India

IAF Marks 104th Birthday of Veteran Wing Commander Cecil Barretto

By Bhanu Pratap

On Sunday, October 25, the Indian Air Force celebrated the 104th birthday of Wing Commander Cecil Barretto (Retd), a veteran who served in World War II, the 1947–48 Kashmir War and helped found the Air Force’s Dental Branch. Barretto, a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), began his career in the Army Dental Corps in February 1945. He was one of two officers seconded to the IAF in 1956 to establish its Dental Branch, taking command of the centre at Jalahalli. He later commanded the Military Dental Centre at Panaji, Goa, where he also treated Army and other service personnel.

On the anniversary, a team from the Airmen Training School (ATS), Belagavi, accompanied by Air Vice Marshal S J Nanodkar (Retd), president of the Air Force Association’s Goa Branch, visited Barretto at his home in Goa and felicitated him in the presence of his family. The IAF Training Command posted, “Once an Air Warrior, Always an Air Warrior!” to reaffirm its commitment to honouring veterans.

Barretto was born on 25 October 1922 and held service number 5232. He retired on 16 December 1975. His VSM citation, reproduced in the Bharat Rakshak Indian Air Force Database, praised his duty during World War II, his service in Jammu and Kashmir after independence, and his professional competence while serving across multiple stations.

A historian, Anchit Gupta, noted that Barretto was one of four brothers who reached senior ranks in the Indian Armed Forces, and that their father, Dr Cristovam da Gama Barretto, was Mahatma Gandhi’s dentist at Wardha. Gupta described Barretto as potentially the oldest surviving IAF officer and welcomed the Air Force’s gesture of honour.

Barretto’s career, spanning wartime dental care and the establishment of a key Air Force branch, remains a significant part of India’s military heritage.