life.

“My sister suffered from muscular dystrophy. She was given six months to live but fought for three years. It was after she passed away, when I was still doing odd-jobs, that my mother came to me and said ‘you are not happy, are you?’. She actually said ‘a lifetime is a long time to sulk, just get on with it, just do it now’ and gave her blessing for me to try for the RAF again.”

This time he passed the aptitude test and joined the RAF on his 23rd birthday. He joined as a Logistics Supplier and he admits the reason he chose that trade was because it had the shortest training programme of just 11 weeks.

As a Logistics Officer, he provided the support required to keep RAF aircraft in the air, managing elements of the whole supply chain including: the purchasing and storage of equipment and fuel; logistics IT management systems; and global distribution by road, sea and air. He was responsible for organising the airlift of equipment and troops worldwide and for delivering catering and hospitality services to the RAF, both in the UK and overseas.

Looking back on it now, he is glad he chose that trade because it has led to an incredible career.

“I have been in the RAF for 33 years and it gave me the boost in my life which I wanted, which I needed and it still does to this day.

“From the very first moment of graduating and seeing the pride on my mum’s face sat in the front row to getting the chance to seen most of this world through the eyes of the Royal Air Force.

"I specialise in aviation fuels so anywhere a helicopter needed fuel, we would be there and this put me just about every corner of this planet.”

His list of countries he has served is indeed impressive...Northern Ireland, United States, South America, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Middle East, Oman, Jordan, Afghanistan and many more!

He experienced some wonderful memories such as helping build an Army school in Afghanistan and provide training to the Afghan nation guard. There have been some difficult times as well, especially when he served during the Bosnian War and in Northern Ireland in the 90s.

“You know what, if I could back 33 years and have the knowledge I do now, I would still do it again. Without a second thought I’d do it again,” says Sgt Chand,

"The RAF has made me into who I am today. It’s been a challenge. A challenge that I have immensely enjoyed.”

Sgt Chand’s hope now is that people from his background, others from the BAME community will follow in his path. He has been working as a Specialist Engagement officer for almost two years to show how the RAF has “transformed” in the time he has been there.

He says: “If the individuals give the Royal Air force a chance to do its magic on them, then they will have this magical journey,” he says.

In April 1986, when Sgt Chand joined, he was the only Asian in his training group. Now he says the RAF, has seen a steady and healthy increase in many from the diverse communities of the UK.

The RAF is full of Asians and the organisation has worked hard to cater for the needs of people from all backgrounds.

“I go up and down the country to Mosques, Mandirs, Temples, Gurdwaras, schools and colleges giving presentations telling people what a career in the RAF is like. There are so many roles in the RAF, you can be a pilot, an engineer, an electrician, a dental nurse, a pharmacy technician, a radiographer, a medical officer and many more.

“And the RAF is for everyone. Every single religion is respected, and the RAF supports people of different faiths and backgrounds. For example. if you are a Muslim, you’ll have halal meat. There is vegetarian, non-vegetarian meals. Muslim soldiers get time off for Eid. We are actually taking groups of Muslim personnel from the Armed Forces for Umrah and Hajj.”

As he edges closer to almost four decades in the RAF, what does Sgt Chand think his father would have made of his achievements

“I pray that he looks down and says, “my son made me proud”. He was a very proud soldier, I’m a very proud airman. One day I’ll meet him and he will say “well done son”.