THE GLACIER SORTIE

Long back sometime in 1987. I and Mike (Mad) Periera were on a temporary detatchment at Base Camp from the Srinagar Sqn. Mike from 19 Flt and I from 30. The AOC Srinagar base and our sqn CO as well as our respective flt cdrs were probably happy that both of us (more applicable to Mike, less to me) were 'away' for a month or so. It was 'normal' everyday flying in the Glacier, we have all done it. Recce, inducting/ de-inducting soldiers, carrying batteries, radios, sometimes ammunition, Kero, food, letters, cas-evacs and a few shoots thrown in (it was pretty hot those days)---- So one day as we landed back, low on fuel, with Mike grumbling about the weather and blaming me for the tense 8 minutes of 'red light on' flying (it did not matter that I was the junior pilot, that I was not the captain, that I was on the left seat and that I had no control over the weather-- but all that was not relevant to Mike ofcourse) we found the Base Cdr (who was also the CO of the Bn 'inside') waiting near the helipad. He had received a radio message that the body of one of the Bn soldiers who had disappeared in an avalanche a few weeks back had been found near his post. Near Siala I think. Could we bring him to BC for his last rites. Ofcourse we could; and we would. A quick coffee, TRS, refuelling and we were off. The soldiers at the destination were waiting. The body was wrapped in a White shroud, probably torn from a para. Seemed a rather large bundle. And stiff as a board, pardon me. It took a couple of soldiers with some difficulty to lay him at the rear, seats folded. Along with him were loaded his kit and some personal effects, rifle etc. The starboard (captain side) cabin door could be locked, but the feet of the 'package' prevented the port door, behind me, from being fully closed. No problem, I was leaning back and holding it close, keeping it fairly flush. I knew if I left it, the downwash/ slipstream could wrench it free and it could hit the tail rotor. About 10 minutes after take off we recieved a call requesting that we pick up his brother whose company was deployed at one of the posts near Kumar. As happens in infantry bns, both brothers had enlisted and joined the same bn. Twins as we learnt later on. So with a slight diversion, we made an approach to the helipad nearest the post. In the surreal White expanse, horrizon barely discernible, a couple of soldiers in ghostly White uniforms, Cortina's and Koflach boots were waiting. They helped a soldier with his rifle and a bag to clamber aboard. A tight fit, no seats. He crouched, half sitting, half standing. We took off with me sitting partly twisted to the left pulling the cabin door closed, Mike flying. I noticed the soldier getting agitated and trying to undo the shroud. He would move from one side to the other trying to rip the cloth. My efforts to talk to him over the engine noise and to calm him had no effect. He would stare at me blankly. All this while I was facing the rear sideways, holding the door handle while Mike was flying looking ahead and not trying to look at what was happening at the back. Anyway, a few seconds later the soldier managed to uncover the face of his brother. I caught a glimpse of the dead soldiers face, still imprinted in my mind and it was then that his brother lost it and started sobbing, shaking his head and shouting incoherrently. I remember him repeating; 'mein maa ko jaake kya batuan ga, bhaiyon ki jori toot gayi--'. And then he started hitting his fists on his face. All I could do was to reach out and path his shoulder in my efforts to calm him. Mike yelled over the intercom, 'be careful, he may jump out'. In any case I would not have been able to hold him if he had decided to push open the cabin door. By now we were on finals to BC and we saw the CO, SM and a bunch of soldiers waiting at the helipad. It was with some relief and sadness we saw his unit soldiers take charge, unload the remains and take away the still sobbing soldier. Some incidents of service flying remain deeply etched in ones memory. This was one such incident.