What's new

How many Of Our Generals faught in WW2?

SparklingCrescent

FULL MEMBER
Joined
Feb 23, 2008
Messages
889
Reaction score
0
Country
Pakistan
Location
United States
Ok, Im studying Pakistan Army History, and Ive found out that Musa Khan from the Frontier Force Regiment, took part in World War 2 serving in North Africa. Do we have other General that took part in WW2?
 
.
Ok, Im studying Pakistan Army History, and Ive found out that Musa Khan from the Frontier Force Regiment, took part in World War 2 serving in North Africa. Do we have other General that took part in WW2?

Gen Ayub Khan - Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Commissioned in 1928 in the 14th Punjab and later 5th Punjab (at the Burma front)

Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi - Has seen action in the Burma theatre and won the Military Cross for exceptional valor along with Captain Sam Manekshaw....

Major General Iskander Ali Mirza - RMA Sandhurst, first native of the subcontinent to graduate from the elite institution ...Commissioned 1920, 17th Poona Horse (QV's Own), served for 6 years and was absorbed into the Indian Political Services (???)

Major Gen Sher Ali Khan Pataudi (great uncle of Saif Ali Khan) - Prince of Wales RIMC, Dehradun and RMA Sandhurst, Commissioned 1933 and commanded 1st Punjab during the war..

Gen Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan - Commissioned from Indian Military Academy in 1939, joined Baloch Regiment, saw action in North Africa and was captured by the Nazis, escaped from captivity....
 
.
Gen Ayub Khan - Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Commissioned in 1928 in the 14th Punjab and later 5th Punjab (at the Burma front)

Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi - Has seen action in the Burma theatre and won the Military Cross for exceptional valor along with Captain Sam Manekshaw....

Major General Iskander Ali Mirza - RMA Sandhurst, first native of the subcontinent to graduate from the elite institution ...Commissioned 1920, 17th Poona Horse (QV's Own), served for 6 years and was absorbed into the Indian Political Services (???)

Major Gen Sher Ali Khan Pataudi (great uncle of Saif Ali Khan) - Prince of Wales RIMC, Dehradun and RMA Sandhurst, Commissioned 1933 and commanded 1st Punjab during the war..

Gen Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan - Commissioned from Indian Military Academy in 1939, joined Baloch Regiment, saw action in North Africa and was captured by the Nazis, escaped from captivity....


Thanks a lot bro.. :cheers:

just one last question, which Saif Ali Khan is that?
 
. .
The last commander in chief General Gul Hassan was in WWII as well.... i think Gen. Tikka khan as well... Gen. Akhtar Abdul rehman (Afghanistan Fame) was an officer but i doubt he fought.... and not to forget Col. Muhammad khan. :)
 
Last edited:
.
Gen Ayub Khan - Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Commissioned in 1928 in the 14th Punjab and later 5th Punjab (at the Burma front)

Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi - Has seen action in the Burma theatre and won the Military Cross for exceptional valor along with Captain Sam Manekshaw....

Major General Iskander Ali Mirza - RMA Sandhurst, first native of the subcontinent to graduate from the elite institution ...Commissioned 1920, 17th Poona Horse (QV's Own), served for 6 years and was absorbed into the Indian Political Services (???)

Major Gen Sher Ali Khan Pataudi (great uncle of Saif Ali Khan) - Prince of Wales RIMC, Dehradun and RMA Sandhurst, Commissioned 1933 and commanded 1st Punjab during the war..

Gen Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan - Commissioned from Indian Military Academy in 1939, joined Baloch Regiment, saw action in North Africa and was captured by the Nazis, escaped from captivity....

Nearly all PA officers who were commissioned in 1944 or earlier fought in WW2 mainly on the Burma or Middle East fronts though mostly as junior officers and none above the rank of Regimental Commander.

The names are too many to list. Why I quoted the above post is that notoriety makes a man better known than the ability. Maj. Gen. Mohammed Akbar Khan was the first Muslim to reach two star rank in the British Indian Army. He served with great distinction and received OBE. His brother Gen Ifitkhar Khan was considered the ablest Muslim officer and nominated to become PA’s first native CINC are both forgotten.

For the record Gen Niazi won MC on the Eastern Front but as a junior officer. People change with age and Niazi of 26 years later was not even a facsimile of the young Lieutenant who fought with great courage under the British officers.
 
Last edited:
.
A brother of my maternal Grandfather also fought in WWII in Burma but wasn't a General.

I only know him and that till his death he received pension from British Army...

KIT Over
 
.
Gen Ayub Khan - Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Commissioned in 1928 in the 14th Punjab and later 5th Punjab (at the Burma front)

Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi - Has seen action in the Burma theatre and won the Military Cross for exceptional valor along with Captain Sam Manekshaw....

Major General Iskander Ali Mirza - RMA Sandhurst, first native of the subcontinent to graduate from the elite institution ...Commissioned 1920, 17th Poona Horse (QV's Own), served for 6 years and was absorbed into the Indian Political Services (???)

Major Gen Sher Ali Khan Pataudi (great uncle of Saif Ali Khan) - Prince of Wales RIMC, Dehradun and RMA Sandhurst, Commissioned 1933 and commanded 1st Punjab during the war..

Gen Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan - Commissioned from Indian Military Academy in 1939, joined Baloch Regiment, saw action in North Africa and was captured by the Nazis, escaped from captivity....

Dear Sir,

Thank you for a generally informative note.

However, the thread asked who had fought in WWII. Unless the definition of fight has changed over the last 24 hours, Major General Iskandar Mirza, who never heard a shot fired in anger, does not qualify.

Was there any reason why you put so many question marks after Indian Political Service? Is it that this Service is unknown to you?

Sincerely,
 
.
Ok, Im studying Pakistan Army History, and Ive found out that Musa Khan from the Frontier Force Regiment, took part in World War 2 serving in North Africa. Do we have other General that took part in WW2?

Dear Sir,

Actually your question isn't very clear.

By 'General', what do you mean? Do you mean only a four-star general? Pakistan normally gives that rank only to the COAS and to the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Or do you mean all ranks down to Brigadier? Do you count a Brigadier as a one-star general, American style, or as a senior field officer?

If your question related to full Generals only, then the line stops at Gen. Zia ul-Haq. If it includes Lt. Generals, and Maj. Generals, at least a dozen more have to be added to the list. If you bring in Brigadiers, it's the deluge.

Sincerely,
 
. .
The last commander in chief General Gul Hassan was in WWII as well.... i think Gen. Tikka khan as well... Gen. Akhtar Abdul rehman (Afghanistan Fame) was an officer but i doubt he fought.... and not to forget Col. Muhammad khan. :)
General Gul Hassan Khan was commissioned in 1942 and by then WW2 was over.He served in British Indian Army and later Pakistan Army from 1942 – 1972.
 
.
Major General Muhammed Iftikhar Khan fought in WW2.He was given the position of Commander in Chief of Pakistan Army but he died in plane crash before he could take command.It was a very bad event in our history because he was an excellent officer much much better then Ayub Khan.If Iftikhar Khan had become CNC i doubt India would have Kashmir today and we would still have East Pakistan.He was much professional and brave like indian General Sam Manekshaw.
Geniftikhar.jpg

His brother later become Engineer in Chief of Pakistan Army Engineering Corps.
 
.
WOW.....gReat BrOthers!
i know family.......IN which all 9 brothers r in army!!!!

---------- Post added at 12:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 PM ----------

WOW.....gReat BrOthers!
i know family.......IN which all 9 brothers r in army!!!!
n
 
. .
I can see that I am in the midst of knowledgeable military historians, so I have to be careful.

How about A A K Nizai, the Tiger ?

If you look at post 2, you will find your answer there. Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi is the same person as A. A. K. Niazi, also known as Tiger Niazi.

☪☪☪☪;964715 said:
General Gul Hassan Khan was commissioned in 1942 and by then WW2 was over.He served in British Indian Army and later Pakistan Army from 1942 – 1972.

Where, dear Sir, did you get this gem from? The war ended in Germany in 44, in Japan in 45. If you read Gul Hassan's very readable memoirs, his service on the Burma Front is very clearly mentioned.

☪☪☪☪;964720 said:
Major General Muhammed Iftikhar Khan fought in WW2.He was given the position of Commander in Chief of Pakistan Army but he died in plane crash before he could take command.It was a very bad event in our history because he was an excellent officer much much better then Ayub Khan.If Iftikhar Khan had become CNC i doubt India would have Kashmir today and we would still have East Pakistan.He was much professional and brave like indian General Sam Manekshaw.
Geniftikhar.jpg

His brother later become Engineer in Chief of Pakistan Army Engineering Corps.

I agree with your appreciation of this general, who was excellently rated by his superiors. His tragic death must be counted as one of those strokes of inexplicable bad luck that surrounded the Pakistan Army; I can recount three others, really strange occurrences.

Your forecast of what might have happened is something else again; the Pakistan Army didn't move officially at first because Gracey objected, and Iftikhar Khan could have done nothing about it without flatly disobeying orders. That school of soldier would have died before doing such a thing. Note that he was alive at the time of Kashmir; he died later, in 1949, and Ayub became C-in-C later.

Your forecast about East Pakistan is baffling. Ayub got extension after extension because of his proximity to Iskandar Mirza, and would have retired long before. Therefore Iftikhar Khan would have retired even earlier, well before 63/64. How did you think of Bangladesh (eight years later than his last possible date of service) in connection with him?

Gen Tikka Khan was a Major in 1947 so he must have fought in WW II.

He did. He fought on the western front. He was the last Pakistani COAS to fight in WWII, except his successor, General Zia ul-Haq. General Asif Nawaz, a very fine soldier, in my humble opinion, one of the three best Pakistani Chiefs, was the first Chief not to have seen WWII.

Could I also draw the atention of readers to that fine officer and gentleman, Lt. General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan? He, too, served in WWII, on the western front, in the desert, and had a distinguished career thereafter, and then resigned and put in a brilliant second innings as a diplomat at a time when Pakistan needed diplomats more than soldiers. A great man.

Sincerely,
 
Last edited:
.

Pakistan Defence Latest Posts

Pakistan Affairs Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom