Indian Soldiers in WW II

[third eye]

This thread is intended to show pictures of the Indian Army during WWII . An army comprising of what now is IA, PA & BD Army .

The Indian Army of 1939 was different from the Indian Army during World War I, it had been reformed in 1922, moving away from single battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments.[6] Overall the army was reduced to 21 cavalry regiments and 107 infantry battalions.[7] The field army now consisted of four infantry divisions and five cavalry brigades.[8] There was a covering force of 12 infantry brigades to protect the North West Frontier from incursions and one third of the infantry, 43 battalions, were allocated to internal security and to aid the civil power.[8] In the 1930s, the Indian Army began a programme of modernisation, they now had their own artillery—the Indian Artillery Regiment—and the cavalry had started to mechanise.[9] By 1936, the Indian Army had committed to supplying in wartime a brigade each for Singapore, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, Burma and two for Egypt.[10] But by 1939, further reductions had reduced the Indian Army to 18 cavalry regiments and 96 infantry battalions, in total 194,373 men including 34,155 non-combatants.[11] They could also call upon 15,000 men from the Frontier Irregular Force, 22,000 men from the Auxiliary Force (India), consisting of European and Anglo-Indian volunteers, 19,000 from the Indian Territorial Force, and 53,000 from the Indian State forces.[11]

Indian soldiers holding a Nazi flag which was captured
by them at Libyan Omer, December 1941.

 

[third eye]

Indian Troops with Winston Churchill

Queen Alexandra's Presentation to the soldiers of India: At the India office, This is of WW I .

Indian troops stringing barbed wire in the North African desert during World War II;

 

[third eye]

In Italy

 

[GURU DUTT]

contrarry to many who believe many different views of british but i think the major thing that pushed british in giving owr independence back was the valour & loyalty of owr soldiersinWW2 along with naval mutiny in bombay presidency + the combined show of strenth by the voilent arm of freedom fighters(likes of udham singh & chander shekhar azad) and formation of azad hind fauj , this made british think ,specially after having losses of there whole generation in WW2 they were reluctant to take any chances against a well organised & voilent freedom movement but non voilent struggle also made their life difficult so they left but not without giving us an everlasting open wound , anyway congrats third eye for such a relevent thread , Thanks Again .

 

[Shardul.....the lion]

Most important was naval mutiny and indian national army of Netaji Bose that shook the confidence of british officers on indian army and second of course world war II

 

[third eye]

Indian Soldiers on the ' other side" !

Famed German General Erwin Rommel inspecting Indian troops under his command. Note the traditional Pagri turban headdress, worn by the soldiers.

Indian soldiers of the Indische Legion, on manuevers in Normany, France preparing for the Allied landing, Spring 1944.

An Indian soldier using an MG42. Note the patch on his forearm - a Tiger over top the Indian national colors (a unit patch of the Indische Legion).

 

[Rafi]

The veterans of the great war, were also the pioneers of the PA and also the IA.

 

[third eye]

An Indian soldier on anti-aircraft duty with Bren Gun, Western Desert, April 1941.

The battle referred to would be the Argenta gap.

 

[Gold1010]

Id personally like to thank Indian and Pakistani soldiers for helping our australian soldiers against our enemies.

 

[third eye]

Signallers at War

 

[untitled]

In Paris

 

[third eye]

Front side of German War Propaganda leaflet targeting Indian Soldiers part of British Army.

It depicts a Sikh soldier listening to radio

Urdu translation..?

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

Khudadad khan was first South Asian to win Victoria Cross. He retired as a Subedar. He died in 1971 and is buried in Chak No. 25, Mandi Bahauddin. His Victoria Cross is on display at his ancestral house in Village Dab (Chakwal), Pakistan. A statue of Khudadad Khan graces the entrance of the Pakistan Army Museum in Rawalpindi

KHUDADAD KHAN

Khudadad Khan was born on the 20th of October, 1888 in the village of Dab in the Chakwal district of the Punjab Province of present day Pakistan. Khan belonged to the famous Rajput tribe of Punjab who are hailed for their service in the British Indian Army. Most famously, the Rajputana Rifles were considered to be the most senior rifle regiment in the Indian army.

Khan became the first Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross. He was a sepoy in the 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis.
On the 31st of October, 1914, at Hollebeke Belgium, Sepoy Khudadad and his detachment were subjected to heavy gun fire from the enemy. After the British Officer in charge of the detachment had been wounded, Sepoy Khudadad, though wounded himself, kept firing until all his comrades were killed. Left for dead by the enemy, he later crawled away and rejoined his unit to continue fighting.
Khan was pictured in the London Gazette, dated 7th December 1914 after having been awarded the Victoria Cross . He died on the 8th of March, 1971 aged 82.

 

[bandit]

Khan belonged to the famous Rajput tribe of Punjab who are hailed for their service in the British Indian Army

And what famous Rajput tribe would that be exactly.

Funny to see though, the Muslim glorification site you picked up this from cannot resist mentioning his Rajput roots on top of his Muslim valor.

I see Rajput is still considered to be an honour and diffrentiation from lower class converts.

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

And what famous Rajput tribe would that be exactly.

Minhas and Exactly same as this jawan of Pakistan Army. Remember him?

Funny to see though, the Muslim glorification site you picked up this from cannot resist mentioning his Rajput roots on top of his Muslim valor.

I see Rajput is still considered to be an honour and diffrentiation from lower class converts.

I know it burn your *** that how Rajpout got converted into Islam but no need to bring it in every topic. You better accept this fact and learn to differentiate between race/tribal identity and religious identity of a person. Your son will not remain your son if he change his faith tomorrow. Right? Muslims recognize their identity and lineage even if its non Islamic but its not criteria of superiority or inferiority for us . If i teach you what is the criteria of honour for Muslims then you will say i am preaching Islam so you better stick to this shit of low and high caste exist in your mind.

This thread is intended to show pictures of the Indian Army during WWII . An army comprising of what now is IA, PA & BD Army .

I often think that why these guys fought and died for Britain who was ruling them?