Bahadur Sher Khan (20 February 1922 – 31 October 1983) also known as "One Spud Two Gravy" was a Pakistani retired lieutenant general and commanded the IV Corps during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.

Early life

Bahadur Sher Khan was born on 20 February 1922 in Mardan into a Pashtun family belonging to the Yusufzai tribe. His father, Subedar Major Khanezaman Khan, served in the British Indian Army during World War I.

Sher received his education at Lawrence College, Ghora Gali. He joined the British Indian Army during World War II, receiving an emergency commission in December 1941 after graduating from the Indian Military Academy. He also graduated from Staff College, Camberley.

Personal life

Sher's elder half-brother, Brigadier (approved Major General) Mohammad Sher Khan, was among the early Indians commissioned from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Military career

British Indian Army

Sher 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 in December 1943, earning the Military Cross for his role.

Pakistan Army

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.

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.

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.

On 10 January 1972, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto retired two more Pakistani generals in his purge of the army. These were Lieutenant Generals Irshad Ahmed Khan and Bahadur Sher Khan. This brought the list to 30 total number of army and navy officers retired since 20 December 1971.

Later life

Bahadur Sher later became an investor and had shares in the Khyber Tobacco Company.

Death

Bahadur Sher died in 1983.

Notes