BBC The forgotten volunteers - Indian army WWII

[brahmastra]

 

[CONNAN]

well the credit goes both to india and pakistan because during WW II we were one country

 

[brahmastra]

well the credit goes both to india and pakistan because during WW II we were one country

did you see all the videos.
it is about modern India and Britain not giving them enough respect .

 

[i am your fear]

well the credit goes both to india and pakistan because during WW II we were one country

is there any Pakistan in WWII so better word will India and Indian

 

[CONNAN]

did you see all the videos.
it is about modern India and Britain not giving them enough respect .

i did see the videos the whole problem started when one idiot agreed to divide the country with the other

 

[Kinetic]

British won the war with full support of Indian soldiers. Other than this in both eastern and western front they would be in great danger!!!

Bravery of Indian soldiers became legends in that war. Salute to all those brave soldiers.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

did you see all the videos.
it is about modern India and Britain not giving them enough respect .

Thanks for posting these videos. They depict a period in the history of India where there were many 'blurred images', both in the minds of the people who lived then as well as what we see now. About your point that modern India and Britain not giving them enough respect- as far as modern India is concerned, they are part of a colonial legacy; therefore they are not commemorated by the Government (but they are not disowned either- just ignored). But the Indian Army has not forgotten them; they are proud parts of various Regimental Histories and to this day remembered with pride. The government, very wisely has not attempted to erase this from history. Let me give an example that pre-dates even this period of history. The first 'Battle Honour' of one of the finest Cavalry regiments of the IA commemorates a battle fought between British army (East India Company) and a local Indian kingdom!
If you notice, the interviewees are not residents of India, probably (some or all of them) are not citizens of the Republic of India. In any case they were part of the (British) Indian Army. i've specifically used this terminology because the other forces were specifically called Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) and Royal Indian Navy (RIN). Therefore India probably need not acknowledge anything except that they were Indian-born. (Some people here will even nit-pick whether they were Indian or something else!)
About the INA, while they were included as freedom fighters; and consequently given a governmental pension (not Army pension), they were never re-inducted in to the Indian Army, despite several proposals to do so. Again a wise choice.
About Britain's attitude; the British Army has acknowledged their role to some extent but probably not adequately. But that is not surprising, considering that it was an imperial army comprising colonial soldiers. One very important point is that the Indian soldiers, sailors and airmen were all volunteers, not conscripted or drafted (unlike the British themselves). May be all of us (British included) should never forget that.
i've met some people who lived through that time, that helped to gain a little perspective.
But all in all, some images that we see will be a little 'blurred'.
(a little history lesson)

 

[flameboard]

I know quite a few people who are internationally recognized as working for the Royal British Forces during WW2 who now live in Pakistan. During the formation of the two countries, the army split into groups of people that wanted to be in India or people that wanted to be in Pakistan, and so many of the soldiers that were part of the military transferred to their respective countries.

 

[DesiGuy]

@ connanxlrc1000


your avatar is scary, dude.....

 

[A1Kaid]

I find it interesting how history and certain historians and countries have systematically washed out and reduced the history of WWII to European and Pacific theater and focusing mainly on white soldiers of the Allied and Axis powers and even Japanese soldiers; completely ignoring the British Indian Army (modern day Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh) role in WWII. Today's British society is for the most part ignorant of their "service" and "contribution" to the British...

It can also be viewed as shameful for people of the subcontinent to even bother helping Britain, considering all the historical reasons not to.

 

[A1Kaid]

Winston Churchill is certainly a disgusting and despicable man.

 

[genxindian]

no wonder the brits were racist back then and are now,just a matter of time before they'll get the taste of their own medicine

 

[Leader]

volunteers........

 

[genxindian]

volunteers........

mr-never-able-to-comprehend-wots-said

 

[harpoon]

volunteers........

Sorry I didn't get the joke.