Indian Army and Volunteers During World War One

In 1914, the Indian Army was the largest volunteer army in the world with a total strength of 240,000 men and by November 1918 this number increased significantly to 548,311 men.  This field force was divided into two armies: The Northern Army which stretched from the North-West Frontier to Bengal with five divisions and three brigades under command and the Southern Army which stretched from Baluchistan to southern India and it in turn had four divisions under command and two formations outside the subcontinent. The two armies contained 39 cavalry regiments, 138 infantry battalions (including 20 Gurkha), a joint cavalry-infantry unit the Corps of Guides, three sapper regiments and 12 mountain artillery batteries.

The normal annual recruitment for the Indian army was 15,000 men, during the course of the war over 800,000 men volunteered for the army and more than 400,000 volunteered for non-combatant roles. In total almost 1.3 million men had volunteered for service by 1918. One million Indian troops served overseas during the war, of these 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total, 74,187 Indian soldiers died in World War I.
 

The Indian Corps won 13,000 medals for gallantry including 12 Victoria Crosses. Khudadad Khan won the Corps first Victoria Cross. Due to the massive cost of the war, India’s economy was pushed to near bankruptcy.

WW1 - Indian Soldier - Victoria Cross Medal Recipient - Shahamad Khan

Victoria Cross Medal Recipient during WW1 Shahamad Khan was born in Takhti near Rawalpindi, India (now Pakistan). He was born  on 1^st July 1879. He was Niak in the 89th Punjabis, British Indian Army serving on the Tigris Front in Mesopotamia.

"Shahamad Khan was in charge of a machine-gun section 150 yards from the enemy's position, covering a gap in the New Line at Beit Ayeesa, Mesopotamia on 12th/13 April 1916. After all his men, apart from two belt-fillers, had become casualties, Shamahad Khan, working the gun single-handed, repelled three counter-attacks. Under extremely heavy fire, he continued to hold the gap, whilst it was being made secure, for three hours. When his gun was disabled by enemy fire, he and the two belt-fillers continued to hold the ground with their rifles until they were ordered to retire. Along with the three men who were sent to his assistance, he brought back to his own lines, his gun, ammunition and a severely wounded man. Eventually he returned to remove all remaining arms and equipment, except for two shovels. But for his action, the line would undoubtedly have been penetrated by the enemy.”

The London Gazette, 26 September 1916.

 

His Victoria Cross medal was purchased privately by Lord Ashcroft collection in 1999. It is displayed on rotation at The Lord Ashcroft Gallery and Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, Imperial War Museum

He died on 28^th July 1947 in Takhti, near Rawalpindi.

WW1 - Indian Soldiers - Gabar Singh Negi

Gabar Singh Negi was born on 21st April in 1895  in Manjood village, in Northern India. He was 21 years old and a Rifleman in the 2nd and 39th Garhwal Rifles when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 10th March 1915 at Neuve Chapelle, France. His bravery led to his death.

"During an attack on the German position, Rifleman Gabar Singh Negi was one of a bayonet party with bombs who entered their main trench, and was the first man to go round each traverse, driving back the enemy until they were eventually forced to surrender. He was killed during this engagement."

The Gabar Singh Negi fair is organised annually in Chamba (Tehri) in his memory.

India and World War One

India was in a state of growing political unrest when war broke out in 1914. The Indian National Congress had gone from being a group that simply discussed issues to a body that was pushing for more self-government. Before the war started, the Germans had spent a great deal of time and energy trying to stir up an anti-British movement in India.

In World War I the Indian Army fought against the German Empire in German East Africa and on the Front Indian divisions were also sent to Egypt, Gallipoli and nearly 700,000 served in Mesopotamia against the Ottoman Empire. While some divisions were sent overseas others had to remain in India guarding the North West Frontier and on internal security and training duties.

The normal annual recruitment for the Indian army was 15,000 men, during the course of the war over 800,000 men volunteered for the army and more than 400,000 volunteered for non-combatant roles. In total almost 1.5 million men had volunteered for service by 1918. One million Indian troops served overseas during the war, of these 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total, 74,187 Indian soldiers died in World War I

The Indian Corps won 13,000 medals for gallantry including 12 Victoria Crosses. Khudadad Khan won the Corps first Victoria Cross.

The cost of the war was massive and it pushed India’s economy to near bankruptcy. It costed India $601,279,000 from 1914 – 1918.

Indian Victoria Crosse recipient soldiers - WW1

Indian Victoria Crosse recipient soldiers

 

Name	Unit	Place of Action	Date of Action
Khudadad Khan	129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis	Hollebeke, Belgium	1914
Darwan Negi	39th Garhwal Rifles	Neuve Chapelle, France	1914
Gabar Negi	BB03939th Garhwal Rifles	Neuve Chapelle, France	1915
Mir Dast	55th Coke's Rifles	Wieltje, Belgium	1915
Chatta Singh	Garhwal Rifles	Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia	1916
Lala	41st Dogras	El Orah, Mesopotamia	1916
Shahamad Khan	89th Punjab Regiment	Beit Ayeesa, Mesopotamia	1916
Gobind Singh	Garhwal Rifles	Peizieres, France	1916
Badlu Singh	14th Murray's Jat Lancers	River Jordan, Palestine	1918

WW1 - Indian Soldier - Lance Naik Kulbir Thapa

Lance Naik Kulbir Thapa 

15 December 1889 – 3 October 1956

 

Kulbir Thapa was born in Palpa, Nepa. , Lance Naik Kulbir Thapa was a Rifleman in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Gurkha Rifles.

He had never been under fire until the battle where he was awarded his Victoria Cross at Fauquissart, France - a diversionary attack which was to be the opening move of the Battle of Loos.

After preliminary use of gas, artillery bombardment and a mine under the German position, the Allied infantry assault began at 0600 on September 25th, 1915. Kulbir Thapa was in one of the leading companies, many of whom were killed trying to breach the German wire under cover of thick smoke.

Kulbir Thapa made it through but was wounded and stranded on the German side of the line. Though alone, he began to dig a firing position intending to hold his ground till the next wave moved forward.

Nearby, he noticed a badly wounded soldier of the 2nd Btn, Leicester Regiment so went to him and although urged by the British soldier to save himself, stayed with him all day and night, comforting him with what little English he knew and killing any Germans who approached.

On the morning of September 26th there was a thick fog. Seizing his chance he picked up the wounded Leicester and carried him over the German trench and through the virtually uncut wire.

Placing the man in a shell crater for cover, he went back over the German trench to look for more Germans. Instead, he came across two badly wounded men of his own regiment. One at a time, Thapa carried these two men back to the lines of the 39th Garwahlis who were holding the British front line at this point.

Finally in broad daylight, under heavy fire and badly wounded, he returned once more to no mans land and rescued the wounded Leicester.

For his heroic deeds, Kulbir Thapa was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first Nepalese recipient. He was also promoted to the rank of Naik. He survived the war and retired eventually as a Havildar.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Gurkha Museum (Winchester, Hampshire, England).

He has not been forgotten by the Royal Leicestershire Regiment; he is remembered on a special panel in the Regimental Museum at the Newarke Houses Museum.

Indian Victoria Cross recipient in World War One

By the end of the war in 1918, a total of 47,746 Indians had been reported dead or missing and 65,126 were wounded. Participants from the Indian subcontinent won 13,000 medals, including 12 Victoria Crosses.  Out of 12 Victoria Cross medals – 9 were won by Indians

In 1914, Khudadad Khan  of 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis  became the first Indian to win a Victoria Cross. Other Indian Victoria Cross recipient soldiers are listed below:

 

Name	Unit	Place of Action	Date of Action
Khudadad Khan	129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis	Hollebeke, Belgium	1914
Darwan Negi	39th Garhwal Rifles	Neuve Chapelle, France	1914
Gabar Negi	39th Garhwal Rifles	Neuve Chapelle, France	1915
Mir Dast	55th Coke's Rifles	Wieltje, Belgium	1915
Chatta Singh	Garhwal Rifles	Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia	1916
Lala	41st Dogras	El Orah, Mesopotamia	1916
Shahamad Khan	89th Punjab Regiment	Beit Ayeesa, Mesopotamia	1916
Gobind Singh	Garhwal Rifles	Peizieres, France	1916
Badlu Singh	14th Murray's Jat Lancers	River Jordan, Palestine	1918

WW1 - DARWAN SINGH NEGI

Darwan Singh Negi

Darwan Singh Negi was born in November 1881.  Darwan Singh Negi was among the earliest Indian recipients of the highest and most prestigious award  - Victoria Cross.

He was approximately 33 years old, and a Naik in the 1st Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles, British Indian Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC, the citation was published in a supplement to the London Gazette of 4 December 1914 (dated 7 December 1914), and read:

War Office, 7th December, 1914.
His Majesty the KING-EMPEROR has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned soldiers of the Indian Army for conspicuous bravery whilst serving with the Indian Army Corps, British Expeditionary Force: —
1909, Naik Darwan Sing Negi, 1st Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.

For great gallantry on the night of the 23rd-24th November, near Festubert, France, when the regiment was engaged in retaking and clearing the enemy out of our trenches, and, although wounded in two places in the head, and also in the arm, being one of the first to push round each successive traverse, in the face of severe fire from bombs and rifles at the closest range.

He retired at the rank of Subedar. His Victoria Cross is held by his family.  Darwan Singh Negi died on 24 June 1950.