J. F. R. Jacob

Retired Army Personnel, Governor of Goa, Governor of Punjab, Politician, Businessman

Indian Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Share on Facebook Share on X Share on WhatsApp Share on LinkedIn

Quick Info

ProfessionRetired Army Personnel, Governor of Goa, Governor of Punjab, Politician, Businessman
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth02/05/1923
Age92 years (died on 13, Jan, 2016)
BirthplaceCalcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Date of Death13/01/2016

Do you like J. F. R. Jacob?

You can vote only once.

Bio/Wiki

Full nameJack Farj Rafael Jacob
Nickname(s)
  • Jake
Famous forBeing the Chief of Staff (COS) of the Indian Army's Eastern Command

Educational Qualification(s)

School
  • Victoria School, Kurseong, West Bengal
  • Victoria College, Jersey (1939)
College/UniversitySt Xavier's College, Calcutta (1940)
Educational QualificationGraduated from St Xavier's College in Calcutta

Personal Life

ReligionJudaism
EthnicityBaghdadi Jew
AddressHouse number B-25, Som Vihar, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India
Hobby
  • Fishing
  • Poetry

Relationships & More

Marital Status (at the time of death)Unmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends
  • Jacob was in a relationship with a girl, who was pursuing her higher education at Lord Irwin College in Delhi. He, however, could not get married to the girl as he was posted to a place in Kashmir that was remote.
  • Jacob later entered into a relationship with a girl belonging to Gujarat. She was an NCC cadet. The relationship lasted for only three months.

Family

FatherElias Emanuel (businessman)
MotherCarrie
Siblings
Brother(s)
  • Maurice Jacob (elder; served in the 2nd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment during the Second World War)
  • Eric Jacob (younger; served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War)
SpouseJacob never got married

Career

Service/BranchIndian Army
RankThree-Star General
Service Years
  • British Indian Army (7 June 1942 - 15 August 1947)
  • Indian Army (15 August 1947 - 31 July 1978)
Commands
  • XVI Corps (17 June 1972 - 1 August 1974)
  • Eastern Command of the Indian Army (August 1974 - 31 July 1978)
Career Ranks
British Indian Army
  • Second Lieutenant (emergency) (7 June 1942)
  • Second Lieutenant (substantive) (7 December 1943)
  • Lieutenant (war-substantive) (7 December 1942)
  • Lieutenant (substantive) (27 October 1945)
  • Captain (acting) (2 February 1945)
  • Captain (temporary) (2 May 1945)
  • Captain (war-substantive) (20 July 1946)
  • Major (acting) (20 April 1946)
  • Major (temporary) (20 July 1946)
Indian Army
  • Lieutenant (15 August 1947)
  • Captain (1948)
  • Captain (after recommissioning and change of rank insignia) (26 January 1950)
  • Major (7 June 1955)
  • Lieutenant-Colonel (May 1956)
  • Colonel (23 December 1964)
  • Brigadier (acting) (20 May 1964)
  • Brigadier (substantive) (17 January 1966)
Designations (major ones)
  • Chief of Staff (COS) (29 April 1969 - 17 June 1972)
  • Governor of Goa
  • Governor of Punjab
Awards, Honours
  • Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) by President V. V. Giri (January 1972)
  • Friends of Liberation by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (2012)
Books Authored
  • Surrender at Dacca: Birth of a Nation
  • An Odyssey in War and Peace: An Autobiography

Style Quotient

Car CollectionCustom-built four-seater Morris Garages (MG)

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. J. F. R. Jacob was the Chief of Staff (COS) of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command under Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora during the 1971 war.
2. While in school, Jacob was part of the North Bengal Mounted Rifles (NBMR) musketry team, winning the Baker Musketry Shield from 1937 to 1939.
3. Jacob chose to join the Indian Army after the division of the British Indian Army in 1947.
4. On April 29, 1969, Jacob became the Chief of Staff (COS) of the Eastern Army and devised plans to tackle Naxalism and insurgency.
5. During the 1971 war, Jacob led the formulation of war plans for the invasion of East Pakistan, resulting in the surrender of over 93,000 Pakistani soldiers.
6. Jacob served as the Governor of Goa and Punjab, initiating various programs during his term.
7. An author, Jacob wrote books on the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War and his life experiences.
8. Jacob passed away on January 13, 2016, due to pneumonia and was laid to rest with military honors.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
Scroll to Top
Home Actors Sports Business