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Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji
Manekshaw (b. 1914) was the India|Indian Army
Chief of Staff who led the Indian forces during
the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Field Marshal Sam
Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was born in
Amritsar, Punjab on 3 April 1914. After completing
his schooling in Amritsar and Sherwood
College(Nainital), he joined the first batch of 40
cadets at Indian Military Academy(IMA), Dehra Dun
on 1 October 1932. He passed out of the IMA in
December 1934 and was commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant in the Indian Army. He held several
regimental assignments and was first attached to
the Royal Scouts and later to the 12 Frontier
Force Rifles. 

During World War II, he saw action in the Burma
campaign on Sittang river and has the rare
distinction of being honoured for his bravery on
the battle front itself. During World War II, he
was leading a counter-offensive against the
invading Japanese Army in Burma. As he charged
forward with his men, a Japanese soldier suddenly
emerged from the bushes and fired at him, wounding
him seriously in the stomach. Fortunately, Major
General D.T. Cowan spotted Manekshaw holding on to
life and was aware of his valour in face of stiff
resistance from the Japanese. Fearing the worst,
Major General Cowan quickly pinned his own
Military Cross ribbon on to Manekshaw saying, "A
dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross."

Having recovered from those near-fatal wounds in
Burma, Manekshaw went for a course at Staff
College, Quetta and later also served there as an
instructor before being sent to join 12 Frontier
Force Rifles in Burma under General (later Field
Marshal) Slim's 14th Army. He was once again
involved in a fierce battle with the Japanese, and
was wounded for a second time. Towards the close
of World War II, Manekshaw was sent as Staff
Officer to General Daisy in Indo-China where,
after the Japanese surrender, he helped
rehabilitate over 10,000 POWs. He, then, went on a
six-month lecture tour to Australia in 1946, and
after his return served as a First Grade Staff
Officer in the Military Operations Directorate.

Manekshaw showed acumen for planning and
administration while handling the issues related
to partition in 1947, and later put to use his
battle skills during the 1947-48 Jammu & Kashmir
Operations. After command of an Infantry Brigade
he was posted as the Commandant of the Infantry
School and also became the Colonel of 8 Gorkha
Rifles (his regimental home) and 61 Cavalry. He
commanded a Division in Jammu & Kashmir and a
Corps in the North East, with a tenure as
Commandant of Defence Services Staff College
(DSSC) in between. As GOC-in-C Eastern Command, he
handled the tricky problem of insurgency in
Nagaland and the grateful nation honoured him with
a Padma Bhushan in 1968. 

Manekshaw became the 8th Army Chief when he
succeeded General Kumaramangalam on 7 June, 1969.
His years of military experience were soon put to
the test as thousands of refugees from the
erstwhile East Pakistan started crossing over to
India as a result of oppression unleashed from
West Pakistan. The volatile situation got worse,
and soon erupted into a full-scale war in December
1971. 

During this Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Manekshaw
showed uncommon ability to motivate the forces,
coupling it with a mature war strategy. The war
ended with Pakistan's unconditional surrender, and
the formation of Bangladesh. More than 90,000
Pakistani soldiers were taken as POWs. He
masterminded the rout of the Pakistan Army in one
of the quickest victories in the recent military
history. In just over two weeks Pakistani
Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi was forced to
surrender and more than ninety thousand officers
and soldiers were taken as Prisoner of
war|prisoners of war. This led to the Shimla
Agreement which opened the door to the creation of
the nation of Bangladesh as separate from
Pakistan. 

For his selfless service to the nation, the
President of India awarded him a Padma Vibhushan
in 1972 and conferred upon him the rank of Field
Marshal on 1 January, 1973. Manekshaw became the
first Indian General to be awarded this
prestigious rank, which is mainly honorary. The
other was late Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa
Cariappa. Manekshaw retired a fortnight later, on
15 January 1973, after completing nearly four
decades of military service. He was also awarded
the Padma Bhushan.

Following his retirement from the Indian Army,
Manekshaw has successfully served as the Director
of numerous companies.