India was involved in what could be termed as the 'birth pangs of military aviation'. The early exploits of the Royal Air Force, the obstacles created by the British towards the creation and expansion of the Indian Air Force and its exemplary work in North West Frontier and Burma are neither fully recorded nor well known. The credit for many military aviation firsts goes to India. Amongst these are: • the first tactical reconnaissance in the world (1911), • the first airlift of civilians from a besieged country (Afghanistan 1928), • the first-ever battle to be won by air power alone (Pink's War 1925), • the first and the only instance of a war/battle being named after an individual (Pink's War once again), • the first casualty air evacuation by helicopter (Burma on 21 April 1944). This book covers the significant historical events like the formation of the Indian Flying Corps in 1915 and its action in WW I; the first-ever and the only time in India when unarmed civilians were bombed and strafed at Amritsar and Gujranwala immediately after the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre; the plan to gas the tribals by dropping gas bombs from the air (1919) (fortunately, it was vetoed by London); the adverse discrimination of the Indian Air Force personnel shown by the British and the former's suitable response by their exceptional performance in various operations which surpassed those of most of the RAF units. Finally, we cannot forget the drama of the division of the Royal Indian Air Force and its reconstitution as the air forces of India and Pakistan. The Beginning attempts to describe these events as part of the evolution of military aviation in India from its start in 1901 till we gained Independence in 1947.