Leads a dangerous charge, gets shot, wins a MC and survived because of his Humor.

Manekshaw saw action in Burma during the 1942 campaign at the Sittang River with 4/12 FF and was recognised for his bravery in the battle. During the fighting around Pagoda Hill, a key position on the left of the Sittang bridgehead, he led his company in a counter-attack against the invading Imperial Japanese Army. Despite suffering 30% casualties, the company managed to achieve its objective, partly because of the aid received from Captain John Niel Randles company. After capturing the hill, Manekshaw was hit by a burst of light machine gun fire and was severely wounded in the stomach. While observing the battle, Major General David Tennant Cowan, general officer commanding the 17th Infantry Division, spotted the wounded Manekshaw holding on to life and was well aware of his valour in the face of stiff resistance from the Japanese. Fearing the worst, Cowan quickly pinned his own Military Cross ribbon onto Manekshaw, saying, **A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross.** This award was later made official with the publication of the notification in a supplement to the London Gazette. The citation reads: >This officer was in command of the A Company of his battalion when ordered to counter-attack the Pagoda Hill position, the key hill on the left of the Sittang Bridgehead, which had been captured by the enemy. The counterattack was successful despite 30% casualties, and this was largely due to the excellent leadership and bearing of Captain Manekshaw. This officer was wounded after the position had been captured. Manekshaw was evacuated from the battlefield by Sher Singh, his orderly, who took him to an Australian surgeon. The surgeon initially declined to treat Manekshaw, saying that he had been too badly wounded. Manekshaws chances of survival were low, but Sher Singh persuaded the doctor to treat him. Manekshaw regained consciousness, and when the surgeon asked what had happened to him, he replied that he had been **kicked by a mule.** **Impressed by Manekshaws sense of humour**, the surgeon treated him, removing the bullets from his lungs, liver, and kidneys. Most of his intestines were also removed, but Manekshaw survived and eventually recovered from his wounds and would go onto become the First Field Marshal of India.

After researching him, this is exactly the kind of man that deserved to be field marshal. He was charismatic, calm, collected, an excellent strategist, fair to his men and enemies. Thank you for making me aware of this guy.

He was known as Sam Bahadur ( Sam the Brave). He played a vital role during the 1971 war when Pakistan was committing the worst genocide since holocaust with direct assistance from USA by liberating Bangladesh causing the largest mass surrender since ww2 (93000 Pakistani troops surrendered)

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