Beyond the Lines | The forgotten Indians of Gallipoli 1915 and why we must remember them

Every year on 25th April, a special remembrance is held in Australia and New Zealand to mark the ANZAC Day — which marks the landing of their troops on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey in 1915 during the First World War. The backstory involved an allied plan to enter the Black Sea and capture Constantinople, the capital of Turkey, which was an ally of Germany in the war. What happened in the campaign was remarkable. In March 1915, a fleet of British and French battleships tried to sail into the strait towards Constantinople but were shelled by Turkish artillery from either side of the strait. The battleships sank and the plan failed. A revised plan was devised. In April, a fresh bunch of troops were drawn up to land at Gallipoli. These included soldiers from Australia and New Zealand known as the ANZACs alongside French, British, Gurkhas and Punjabi soldiers which included Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. Soldiers from Australia and New Zealand, known as the ANZAC Forces, were part of the allied war effort to capture the Gallipoli peninsula. By 2015, the Gurkhas had built up a formidable reputation fighting the war in Europe. The battlefield reputation of Sikhs boosted the confidence of the Allies. General Hamilton, who led the campaign had served in India and specifically asked for Gurkha troops. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Herbert Cox thus comprised four Indian Battalions — 1/6th Gurkha, 14th Sikhs, 69th and 89th Punjabi. In fact, the Gallipoli campaign was the first time that the Indian Army had a brigade without a British battalion amongst them. The ANZACs landed at Gallipoli but met with stiff resistance from the Ottoman army, led by Mustafa Kemal. By December 1915, The ANZACs had lost almost 45,000 men — 8,000 from Australia, 2,800 from New Zealand and 1,400 from India. The Allied forces withdrew after both sides suffered massive casualties. This military campaign during World War I lasted eight months and caused at least 125,000 deaths. Over 86,000 Ottoman soldiers of Turkey died, including their 57th Regiment which was completely wiped out. A deserving monument was created in Gallipoli to honour the Turkish soldiers. It is a true testament to the gallantry of the soldiers that despite the defeat at Gallipoli, the ANZAC soldiers are remembered for shaping a never-say-die national character defying the fire of the enemy. The Gallipoli campaign saw the birth of the ‘Anzac’ legend which shaped the way the two countries perceived their modern history. The soldiers continued to be honoured by their countries — Australia and New Zealand. The campaign included another distinct group of soldiers — equally gallant and deserving of honour — but were left out in history. These were the Indian soldiers who fought at Gallipoli.  The story of Indians at Gallipoli was ignored for many years till Peter Stanley wrote about them in his book, Die in Battle, Do Not Despair: The Indians on Gallipoli. [caption id=“attachment_12552802” align=“alignnone” width=“209”] Die in Battle, Do Not Despair: The Indians on Gallipoli. Image courtesy: Amazon.com[/caption] In the months that followed the landing at Gallipoli in April 1915, Indians troops distinguished themselves on the battlefield. On 12th May, an operation commenced to capture the Bluff (a broad cliff on the bank of the Strait with a tall face) that would facilitate the movement of troops and in landings. A battalion of 1/6 Gurkha Rifles advanced towards the objective and one of its companies crept up to the foot of the bluff, supported by a Punjabi battalion in the ravine who drew the enemy’s attention and fire, thus allowing the Gurkhas to advance. Another Gurkha company covered the flanks and enabled the battalion to advance in the cover of the night. By the daybreak of 15th May, the Gurkhas and Punjabis captured and occupied the Bluff. The Gurkhas sat on the left, Sikhs in the centre and the Manchester Regiment on the right. The capture of the Bluff enabled the establishment of supply lines and was to prove critical to the survival of Allied troops in Gallipoli. The Gurkhas, under Subedar Gambhir Singh Pun, had delivered a mighty blow, and the captured Bluff was renamed as Gurkha Bluff. The Gallipoli campaign continued to witness acts of bravery involving Indian soldiers, who were trained, experienced fighters unlike many ANZACs who were equally gallant but lacked battle experience. Later, on 9 August, Gambir Singh Pun led his troops to an inspired victory at Sari Blair — the only victory during the Gallipoli campaign. Then there was the indomitable Karm Singh, the mountain gunner, who lost both eyes in the battle but continued to lead his men on the ground and inspire them to charge forward in the midst of bombardment and continuous fire. The raw courage of Indian soldiers had provided impetus to the Allies’ campaign at Gallipoli. “I found in Australian diaries, letters and photographs evidence of how Indian soldiers experienced Gallipoli,’ writes Stanley. Incidentally, the British had grown suspicious of Muslim soldiers in their ranks after the desertion of the Indian soldier Mir Mast from the British ranks along with fourteen Afridi Pashtun soldiers to the German army in Europe a month earlier in March. During the Gallipoli campaign, the Muslim soldiers gave a good account of themselves but owing to suspicions about them fighting the Muslim soldiers of Ottoman Turks, the British withdrew the 69th and 89th Punjab battalions from Gallipoli. However, tragedy struck the reinforcements that were coming in. The transport ship Ramazan from Alexandria with Sikh and Gurkha reinforcements for the Indian brigade was torpedoed, leading to the loss of 80 Sikh and 173 Gurkha soldiers. It was the second-biggest loss in the campaign. In the years that followed, the role of Indians at Gallipoli was forgotten. Firstly, the British imperial government chose to suppress the Indian role in the war. Instead of the dominion status promised before the war, the British government passed the Rowlatt Act, extending wartime ‘emergency measures’ in India. Indian soldiers in the war were overlooked for gallantry awards at Gallipoli despite several exceptional actions. This meant that the feats of Pun and others were never recorded, till Australian historian Stanley highlighted the historic actions that had been cruelly unremembered by the British colonial regime of that era. Secondly, post-Independence, most Indians were never emotionally connected to the role of the country’s soldiers who fought for the Empire. Military was never a natural part of strategic planning in India — which resulted in military history being left out of national consciousness. ‘Armies don’t drop out of skies,’ says Rana Chinna, a well-known military historian who has researched Indian soldiers at Gallipoli. “The famed divisions that fought in world wars were instrumental in protecting the country after independence”, adds Chinna. A bleak interest and understanding of military history in India hasn’t prevented a bunch of Indian military veterans in Australia from attending ANZAC Day parades in different cities in Australia. It is heartening to see the lionhearted spirit and memory being kept alive in a country where the braves of Gallipoli have been given the pride of place. As history is ferreted out from unopened records, heart-warming stories tumble out, pointing towards the bonhomie that existed between Australians and Indians at Gallipoli. One such story which Stanley writes about involves Australian ANZAC John Simpson Kirkpatrick, who chose to stay with Indian mule drivers in the battlefield of Gallipoli as he loved chapatis and curries, freshly cooked by Indian troops. As India seeks to build a credible global outreach, it would be crucial to document its role in history. Like other battlefields, Gallipoli is an example of how Indian soldiers gave remarkable accounts of their battlecraft and won friends in ANZACs, as they bonded amidst extreme adversity. The legacy of combat, diaries of courage and the memories of war serve to remind us how Indian soldiers have always been a part of global events. The Indian army’s arc of valour, consistency and traditions are built on the foundations of a proud history in Gallipoli and elsewhere, which must never be forgotten. The writer is the author of ‘Watershed 1967: India’s Forgotten Victory over China’. His fortnightly column for FirstPost — ‘Beyond The Lines’ — covers military history, strategic issues, international affairs and policy-business challenges. Views expressed are personal. Tweets @iProbal Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.