Bahadur Sher (February 1922 – 1983) was a retired lieutenant general in the Pakistan Army who served during the World War II and the post-independence period in Pakistan, where he commanded of the IV Corps during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. He also served as the 6th chief of the General Staff; however, the specific dates of his tenure remain uncertain.
Bahadur Sher | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1922 Mardan, British India |
| Died | 1983 (aged 60–61) Pakistan |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Service | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1972 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Unit | |
| Commands | Chief of the General Staff |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Military Cross (MC) |
Early life and education
editSher was born in February 1922 in Mardan, British India (now Pakistan) into a Yusufzai Pashtun family.[1] His father, Subedar Major Khanezaman Khan, served in the British Indian Army during World War I. Sher's elder brother, Sher Khan, was among the early Indians commissioned from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, UK.[1]
Sher obtained his education at Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree, one of the prominent public schools of British India. He joined the British Indian Army during World War II, receiving an emergency commission in December 1941 from the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. He also graduated from Staff College, Camberley.[1]
Career
editSher began his career with the 6th Royal Battalion, Scinde and the 13th Frontier Force Rifles, a unit of the British Indian Army. During the Italian Campaign of World War II, he participated in operations with the 8th Indian Division. As a company commander, he led an assault across the Moro River (see Moro River campaign) in December 1943, earning the Military Cross for his role.[1][2][3]
Following the partition of India in 1947, Sher continued his service in the Pakistan Army. He commanded the 7th Frontier Force Regiment (originally known as 55th Coke's Rifles) in the early 1950s and later held positions including brigade commander, commandant of the Infantry School, and inspector general of the Frontier Corps.[1]
He held various roles in the Pakistan Army, including command of a brigade, the Infantry School in Quetta, and the Frontier Corps in Peshawar. After the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, he commanded an infantry division. He later attended the Imperial Defence College in the United Kingdom before assuming his final appointment as a lieutenant general.[1]
As suggested by Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Sher also served as the chief of the General Staff; however, the specific dates of his tenure are not documented.[2]
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Sher commanded the IV Corps at Lahore, where his forces captured the Hussainiwala, including Qaisar-e-Hind Fort. He retired from the active duty in 1972 and died in 1983.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Hamid, Major General Syed Ali (3 Jul 2020). "One Spud Two Gravy". The Friday Times. Retrieved 7 Dec 2024.
- ^ a b "Lieutenant General Bahadur Sher MC". Lawrence College Ghora Gali. Retrieved 7 Dec 2024.
- ^ Khalid, M Saeed (21 Jun 2016). "The testimony of a general". The News International. Retrieved 7 Dec 2024.