Former Army Chief Field Marshal, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, more popularly known as Sam Manekshaw passed away on Friday, June 27 at Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. He was the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal of the Indian Army. His illustrious military career covers four decades and five wars, including World War II. Sam Manekshaw was admitted for treatment in hospital for ‘progressive lung disease’.

As per a statement issued by the Defence Ministry, he first went into a coma. He is reported to have breathed his last soon after midnight at 00:30 a.m. The recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Military Cross, late Sam Manekshaw who had guided India to victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan, it is reported was suffering from ‘acute broncho pneumonia’ with other related complications. It is heard that for the past few days, his condition was very serious. It was on June 7, 1969 that Sam Manekshaw had joined as the 8th Chief of Army Staff in the Indian Army.

He was born in April, 1914 at Amritsar in Punjab and then went on to pursue his schooling in Amritsar, followed by graduation from Sherwood College, Nainital. On October 1, 1932, Sam Manekshaw joined the very first batch of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehra Dun. After completing his training at IMA, Manekshaw got appointed as a Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army. Thereafter several regimental assignments followed. It was in June 1969 that Manekshaw succeeded General Kumaramangalam as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).