Glimpses from the past: The unsung Indian heroes who fought for Britishers during World War I

SUMMARY

A hundred years to the day since the guns fell silent, marking the end of World War I (1914 and 1918), the world has been commemorating the event. Around 1.3 million Indians were part of it and as many as 74,187 soldiers died during the five-year long war. The then British government in India persuaded the local kings to provide their army to fight the war. The Indian soldiers were called the Imperial Service Troup. They fought the war for Britishers in unfamiliar lands, in extreme weather conditions they were neither used to nor prepared for. The Hindu farmer class who joined the army had to break their tradition as they crossed the ‘black waters’ for the first time. Many soldiers, who fought valiantly, were awarded the Victoria cross - it is awarded for gallantry in the "presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces. Not much has been mentioned about those Indian soldiers in the history books. Recently, the British High Commission in India had commemorated the Indian participation and the Indian soldiers who took part in the WW I. Here are some of the images of the unsung heroes from India. Image Credit: British High Commission, New Delhi.

By Shome Basu Nov 13, 2018 6:24:02 AM IST (Updated)

The current generals of the Indian army honoured by the British High Commission in New Delhi by high commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith on the eve of Armistice Day of World War I in which nearly 75,000 Indian soldiers died ( from 1914-1918) which was not theirs. Some of the awardees belonged to the regiments which are now under Pakistan.

The Sikh regiment in France.

Shahamad was a Punjabi Muslim belonged to the 89th Punjabis (now 1st battalion Baloch). Khan fought the Germans along the Tigris. He was injured during the war and was elevated to the position of Subedar later. Khan died in Punjab just before the partition.

Mir Dast was from North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Dast was a short Pathan and he was among the Coke rifles, a part of Lahore division. He fought the battle of Ypres. With bayonets and chlorine gas, they attacked the Germans fumigating the trenches while killing as much as possible. The gas-masked Indian soldiers also got affected by it. He was admitted to a field hospital and receivedthe Victoria Cross from King George V.

The Jat regimentduring World War I.

Indian sappers during World War I.

Indian soldiers were seen wearing gas-mask during the chlorine andbayonet attack against Germans in the battle of Ypres.

Indian cavalry in France.

Gabar Singh Negi came from a family of farmers. At the age of 20, he joined the British expedition to fight the Germans in the battle of Neuve Chappelle, France. He succumbed to his injuries during the war.

Darwan Singh Negi was a Naik in the Indian Army who fought the Battle of Festubert. He was injured during the war. After returning from the war, Negi served in the Garhwal regiment. He was awarded Victoria Cross by the British government for his service. He passed away in 1950.

Chatta Singh. Singh was from Kanpur. In 1916, he fought the war in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). A sepoy from the Bhopal infantry, he was injured during the war. He also received the Victoria Cross. Singh died in 1961.

An Indian trench sepoy during the summers in Europe.

An Indian soldier giving food to a lady in Mesopotamia (now Iraq).

An Indian gunner at work during the war.