Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was one of the most distinguished military officers of independent India. He was born in 1914 in Amritsar and had a distinguished career serving in the British Indian Army and later the Indian Army. Some of his major accomplishments include leading the successful defense of India during the 1971 war which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. He was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. Manekshaw passed away in 2008 at the age of 94 and is remembered as one of the greatest military strategists in India's history.

1. Field Marshall
Sam
Maneckshaw

2. 

Nickname:
Born:
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Died:
2008 (aged 94)
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Allegiance:
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Service/branch
Army
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Years of service
Awards
Sam Bahadur
3 April 1914, in
Amritsar, Punjab
27 June
British India (till 1947)
India (after 1947)
British Indian
Indian Army
1934–2008
Padma Vibhushan
Padma Bhushan
Military Cross

3. Rank Promotions
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Second Lieutenant, British Indian Army-1934
Lieutenant-1935
Captain-1940
Major-1943
Lieutenant-Colonel-1945
Colonel-1946
Brigadier-1947
Brigadier, Indian Army-1950
Major-General-December 1957
Lieutenant-General-November 1962
General (COAS)-8 June 1969
Field Marshal-3 January 1973 to death

4. Early life and education
Manekshaw was born
in Amritsar to Parsi parents, who moved
to the Punjab from the small town of
Valsad on the Gujarat coast.
 After completing his schooling
in Punjab and Sherwood
College (Nainital), with distinction in the
School Certificate examination of the
Cambridge Board, he asked his father to
send him to London to study medicine.
 When his father refused to send him till
he was older, in an act of rebellion
Manekshaw appeared for and qualified
in the entrance examination for
enrolment into the Indian Military
Academy (IMA),Dehradun and as a
result became part of the first intake of
40 cadets on 1 October 1932.


5. 
Soon he was sent to UK to complete
his military training

In 1934, he joined the British Army at
rank of 2nd Lieutenant

Initial years, he did not see any active
war fare

In 1939, when WW II started, India
was not involved initially

6. 
In 1942, Japan attacked US at the
Pearl harbour

This attack brought the US into the
war

Around same time, Japan started
attacking British colonies in the East

First Singapore, then Burma

7. 
After British army got involved in the
war in 1942, Maneckshaw was sent
to Burma as the captain of the frontier
force regiment.

8. Maneckshaw’s Objectives:

1st Objective:Lead counter attack
against Japanese forces and regain
Pagoda Hill [Burma]

As they faced the Japanese soldiers
they realized that they were very few

More ever, the enemy had better arms
and ammunitions

9. 
He realized the kind of
opposition he was faced with

Lost many soldiers

Still he kept fighting – attacking
the Japanese with full venom

Within next few minutes, they
fought like lions and regained
Pagoda hill

10. 
As soon as Pagoda Hill was taken
back, the Japanese fired incessantly
from their hiding positions

The only soldier in front of them was
Sam Maneckshaw

Sam Maneckshaw took 9 bullets into
him

He was badly injured

11. 
Major General D. T. Cown checked to
see if Maneckshaw was alive

Took off his own military cross and
placed it on Maneckshaw’s shoulder

This cross is awarded to a living
officer

Had he died, he would not have been
honoured with it

12. 
It was thought that he would soon
die, as nine bullets had pierced his
lungs, liver and kidneys

Doctor rushed to him and asked him
what happened – he replied that he
was kicked by a donkey

Everyone laughed

13. Major Wars fought by
Maneckshaw
World War II
Indo-Pakistan War of 1947
 Sino-Indian War
Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
 Bangladesh Liberation War 1971
 Operation Searchlight

◦ Bangladesh, Eurasia, Asia

14. 
The Indian Army bid farewell to its
greatest son Field Marshall Sam
Maneckshaw on January 15th, 1973

A glorious period in the Indian defense
forces finally came to an end