Mervyn Middlecoat Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat ( July 1940 – 12 December 1971 ) was a Pakistan Air Force ( PAF ) fighter pilot 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 . He was credited with several air - to - air kills and was one of a number of distinguished Pakistani strike and fighter pilots of the period . Before his death he was stationed in Karachi , Pakistan where he flew the F - 104 Starfighter . Early life . Middlecoat was born in Ludhiana , India , in July 1940 . His parents were Percy and Daisy Middlecoat . He received his early education at St . Anthony ' s High School ( Lahore ) and Lawrence College Murree . Middlecoat joined the PAF , passed out of the 16th General Duty Pilot ( GDP ) Course in 1954 , and won the Best Performance Trophy in ground subjects . Soft spoken and mild mannered , Middlecoat was considered to be the epitome of an officer and a gentleman , besides also being an outstanding pilot . Although he flew a number of different aircraft during his service career , he came to master the F - 104 Starfighter . On September 27 , 1957 , he married Jane , the daughter of a Christian family from Karachi . On October 21 , 1959 , a daughter named Leslie Ann was born to the Middlecoats . 1965 Indo - Pakistani War . A Flight Lieutenant in 1965 , Middlecoat was stationed at Masroor Airbase . The night Karachi was attacked by the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) , PAF F - 86 Sabre s responded with an aggressive defence . Middlecoat flew an F - 86 in which he shot down two IAF aircraft , killing both pilots . He was credited with defending Karachi from the Indian Air Force . Later he was transferred to PAF Lahore where he joined Mushaf Airbase under the leadership of Air Commodore W . J . M . Turowicz . During the war Middlecoat commanded No . 9 Squadron Griffins as a Squadron Leader . He kept the morale of the Squadron very high and guided his pilots in a highly professional manner . During the three - week war , Middlecoat flew 17 air defence sorties and three photo reconnaissance missions over forward Indian airbases . For his leadership and devotion to duty , he was awarded the Sitara - i - Jurat , the third highest award in the Pakistani military , in 1965 . Operation Amritsar Radar . Promoted to Wing Commander , at the outbreak of war on 3 December 1971 Middlecoat was on a training visit abroad in Egypt . He returned to Pakistan immediately and joined operations with such keen interest that he inspired all the squadron pilots . He was one of the six strike command officers who were selected to conduct the aerial operation " Amritsar Radar " , and was assigned to attack the heavily defended Indian airbase at Jamnagar on 12 December , the day after his return . After strafing aircraft parked on the runway , Middlecoat and his wingman were forced to abort their mission after they were bounced by two IAF MIG - 21 aircraft from No . 47 Squadron IAF . Middlecoat quickly reduced altitude , and maintained a high speed . He managed to deflect the first missile , however at a range of just he was shot down over the Gulf of Kutch . The Indian pilot that shot him down , Flight Lieutenant Bharat Bhushan Soni , saw Middlecoat eject into the Arabian Sea , and contacted a nearby IAF base to send a rescue team , however he was nowhere to be found when they reached the site . Middlecoat had ejected in shark infested waters and it was considered unlikely that he survived . Declared missing in action , he was posthumously awarded a Bar to the Sitara - i - Jurat . His remains were never found . The aviator king Hussein of Jordan wrote to Middlecoat ' s widow stating that his death was a personal loss for the King , requesting to bury him with the Jordanian national flag under his head if he was to be wrapped in the Pakistani flag . Middlecoat had fought for the King earlier during the Six Day War war with Israel .