The history of our Army..
The British Indian Army during World War II was the largest volunteer army the world has known with long martial traditions going back to the advent of the British in the subcontinent, even earlier. After 1857, the Crown abolished these Presidency Armies and took over their control and reorganisation. For almost 90 years thereafter, after various reorganisations, the British Indian Army distinguished itself in many wars, campaigns, expeditions in India, Asia, Africa, and Europe under the British flag.
The Political Scene in 1939-1940
Since the British Indian Army was a voluntary army, it would be pertinent to briefly recall the political scene in India. When the Second World War broke out in September 1939 and Viceroy Linlithgow announced that India was at war, there were two main political parties in India - the Indian National Congress, led by Mr Gandhi and the All India Muslim League headed by Mr. Jinnah.
in 1940 when Great Britain braced herself to face a German invasion and General Weygand told Churchill that BritainÕs neck would be wrung like a chicken in 15 days, Mr Gandhi published an Òopen letterÓ to every BritainÓ Òurging cessation of hostilitiesÓ. He said:
ÒNo cause, however just can warrant the indiscriminate slaughter that is going on minute to minute ... I do not want Britain to be defeated, nor do I want her to be victorious in a trial of brute strength ... I want you to fight Nazism without arms ... I want you to lay down the arms you have as being useless for saving you or humanity. You will invite Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini to take what they want of the countries you call your possessions. Let them take possession of your beautiful island with your many beautiful buildings. You will give all these, but neither your souls nor your minds. If these gentlemen choose to occupy your homes, you will vacate them. If they do not give you free passage out, you will allow yourself, man, woman and child to be slaughtered, but you will refuse to owe allegiance to them ... I am telling His Excellency the Viceroy that my services are at the disposal of His MajestyÕs Government, should they consider them of any practical use in enhancing my appeal....1
On the other hand the sympathies of the All India Muslim League were clearly on the side of the Allies as against the Axis powers.2 Mr. Jinnah had even said that if Britain lost, the Muslims were likely to suffer.3 L.S. Amery, Secretary of State for India in a confidential press briefing emphasized the fact that Òto a large extent IndiaÕs fighting war effort was dependent on Muslim effortÓ4. Churchill emphasized that the British Òmust not on any account break with the Muslims who represented a hundred million people and represented the main army elements on which the British must rely for the immediate fightingÓ5.
The ArmyÕs Expansion
The Indian Army expanded from about 189,000 in October 1939 to 2,500,000 by 1945. In 1939 there were 78 infantry battalions, 20 Gurkha battalions, 18 Cavalry units. The officer strength was 3,000 British; 1,115 Indian. By 1945 these were about 34,500 British, 15,740 Indian officers, of all classes. On the eve of World War II almost 34,000 Punjabi Muslims were in the army (29 per cent) and during World War-II over 380,000 joined (about 14% of the total). No other class came close to these figures: Sikhs: 116,000, Gurkhas: 109,000, Muslims of other classes from UP, Deccan, Madras, Bengal, NWFP, etc 274,000, were recruited during 1939-1945. Muslims as a whole constituted a quarter of the Indian Army as of 1947 9....
Almost 70 per cent of the wartime recruitment was from what became Pakistan had been from the undivided Punjab, 19.5 per cent from NWFP, 2.2 per cent from Sindh, and 0.06 per cent from Baluchistan.10 The three semi-arid districts of Punjab-Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock (Campbellpur) and two districts of NWFP-Kohat and Mardan pre-dominated in supplying recruit volunteers in World War II. Today the recruitment base has enlarged. Now ethnic Baluchis, and Bruhis, who were recruited till the middle of the 19th century, and Sindhis are coming into the Pakistan army in large numbers for Baluch and Sind Regiments. Recruitment of Muslim personnel from Jammu and Kashmir were considered under Punjabi Muslims in World War II. Today they have their own Azad Kashmir Regiment.
The Army took part in campaigns in France, East Africa, North Africa, Syria, Tunisia, Malaya, Burma, Greece, Sicily and Italy. During the war it was organised under one Army Group, four armies, seven Indian Corps, four Armoured Divisions, one Air Borne Division, and twenty three Infantry Divisions. Some of these were lost in Malaya-Singapore, a few re-organised as Lines of Communication Commands in Middle East.
Even before September 1939 troops of the Indian Army were on station duty in Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Aden, the Gulf, Burma, Malaya and Hong Kong. The first and only units of the Indian Army that took part in the war in France were four animal transport companies of Royal Indian Army Service Corps with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. While the personnel were evacuated, the gallant horses and mules were undoubtedly given resident status in France were four animal transport companies of Royal Indian Army Service Corps with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. While the personnel were evacuated the gallant horses and mules were undoubtedly given resident status in France.
The 14th Army in Burma was the single largest army in the world. Its battle front of 700 miles was approximately as long as the Russian front against Germany 6.
The Indian Army suffered the following casualties upto August 1945:
a. Killed - 24,338
b. Wounded - 64,354
c. Missing - 11,754
d. POW - 79,489
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Total: 179,935
WriterÕs Note: (In addition approximately 62,507 from b.c.d, above died). 160,000 of the total casualties are commemorated in war cemeteries in fifty countries extending from the Pacific Islands to UK, according to Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The Indian Army won 31 Victoria Crosses and out of a total of 27 Victoria Crosses awarded for the Burma campaign 20 were personnel of the Indian Army. The total gallantry awards were 4028.8 Four Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers and units of present day Pakistan. For V.C. citation of Sepoy Ali Haider see Annexure A. |
