{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Squadron Leader | name = Rana Tej Pratap Singh Chhina | honorific_suffix = MBE | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1960}} | death_date = | birth_place = Delhi, India | death_place = | burial_place = | burial_label = | burial_coordinates = | nickname = | birth_name = | allegiance = {{IND}} | branch = {{air force|India}} | service_years = 1981–1997 | rank = Squadron leader | service_number = 16389 | unit = | commands = | battles = | battles_label = | awards = MacGregor Medal<br/>Member of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Officer of the Order of Leopold | spouse = | relations = | other_work = Military historian | signature = | website = | other_name = | memorials = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | module = }}
Squadron Leader '''Rana Tej Pratap Singh Chhina''', MBE (born 1960) is a writer, a military historian and a veteran of the Indian Air Force.
==Military career== Born and raised in New Delhi, Chhina was selected for the National Defence Academy in 1976, shortly after graduating from St. Columba's School. He was commissioned into the flying branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a pilot officer on 11 June 1981.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=84 |date=16 January 1982 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He served with distinction as a helicopter pilot in all sectors in which the IAF was operational. From 1990 to 1993 he was an IAF flight instructor.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
==Military historian== After retiring from active service in 1997 as a squadron leader, Chhina became a historian of the IAF,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Books/Review-EagleStrikes.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104234618/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Books/Review-EagleStrikes.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-11-04|title=Book Review: THE EAGLE STRIKES - The Royal Indian Air Force 1932-1950|date=2006-11-04|access-date=2019-12-11|website=Bharat Rakshak}}</ref> the former British Indian Army, and Indian military medals and decorations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Rana-Chhina/e/B001JONO54?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share| title=Books by Rana Chhina |website=Amazon|access-date=2019-12-11}}</ref>
Chhina is the secretary and editor at the United Service Institution of India (USI) Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, New Delhi, and is the vice-president of the Indian Military Historical Society (IMHS), UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://durbaronline.co.uk/committee.htm|title=The Indian Military Historical Society|website=durbaronline.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920081946/http://durbaronline.co.uk/committee.htm|archive-date=20 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>{{when|date=April 2020}} He is also a member of the IAF Aerospace Museum Apex Steering Committee and the Government of India's Archival Advisory Board, and was a member of the joint USI–MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) Steering Committee responsible for coordinating international and national commemoration of India's participation in the First World War in connection with the centenary of the conflict.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indiaww1.in/organisingteam.aspx|title=India and The Great War|website=indiaww1.in|access-date=2019-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211194807/http://indiaww1.in/organisingteam.aspx|archive-date=11 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/archive-news/|title=Hindustan Times - Archive News|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2019-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010062814/http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1847058%2C000600010003.htm|archive-date=10 October 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/long-war-indias-too/cid/221133|title=Long War, India's too|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=2019-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211194844/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/long-war-indias-too/cid/221133|archive-date=11 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016 Chhina was awarded an Honorary MBE for services to First World War centenary commemorations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Honorary Awards |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/581724/2016_Honorary_awards_V4.pdf |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk}}</ref>
==Books==
===As author=== *''The Indian Distinguished Service Medal''<ref>Harfield, Alan. Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, vol. 81, no. 325, 2003, pp. 83–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44230924. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.</ref> (2001) *''The Eagle Strikes''<ref>{{Cite web | title=THE EAGLE STRIKES : The Royal Indian Air Force 1932-1950 – Indian Air Force | url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/books/reviews/eagle-strikes/ | access-date=2026-05-10 | website=www.bharat-rakshak.com}}</ref> (2006) *''The Indian Army: An Illustrated Overview''<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.usiofindia.org/pdf/July%20-%20Sept%202007-1-2.pdf | title=The Indian Army : An Illustrated Overview | website=www.usiofindia.org}}</ref> (2007) *''Medals and decorations of independent India''<ref>{{Cite web | title=Medals and Decorations of Independent India – Indian Army | url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/army/books/haynes-chinna/ | access-date=2026-05-10 | website=www.bharat-rakshak.com}}</ref> (2008) *''Indian Order of Merit'' (with Cliff Parrett, of the Indian Military Historical Society (IMHS))<ref> Harfield, Alan. Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, vol. 81, no. 325, 2003, pp. 83–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44230924. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.</ref> (2010) *''India And The First World War 1914-1918'' (2014) *''Last Post Indian War Memorials Around the World''<ref>{{Cite web| title=Last Post - Indian War Memorials Around the World | url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/23460_IWM_Book__11-06-2014_.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629183639/http://mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/23460_IWM_Book__11-06-2014_.pdf | archive-date=2014-06-29}}</ref>(2014) {{ISBN|978-81-902097-9-3}} *''India in Flanders Fields'' <ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.usiofindia.org/pdf/1%20-%202018%20Jan-Mar-13-20-7-8.pdf | title=Officer of the Order of Leopold | website=www.usiofindia.orgFix bare URLs, add titles}}</ref>(co-author) (2017)
===As editor === *''For the honour of India: a history of Indian peacekeeping'', by Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar<ref>{{Cite web| title=For the Honour of India: A History of Indian Peacekeeping | url=https://www.usiofindia.org/pdf/SI%20Journal%20April%20-%20June%202009-26-27.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216211332/https://usiofindia.org/pdf/SI%20Journal%20April%20-%20June%202009-26-27.pdf | archive-date=2026-02-16}}</ref> (2009)
==References== {{Reflist}} *
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chhina, Rana Tejpal Singh}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Indian historians Category:Indian Air Force officers Category:Indian military aviators Category:Indian military historians Category:Indian military writers Category:Indian aviation record holders Category:Rotorcraft flight record holders Category:Recipients of the MacGregor Medal Category:St. Columba's School, Delhi alumni