Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat was a Pakistani fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, before being shot down on 12 December 1971.
12 Facts About Mervyn Middlecoat
1.
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Mervyn Middlecoat was one of a number of distinguished Pakistani strike and fighter pilots of the period.
3.
Mervyn Middlecoat's parents were Percy and Daisy Middlecoat.
4.
Mervyn Middlecoat received his early education at Lawrence College Murree, St Anthony's High School and Burn Hall College Abbottabad.
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Mervyn Middlecoat joined the PAF, passed out of the 16th General Duty Pilot Course in 1954, and won the Best Performance Trophy in ground subjects.
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Soft-spoken and mild mannered, Mervyn Middlecoat was considered to be the epitome of an officer and a gentleman, besides being an outstanding pilot.
7.
The Indian pilot who shot him down, Flight Lieutenant Bharat Bhushan Soni, saw Mervyn Middlecoat eject and his parachute deploy.
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Bharat Bhushan 8.
Such was Mervyn Middlecoat's renown as a fighter pilot, leader and teacher that King Hussein of Jordan, a keen pilot, wrote to Mervyn Middlecoat's widow, Jeanne, stating that his death was a personal loss.
9.
The King requested that Mervyn Middlecoat be buried with the Jordanian flag under his head if he was to be wrapped in the Pakistani flag.
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Mervyn Middlecoat had fought for the King earlier during the Six-Day War with Israel in June 1967.
11.
Mervyn Middlecoat returned to Pakistan immediately and joined operations with such keen interest that he inspired all squadron pilots.
12.
Mervyn Middlecoat was heard to be ejecting in Indian territory and was officially declared missing in action.