Indra Lal Roy was born to a Bengali zamindar family in Calcutta on Dec 2, 1898. During World War 1 Roy became the sole Indian World War I flying ace. During the first World War, Roy was studying at St Paul's School in London. Lt Indra Lal Roy was just 18 years when he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps. In just 170 hours of flying, Lt Indra Lal Roy shot down 10 enemy aircraft, thus becoming a full ace. Roy was killed over Carvin on 22 July 1918 in a dog fight against the Fokker D.VIIs of Jagdstaffel 29. He was awarded with Britain's third-highest gallantry award — the Flying Cross.