Lucknow: Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, a decorated Indian Air Force fighter pilot who shot down a Pakistani Sabre jet during the 1965 India-Pakistan war and was awarded the Vir Chakra, died at the Base Hospital in New Delhi on Friday. He was 87.Cooke is survived by two sons and a daughter. His last rites will be held on Wednesday in the presence of family and friends.For Lucknow, Cooke’s death revives the memory of a former resident scholar of La Martiniere College whose early years in the city preceded a combat career that became part of the institution’s lore.Cooke studied at La Martiniere College from 1950 to 1958, living in Lyon House during his eight years as a boarder.After completing school, he joined Indian Air Force in 1961. He went on to fly Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft with No. 14 Squadron, based at Kalaikunda. He served for seven years and left the force in 1968, later settling in Australia.His most noted combat action took place on Sept 7, 1965, when Kalaikunda airfield in West Bengal came under attack by Pakistani Sabre aircraft.Cooke, leading two Indian aircraft on combat air patrol, moved to intercept the attackers even as Indian anti-aircraft guns opened fire. The official Vir Chakra citation recorded that he outmanoeuvred the enemy and shot down one Sabre, which disintegrated mid-air. He then manoeuvred behind another aircraft but had exhausted his ammunition, and continued pressing the engagement until the remaining Pakistani aircraft withdrew. The citation credited his courage, leadership and devotion to duty.Cooke maintained ties with his school and squadron decades after his service. In 2015, La Martiniere College honoured him and other alumni who had served in the armed forces during an event marking 50 years since the 1965 war. That year, he also returned to No. 14 Squadron and presented his Vir Chakra to the unit.According to La Martiniere College Bursar Adrian Michael, Cooke came from a middle-class Anglo-Indian family and chose a life of service.“His years at La Martiniere were an important part of his formative years,” he said. Cooke’s brother, Bryan Cooke, was also an alumnus and later taught at the college.La Martiniere College lowered its flag to half-mast as a mark of respect. Cooke had returned to India for a programme organised by No. 14 Squadron in Ambala, but died a day before the scheduled tribute event.
