It doesn't matter where they are from they are veterans just the same as every other soldier and deserve the same rememberance and respect. Salute to you all.
See a soldier is a soldier he has to be treated like a soldier... my dad is veteran and he says that a soldier has no choice to kill or not... he cant treat the enemy as a human or even a thing with feelings... for a soldier the enemy is an inanimate object... so i think both the sides shud be honored after the war
The British starved 3 million Indians to death in 1943 cuz they wanted to stock food for their army . Great payback for the loyalty . still the biggest genocide never spoken about .
At the behest of Gandhi, the Sikh Regiment among others fought for the British who engineered the Partition Holocaust. But then, Britain too was divided among those sympathetic to India and Churchill. I think Churchill was an evil man who the British had to put up with for war leadership and then they cast him aside when the war was won.
Do not let RUclips ever pull this video down. These videos are a national treasure and must be kept safe for anyone who says Indian's did not do anything.
I wish Subhas Chandra Bose was successful in liberating India with German assistance. Brits took away India's possessions, ruined our economy, took us so long to get out of this hole, but the arrogance of the British will never die, will it? It's a good thing your country is facing a massive terror wave, serves you right for treating India so badly all those years.
My Grandad lived his early years in India as my Great Grandad was in the Somerset Light Infantry pre WW2. He told stories of great hardship endured by the foot soldiers of both British and Indian origin, but he also told stories of the great respect held and love between the "normal" people (not the ruling class). To his dying day he felt a greater affiliation and friendship towards India than Europe.
Ignore Bernard Manning, he had no isea whatsoever of the number of indian troops in the british Indian Army in WWII! My father fought in India and Burma and served with Indian troops of all faiths. He could never speak highly enough of their bravery and care for British troops.
I did not know that Indians were involved at all during WWII. It is shameful that this is so. How do we thank them for their sacrifice? I think it is too late for many. :(
Indian standing army was 25,00,000 during WW2 and 17,50,000 during WW1. Indian military deaths in WW1 were 72,000 and in WW2 it was 87,000. There were also war related civilian deaths and famines which killed millions.
It was infact... the soldiers were promised freedom for their country... thats why they fought. RIP to the fallen their sacrifice was not in vain because we got our independence. JAI HIND
I dream, that: "P.O.C. (People -of -colour)"; would not -fight, for: "West-ern_ Militaries" **who, or that, or which; Invade "our -Nation's!!"!!**?? **{Ancestry: I.E. = "The land's, of our: Ancestry"; etc.}.** -M.K.S.
Don't forget how churchill thanked them by starving 4 million of them to death and wouldn't send food as they "bread like rabbits and it wouldn't stop the famine"
Hi my great grand uncle died fighting for British, he was from Madras and was wondering how can I look him up or find more info about his death? No one in my family cares, they received government benefits after he died so it should be recorded somewhere
@@Stale_Buns my grand moms best friend was married at a young age and the boy was working at karachi... They were Muslims... After independence they never got a chance to meet... Even my grnd moms friend never met her family.. But her daughter came after 65 years... Their grand father was in ww2 from madras
My great grandfather, a great great grandfather from a different branch, great grandmother's brother, cousin and brother-in-law and numerous others are some I know from 2 branches of my family. If you find any trustable source for finding info of British Indian Army soldiers then please share it with me.
Exactly what idiots retarded Vickers where they Britain was loosing the war but they still fought blind eye 2.5 mill dead and they are still racist towards indiand what nonsense
So Sikhs died for the British Empire . And how did Britain repay the debt ? By killing 1500 innocent Punjabis (Sikh include) in Jalianwalabagh immediately after
Purnendu Singh That was 1919 this is WW2 in the 1940s. What happened in Jalianwala bagh was a tragedy. But, it was also a revolt. How else would they stop them from rioting, looting and killing.
Oh stop moaning. U joined the British army because u got paid. It was a job. Indians also fought for the Nazis. Only the Germans didn't pay them. They didn't think they were good enough. Lacked discipline. The British on the other hand took you all over the empire especially Africa. When the Africans kicked you out u didn't go back to India u came to Britain and became British. So stop moaning.
Mark Gable you are atypical unread moron more Indians, west Indians, Etc died at most Ww1 and ww2 than white chicken shits like you They did their duty and were underpaid under fed under recognised Read about Monte Cassino, Dunkirk , North Africa and you will find that it was the Indians who saved your sorry arse the Indians were told help us and we will look after you and guess what after the war they found they had been misled. Now ask any one intelligent none of your family or friends and you will find that the Indians are recognised for being disciplined and the best soldiers do much so that the British army are thinking of starting a Sikh regiment. You should try finding an intelligent person who might read words for you stop reading Churchill's racism and look for facts. You have been misled since the war telling you that we won the war no without the colony's you would have been speaking German.Hence even the queen was being readied with the salutes You are a disgraceful numpty
MrOnyourbike I know the Indians fought in campaigns in the war. They also fought for the Nazis as INA ( Indian national Army). They fought against the allies on the eastern front, in Italy, the desert and Burma campaign. They figured the British would lose and they would be kicked out of India making them the new leaders of an independent India. The leader M Bhose met with Nazis in Berlin on numerous occasions to discuss strategy. Maybe you don't know or don't believe... Which is it..?
my grandfather was one of the first few soldiers who rebelled right when WW2 started. he joined Bose and met Erwin Rommel. growing up as a kid i often asked him "what if nazis had won? and went back on their promise of indian freedom?" his answer was always simple "then we wud have fought germans, but we wanted nothing less than freedom". as a kid he made me promise i wud never accept help or any offering ,no matter what, from english white man and wud never serve union jack or its citizens.
sometimes i feel sad and unfortunate of me being born Indian,,,due to this rampant corruption,poverty and ill administration going in this country,,,but something like this video pops up and I thank almighty for giving birth to me as an Indian... :D
I have a new respect for Indians who fought for Britain. Can you imagine how they suffered under the Japanese ? They were always second class in lodging and food in the British army, Shameful.
Thank you Khiladi...With the utmost and deepest respect to the great nation of India. One of history's most truly amazing countries....from your Commonwealth friends.
We were learning about this in history class and some kid said that he thought that there were only like 1000 Indian soldiers and they had pistols and I was about to just get up and smack him.
Those poor soldiers became embarrassment for india and slave for britain.There are statues of even animals in London who fought for britain in second world war but not a single indian out of 65000 martyrs although many of them won Victoria crosses. As an indian, I am ashamed of any indian fighting for British cause.British were far brutal with Indian than any other dictator with their subjects in 20th century.
James Bond So? Does that give a reason to not give a commemoration for the Indian army? (I won't use the term British before Indian Army as it's known to be the most vile and racist term in the history of mankind.)
Those soldiers are not an embarrassment for india.... please keep these kind of bloody comments to yourself... they were brave men and they fought because india had been promised freedom in exchange for participating in both wars
@@jaishree1647 First, I would recommend u to learn basic facts from history before jumping to comment..... India was promised some autonomy and basic parliamentary self rule under the control of British crown for its help in World War 1,neither complete freedom nor full sovereignty was promised....thinking that 'Something is better than nothing' even Mahatma Gandhi appealed common Indians to help British Empire with man and material during first world War..... When War ended, British didn't fulfill any promise made before war.... During second World War, no promise of Independence was made because even if British would have made a promise, there were no takers of such false promises... Even Mahatma Gandhi who supported British Empire in Boer war(1880-1902) and in first world War, started the "Quit India movement" to pressurize British to leave India...... So u tell me, where did u learn that India was promised Independence before second World War...
@Olivia Addison 1.3 million Indians fought in 1st world war,2.5 million Indians fought in 2nd world War (Many won medals for their heroic contribution) and some neutral analysts even suggest that if it was not Indian soldiers, Britain might have lost 2nd world war.... In return British Empire gave us torture, maim, bloodshed, subjugation and famine.... The racism with which british treated them led to their revolt just after 2nd world war which led to Indian Independence.... Even today, racist British don't teach their contribution in their school textbook...there are statues of even dogs who contributed in 2nd world war but not one statute of any Victoria Cross recipient although 22 Indians won Victoria crosses in 2nd world War.... So Ur treatment unequivocally indicate that u r treating them as slaves, commenting on social media won't make it any better
@Olivia Addison I m not talking about u as an individual but british state as a collective entity and the way they are creating anti India narrative even today.... British still has those colonial hangover.... U can see it in the way they portray Indians in their films, media and t v shows, in their school curriculum.... The way British Parliament discuss laws (even this years farm laws) made by Indian parliament as if they are still ruling us..... Far from being modest, They don't have any realisation that World has changed dramatically in the last 70 years... And a country like UK has way less influence in geopolitics than that of countries like china and India.... It is in the interest of Britain to put off colonial racist lens and stop these unwanted activities. Today India's GDP is more than that of Britain, and militarily it is the fourth strongest country..... India is going to emerge as top 2 economy in near future, so it is in the interest of Britain to stop these childish activities
I am an Indian too Those Indian Soldier they were not joined by their self they joined because for their lives they got fear that's why they fight if they don't fight they would be no Middle East The Otoman Empire will be still alive
Many of my fellow countrymen feeling bad about this but let me tell u something... We never had a backbone and we never stood for ourselves. Even today, we are such sycophants towards the west. We feel so proud if a westerner visits india or if a westerner gives positive review or reaction to our movies. Why??!! Its all because of our ancestors. I hate them for a lack of backbone and every Indian including the government who throw hige lunch and dinner parties whenever any politician from the west visit us instead of dealing with them like a businessmen. Refran from veing such sycophants!!! Sometimes I think that its in our blood. Its always mentioned in history as Indian freedom struggle but never as Indian revolution cuz we never overpowered them.
My maternal grandfather participated in the ww2 from the British Raj army and survived the war completely unscathed, he had the most fascinating war stories to tell to my mother but unfortunately he passed away way before I was born.
@@mrvictorian4004 how can there be any proof of these atrocities? the britishers never wrote about the crimes they committed and more over do you believe that a colonial power would care if their subjects have free will? We indians don't hold grudges, we just want an admission of guilt. That is it. If you question the atrocities that we faced because of your forefathers then we will have tough international relations. Choice is yours
Forgotten volunteers, bullocks, they are not forgotten at all. There are several memorials to them in the UK and they are mentioned in almost every British documentary and history book on the battles that they took part in
This is interesting footage. I'm keen to learn the truth about the Indian Army. I am aware that they have been in many conflicts fighting alongside the British and other colonies but to what extent I am yet to discover. Hopefully this series will shed light on the subject.
In-fact I've also managed to find another book of reference, which is "Collections and recollections" by George William Erskine Russel. The page number is 168 exactly, from the Google book editions of this book which is a popular classic and which you can access to online. This song was written when, after various use of the majority of Indians in the British Indian army, the British decided to also send them to aid white British forces in Malta. You can also google "RAJPUTS" .
Wow what a brave heart the mother and father should have been to tell their son not to run away from battlefield or take the bullet in the chest, Thank you BBC for a documentary like this. Our forefathers have been complaining of British discrimination, but we the seventh generation are still complaining of discrimination but by a different race of people who rule India today, so it doesnt make any difference, discrimination has been a way of life, we dont know what real freedom is like.
I've been wondering how to find my Grandfather's service record during World War II. I'm communicating with family in India to find ways find his service record. He passed away when I was a child. After returning from the war, he was a police officer in India until he retired.
I swear, India back then must have had it's priorities all screwed up, it mustered 2.5 million men to fight for the British but not enough to free itself from the British.
If this is what you feel about indians under British rule then you don't know a thing about india under the British rule and the conditions in which indians were forced to live. British were clever people they exploited caste differences and divided people on religious lines to keep ruling over them for centuries. Indians were kept illiterate, britain had one job of exploiting india economically. Indians started to resist only after the floodgates of education for indians were opened by the British but for that too happen it took a great deal of coaxing and not before 70 years of british loot already of india. Education to Indians were only given with a mindset that it would aid the British in smooth administration of the country and help make economic exploitation much smoother and because india was highly complex for any country to rule. Indians didn't have any weapons all weapons were under British control and if at all indians owned weapons they were dated and generations old and also it was only after british made sure that they (the british) had the more modern & latest ones. As soon as there was an uprising it would be brutally suppressed by the company.
@histdorkbastilleday I am right there with you. An area I have never studied is India's role in ww2, I guess I just considered them the British and never studied Sikh soldiers. Great brave fighters that gave there lives so the world would not suffer Axis tyranny! Enlightening for me as well.
There is perhaps nothing more noble than the actions of our soldiers then - sent far from home to die fighting a was that was not theirs so as to protect the interests of a people that despised us. Yours was truly an inglorious empire.
A few days ago the Scottish news was talking about paying respects to all Indians who fought during the war, showing their gravestones up in the highlands. A lot of muslim names were on the graves. I think they gave names of notable sikhs saving men from the trenches. Glasgow-based Colourful Heritage (a support group) wants to build a permanent memorial in Scotland to Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus who fought for Britain in both world wars.
The group involved are largely Indian / Pakistani and it was a local not nationwide announcement. The largest visible ethnic group in the UK are south asian. Even the news reporters are not always white ;) Now go and listen to some UK bhangra
RIP, had ancestor who died in Burma against Japanese, no one remembers these men or care about them in India. Not even any memorials or documentation to acknowledge their sacrifice.
Any Indian veteran who faced the tragically corrupted Tojo army is a hero to Indian history! A national hero to be honored with a free rent house! Theres only a few of those guy's left, treat them like princes!
Exactly.. Some people still believes the aryan race concept or aryan invasion concept..but it's more of a philological divide rather than a racial one. Many contemporary historians like Romilla Thappar have explicitly mentioned the facts that aryan and dravidian streams are purely on linguistic basis than a racial one..
Yes my friend you can find the proof in the book written by the acclaimed Scottish historian Nial Ferguson, the title of the book is "Empire, How Britain made the modern world" and the chapter would be the one relating to British India. Just find the book, go to Index and search British Indian army, you will find the reference on one of the pages.
@@marka.1770 Hitler considered Indians as impure Aryans as they had mixed with the local people and thought that British colonisation was the best thing to happen to India
🇬🇧 🇮🇳 🇳🇵 Sad that everyone forgot these men that fought. Indians rejecting the army. And even the British forgetting their own soldiers fighting in Burma and India after the surrender of Germany. God. It is sad.
It's also true that thousands of Indian troops deserted and joined the Japanese invaders. Anyone who thought that Japanese rule in India would have been an improvement -- or even similar in nature -- was a fool and a racist. Ask any East Asian what Japanese rule was like. Indian soldiers in WWII may have fought under a British flag, but they were defending civilization as well as their country. This was truly a global war in which neutrality was nearly as shameful as joining the enemy.
So is British civilization, especially of the Celts. One could say the same for many Indian groups, the main difference being that the Indian subcontinent has mostly united while Europeans such as the British and Italians still remain vastly independent, ignoring the EU of course.
I hope one day they will help us like we helped them in a war and Indian need respect they all think that. They are good but without India they would have lost and india would not have been free.
“Arms of the brave always support and sustain the people like (a father his) son. A brave is, for this reason, honoured by all, in all situations. There is nothing in all the three worlds, which is beyond (the reach of) bravery. Brave sustains all, and all depend upon the brave.” - The Mahabharat
@jatkshatriya i dont get it what are u trying to say? british didnt break up egypt australia, south africa or burma? they were just conquered because they were weak, is that it? plz elaborate.
3 million indian soldiers fought with allies. it was the largest voluntary contribution in WW2. 1 million indians fought against the british and chose to seek support and arms from imperial japan and nazi germany. to them british were the first problem to be dealt with. whatever that was going on in europe was none of their business. they were fighting for indian freedom.
@atrumira ahhh the thing is, you specifically spoke about the sikhs not indians in general which can easily be misconstrued as giving them a separate country during independence(1947). since yor homeland did give muslims a separate country, i thought you were talking about a separate khalistan for the sikhs. look at your comment in tha context....means something completely different. anyway my bad
There was terrible poverty and many indian young men found it a way to escape.Assured foods for three times a day and some money as salary was enough for them to put a fight.British did not conqueor india with european race,but by employing indian men. 1857 rebellion was put down by gorkhas,pashtun,sikh troops under the command of british.This country after 1947 is trying to become a nation and the process still on.
Sorry man but the British Indian army,90 percent of which were primarily Indian, were the main force through which the British empire ruled more than half of the world prior WW2. They were used to crush rebellions throughout Africa, Asia and even fought int he Opium wars. Also you should know that in those there was an old song by the british about how they, themselves refused to fight and instead decide to send the Indian soldiers to fight for them.Song ends wiz "we will send the mild Hindoos"
It was only this army of 2.5 M that forced British out of India and that made India so much powerful to keep it intact with just two divisions. Hyderabad was defeated by same army.
Subhas Chandra Bose, once a prominent leader of Congress, volunteered to help Germany and Japan; he said Britain's opposition to Nazism and Fascism as hypocrisy since it was itself violating human rights and denying individual liberties in India.
The word "British" does not mean "English" ....it historically included the Welsh and Scottish because "Great Britain" was the union of England and Wales and later Scotland. Also about a third of the people of Ireland consider themselves to be British.
There were INA trials after the war. But because these trials were publicized, there were revolts and unrest within the Indian Army. After watching the situation deteriorated, the British government released all the axis collaborators, and nobody was persecuted.
in the case of "indian national army" or "azad hind fauj" which was armed by german wehrmacht. they were honored as :"freedom fighters". after the war ended they received freedom fighter allowance from indian government. while the volunteer army for british got nothing. no pension. nothing. british deserted them. these soldiers joined indian army later on. Bose is still a "war criminal" as per the british govt. here in india, he is a legendary freedom fighter and has a huge cult status.
Respect in military sense, but, it is no consolation that you preferred to be a mercenary for our country's enemy , the british raj rather than becoming a revolutionary for freedom of India
India wouldn’t be a country if the Axis alliance won the war. Do you really think the Germans and Japanese would have recognized Indian independence and allowed the Indian people live freely under better conditions than the British?
@@SamsungKat enough of singing praises for the enemy that killed millions in India. It is not about what would have happened had axis won etc,it is more about the wrong glorification of becoming a mercenary
@@rahulmig35 they were not mercenary’s in my opinion, that’s were our viewpoint is different. But I agree in military sense we must respect anyone who serves. Governments and policies decide where war and battles happen not soldiers. I come from a family who served pre British raj, during British raj and after independence and I am proud of that. Much respect to you. I would consider you a brother.
@@rahulmig35 I don’t agree with your viewpoint. If you feel that strongly, make a comment to every single unit and division in the current Indian Army who still proudly display pictures and follow traditions of those who served pre-independence.
You honestly believe that the average Indian wasn't starving for food back in the 16th century? What statistics and extensive research shows that Indians in the 16th century were much better fed with a higher quality of life and a much lower poverty rate than those in 1947, which I might add, was a horribly down year for most of the world, including that of Britain, due to the massive world war than ended only two years earlier. This sketch speaks wonders /watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso
It is very sad that Saptarshi Bhattacharjee should mock these brave men, and does not respect the sacrifice and service they gave. If it was not for their sacrifice, he would not be able to sit there, fiddling with his i-phone, drinking cola, spouting off. Sadly, most young people in the UK have the same attitude to the generation who gave us our freedom.
+bigjon12345 If you hadn't caused the collapse of Mughal Empire, you would've stayed a shithole island you were before you invaded and infested the subcontinent.
+bigjon12345 So what, how would that have been any different from reading and writing in English? You were as much invaders and oppressors as any Germans would have been. Thing with your type is you honestly think the sun shines out of your arses and the oppressed and exploited people of the 'British empire' should actually be grateful for their subjugation. Thats how deluded you are. And then all the while going on about the darstardly Germans. Hypocrites!
Indians were always brave warriors but were always considered underdogs..even today but irony is today india is one of the most powerful nations of the world n churchill was an asshole
Don't worry .... At the present time we are bigger in economy and power than the British .... Also our companies own most of the British industries .... This is karma
i wasnt referring to the original aryan concept..but hitler's views were different..he believed germanic people to be of pure aryan race and others as undesirables, he considered germanic people as ubermensch ..you are not getting my point..he advocated for pure aryan race...had he considered us as aryans he'd have definitely annexed india..
Long live to the BRICS! Greetings to India from Brazil, your allies.
Love from India.
I HOPE US INDIAN ASIANS AFRICANS ARABS RUSSIAN CHINESE HISPANICS WILL UNITE AND FIGHT ON THE SIDE AGAINST THE BRITS IN WW3
@@alstonfernandez let's hope there won't be a ww3....we are in a age with nukes dude
@@alstonfernandez i hope there will necer be a ww3
How abt pakistan, Bangladesh, sri lanka who also took part lol
It doesn't matter where they are from they are veterans just the same as every other soldier and deserve the same rememberance and respect. Salute to you all.
now your country is #1 safe place to live right ?
Amanda wilson don’t try diplomatic sarcastically. Agree these Indian soldiers has to be saluted. Give a no or for their sacrifice, don’t generalise.
And germany too. They fought for their country too
@@harryabelard6175 what's that suppose to mean.
See a soldier is a soldier he has to be treated like a soldier... my dad is veteran and he says that a soldier has no choice to kill or not... he cant treat the enemy as a human or even a thing with feelings... for a soldier the enemy is an inanimate object... so i think both the sides shud be honored after the war
The British starved 3 million Indians to death in 1943 cuz they wanted to stock food for their army . Great payback for the loyalty . still the biggest genocide never spoken about .
3 Million too less to compare with their whole colonization resulted a genocide worth 60 Million.
All due to slow beuracraucy and hatred towards us.
No that would be the Holodomor
What about the mass genocide of north American natives
No one talks abour India in the U.S.
At the behest of Gandhi, the Sikh Regiment among others fought for the British who engineered the Partition Holocaust. But then, Britain too was divided among those sympathetic to India and Churchill. I think Churchill was an evil man who the British had to put up with for war leadership and then they cast him aside when the war was won.
Do not let RUclips ever pull this video down. These videos are a national treasure and must be kept safe for anyone who says Indian's did not do anything.
god bless the indian soldiers...salute
MegaContented And you're a case of mistaken invention out of a torn condom.
WHY NOT HAVE A BIT OF RESPECT FOR THESE SOLDIERS..
Jerry Yawning
Who are you condemning, buddy?
he is just a dick,,looking for attention..rude comments on this is shamefull...always remembered..
I wish Subhas Chandra Bose was successful in liberating India with German assistance. Brits took away India's possessions, ruined our economy, took us so long to get out of this hole, but the arrogance of the British will never die, will it? It's a good thing your country is facing a massive terror wave, serves you right for treating India so badly all those years.
My Grandad lived his early years in India as my Great Grandad was in the Somerset Light Infantry pre WW2. He told stories of great hardship endured by the foot soldiers of both British and Indian origin, but he also told stories of the great respect held and love between the "normal" people (not the ruling class). To his dying day he felt a greater affiliation and friendship towards India than Europe.
+bradlon100 Nice. Any info on which company he was in? Respects to your grandfather.
+0824 325 Someone with a complex and a lot to learn.
@@Priyo866east India company??
@@dis_appointed8626 military company means a unit of group of soldiers. Not a corporate
Ignore Bernard Manning, he had no isea whatsoever of the number of indian troops in the british Indian Army in WWII! My father fought in India and Burma and served with Indian troops of all faiths. He could never speak highly enough of their bravery and care for British troops.
My grandad is Muslim and told us horror stories of how he survives capture in Burma
Sadly I don't have any war stories but I'm happy to see that compassion existed between soldiers on the field at least. Thank you
@@killerkhan I had that idea form your name
Thank you for this documentary. Long live the Indian Army!!!
jennyleo39 india has an army?
@@jheartbeats3294 India is the 4Th strongest military in the world compared to British 8th
Pakistan Army. Many recruits were from North West India
Not only India
There were many volunteers from Bangladesh and Pakistan also.
I did not know that Indians were involved at all during WWII. It is shameful that this is so. How do we thank them for their sacrifice? I think it is too late for many. :(
The 2nd highest dead were the indians in world wars after german and russians... But history never recognised them
Indian standing army was 25,00,000 during WW2 and 17,50,000 during WW1.
Indian military deaths in WW1 were 72,000 and in WW2 it was 87,000.
There were also war related civilian deaths and famines which killed millions.
Not only in ww2 but also in ww1
2.5 Million Indian soldier fought for your freedom in World War 2
@Ellen Brown A soldier never dies as long as he is remembered... by remembering them they are immortalized
Much like African-Americans who served in the US Army before desegregation, they deserve our respect!
It was infact... the soldiers were promised freedom for their country... thats why they fought. RIP to the fallen their sacrifice was not in vain because we got our independence. JAI HIND
I dream, that: "P.O.C. (People -of -colour)"; would not -fight, for: "West-ern_ Militaries" **who, or that, or which; Invade "our -Nation's!!"!!**?? **{Ancestry: I.E. = "The land's, of our: Ancestry"; etc.}.**
-M.K.S.
As a brit i never learned about the africans and indians who fought in both world wars support the indian people and military🇬🇧🇮🇳
That’s so British, no wonder you would know little about British Raj.
Don't forget how churchill thanked them by starving 4 million of them to death and wouldn't send food as they "bread like rabbits and it wouldn't stop the famine"
And Pakistanis.
@@mrugennaik534 blame the Education system
@@Therock151214 both Hindu Muslims fogutb in WW2 we both are warriors but because of our differences we keep fightning each other
Hi my great grand uncle died fighting for British, he was from Madras and was wondering how can I look him up or find more info about his death? No one in my family cares, they received government benefits after he died so it should be recorded somewhere
khouse i hope you do someday mate, im a pakistani and my grand mother's brother fought in ww2, he was never found
@@Stale_Buns my grand moms best friend was married at a young age and the boy was working at karachi... They were Muslims... After independence they never got a chance to meet... Even my grnd moms friend never met her family.. But her daughter came after 65 years... Their grand father was in ww2 from madras
Maybe try looking through government archives?
My great grandfather, a great great grandfather from a different branch, great grandmother's brother, cousin and brother-in-law and numerous others are some I know from 2 branches of my family. If you find any trustable source for finding info of British Indian Army soldiers then please share it with me.
It's time to ignore ignorance.
" Glory to all those brave soldiers who fought for us."
" Lest we forget."
MegaContented Hows that Scottish independence going for you.
England will never be a republic...
God bless England.
Fighting Force *Screams in Scottish* Time to join Ireland.
Ans glory to germany soldiers to. They were fighting for their country too.
Enslaved and controlled for decades then 300 years latter volunteered to fight then disregarded, and to this day experience racism is disgusting
Exactly what idiots retarded Vickers where they Britain was loosing the war but they still fought blind eye 2.5 mill dead and they are still racist towards indiand what nonsense
@@mo_-ns9mf Karma is hitting back at the British anyway. Look how much Muslims are looting their country LMAO.
@@mo_-ns9mf 1,59,000 Indian military deaths actually, in both wars combined.
2.5 millions with the famine that was caused by the British, maybe more.
"racism" Britain banned slavery in India in 1830s, long before lincoln did it
@@zigzag3720 Racism and slavery are two different things but racism isn't Britain's fault
We proud of you guys !!! We will never forget you !!!!
So Sikhs died for the British Empire . And how did Britain repay the debt ? By killing 1500 innocent Punjabis (Sikh include) in Jalianwalabagh immediately after
Purnendu Singh That was 1919 this is WW2 in the 1940s. What happened in Jalianwala bagh was a tragedy. But, it was also a revolt. How else would they stop them from rioting, looting and killing.
chap0syoutuification You need to read about Jalianwalabagh ..
Oh stop moaning. U joined the British army because u got paid. It was a job.
Indians also fought for the Nazis. Only the Germans didn't pay them. They didn't think they were good enough. Lacked discipline.
The British on the other hand took you all over the empire especially Africa. When the Africans kicked you out u didn't go back to India u came to Britain and became British.
So stop moaning.
Mark Gable you are atypical unread moron more Indians, west Indians, Etc died at most Ww1 and ww2 than white chicken shits like you
They did their duty and were underpaid under fed under recognised
Read about Monte Cassino, Dunkirk , North Africa and you will find that it was the Indians who saved your sorry arse the Indians were told help us and we will look after you and guess what after the war they found they had been misled.
Now ask any one intelligent none of your family or friends and you will find that the Indians are recognised for being disciplined and the best soldiers do much so that the British army are thinking of starting a Sikh regiment.
You should try finding an intelligent person who might read words for you stop reading Churchill's racism and look for facts.
You have been misled since the war telling you that we won the war no without the colony's you would have been speaking German.Hence even the queen was being readied with the salutes
You are a disgraceful numpty
MrOnyourbike I know the Indians fought in campaigns in the war. They also fought for the Nazis as INA ( Indian national Army). They fought against the allies on the eastern front, in Italy, the desert and Burma campaign. They figured the British would lose and they would be kicked out of India making them the new leaders of an independent India. The leader M Bhose met with Nazis in Berlin on numerous occasions to discuss strategy.
Maybe you don't know or don't believe...
Which is it..?
my grandfather was one of the first few soldiers who rebelled right when WW2 started. he joined Bose and met Erwin Rommel. growing up as a kid i often asked him "what if nazis had won? and went back on their promise of indian freedom?" his answer was always simple "then we wud have fought germans, but we wanted nothing less than freedom". as a kid he made me promise i wud never accept help or any offering ,no matter what, from english white man and wud never serve union jack or its citizens.
sometimes i feel sad and unfortunate of me being born Indian,,,due to this rampant corruption,poverty and ill administration going in this country,,,but something like this video pops up and I thank almighty for giving birth to me as an Indian... :D
Thank you to the brave Indians who fought with us in the wars. We are in your debt.
How come when I call myself a British Asian I get told I'm not British?
I have a new respect for Indians who fought for Britain. Can you imagine how they suffered under the Japanese ? They were always second class in lodging and food in the British army, Shameful.
Thank you Khiladi...With the utmost and deepest respect to the great nation of India. One of history's most truly amazing countries....from your Commonwealth friends.
We were learning about this in history class and some kid said that he thought that there were only like 1000 Indian soldiers and they had pistols and I was about to just get up and smack him.
Those poor soldiers became embarrassment for india and slave for britain.There are statues of even animals in London who fought for britain in second world war but not a single indian out of 65000 martyrs although many of them won Victoria crosses. As an indian, I am ashamed of any indian fighting for British cause.British were far brutal with Indian than any other dictator with their subjects in 20th century.
James Bond So? Does that give a reason to not give a commemoration for the Indian army? (I won't use the term British before Indian Army as it's known to be the most vile and racist term in the history of mankind.)
Those soldiers are not an embarrassment for india.... please keep these kind of bloody comments to yourself... they were brave men and they fought because india had been promised freedom in exchange for participating in both wars
@@jaishree1647 First, I would recommend u to learn basic facts from history before jumping to comment.....
India was promised some autonomy and basic parliamentary self rule under the control of British crown for its help in World War 1,neither complete freedom nor full sovereignty was promised....thinking that 'Something is better than nothing' even Mahatma Gandhi appealed common Indians to help British Empire with man and material during first world War.....
When War ended, British didn't fulfill any promise made before war....
During second World War, no promise of Independence was made because even if British would have made a promise, there were no takers of such false promises...
Even Mahatma Gandhi who supported British Empire in Boer war(1880-1902) and in first world War, started the "Quit India movement" to pressurize British to leave India......
So u tell me, where did u learn that India was promised Independence before second World War...
@Olivia Addison 1.3 million Indians fought in 1st world war,2.5 million Indians fought in 2nd world War (Many won medals for their heroic contribution) and some neutral analysts even suggest that if it was not Indian soldiers, Britain might have lost 2nd world war.... In return British Empire gave us torture, maim, bloodshed, subjugation and famine.... The racism with which british treated them led to their revolt just after 2nd world war which led to Indian Independence.... Even today, racist British don't teach their contribution in their school textbook...there are statues of even dogs who contributed in 2nd world war but not one statute of any Victoria Cross recipient although 22 Indians won Victoria crosses in 2nd world War.... So Ur treatment unequivocally indicate that u r treating them as slaves, commenting on social media won't make it any better
@Olivia Addison I m not talking about u as an individual but british state as a collective entity and the way they are creating anti India narrative even today.... British still has those colonial hangover.... U can see it in the way they portray Indians in their films, media and t v shows, in their school curriculum....
The way British Parliament discuss laws (even this years farm laws) made by Indian parliament as if they are still ruling us..... Far from being modest,
They don't have any realisation that World has changed dramatically in the last 70 years... And a country like UK has way less influence in geopolitics than that of countries like china and India....
It is in the interest of Britain to put off colonial racist lens and stop these unwanted activities. Today India's GDP is more than that of Britain, and militarily it is the fourth strongest country..... India is going to emerge as top 2 economy in near future, so it is in the interest of Britain to stop these childish activities
I am an Indian too Those Indian Soldier they were not joined by their self they joined because for their lives they got fear that's why they fight if they don't fight they would be no Middle East The Otoman Empire will be still alive
Many of my fellow countrymen feeling bad about this but let me tell u something... We never had a backbone and we never stood for ourselves. Even today, we are such sycophants towards the west. We feel so proud if a westerner visits india or if a westerner gives positive review or reaction to our movies. Why??!! Its all because of our ancestors. I hate them for a lack of backbone and every Indian including the government who throw hige lunch and dinner parties whenever any politician from the west visit us instead of dealing with them like a businessmen. Refran from veing such sycophants!!! Sometimes I think that its in our blood. Its always mentioned in history as Indian freedom struggle but never as Indian revolution cuz we never overpowered them.
My grandfather was British Indian soldier during World War 2. He fought in Burma
My maternal grandfather participated in the ww2 from the British Raj army and survived the war completely unscathed, he had the most fascinating war stories to tell to my mother but unfortunately he passed away way before I was born.
'Volunteers' !! Many of them were forced to participate !!
Where is your proof?
@@mrvictorian4004 how can there be any proof of these atrocities? the britishers never wrote about the crimes they committed and more over do you believe that a colonial power would care if their subjects have free will? We indians don't hold grudges, we just want an admission of guilt. That is it. If you question the atrocities that we faced because of your forefathers then we will have tough international relations. Choice is yours
Check how many British Soldiers / Civilians died, vs how many Indians died.
@@cqnzr-clipsgameplay5706 it wasn't India's war though. It was Britain's war and they just dragged their colonies into it.
Yeah that's what I'm saying,
Some fuckery is going on is only 350k British died vs 2.5 million Indians.
Forgotten volunteers, bullocks, they are not forgotten at all. There are several memorials to them in the UK and they are mentioned in almost every British documentary and history book on the battles that they took part in
My grandfather was British Indian army soldier during second World War, he died in 2005, he used to tell me the stories
they are NOT forgotten !!! i'm a 19 year old guy from Cyprus and i know what the indian army did !!!
Love from America for all those in India
Is this documentary based on the book titled "the forgotten army" by Peter W Fay?
This is interesting footage. I'm keen to learn the truth about the Indian Army. I am aware that they have been in many conflicts fighting alongside the British and other colonies but to what extent I am yet to discover. Hopefully this series will shed light on the subject.
Hats off to Indian Army.
It shall & will servive , fight for Indian honour at any cicumstances 👍👍🙏🙏
In-fact I've also managed to find another book of reference, which is "Collections and recollections" by George William Erskine Russel. The page number is 168 exactly, from the Google book editions of this book which is a popular classic and which you can access to online. This song was written when, after various use of the majority of Indians in the British Indian army, the British decided to also send them to aid white British forces in Malta. You can also google "RAJPUTS" .
Wow what a brave heart the mother and father should have been to tell their son not to run away from battlefield or take the bullet in the chest, Thank you BBC for a documentary like this. Our forefathers have been complaining of British discrimination, but we the seventh generation are still complaining of discrimination but by a different race of people who rule India today, so it doesnt make any difference, discrimination has been a way of life, we dont know what real freedom is like.
I've been wondering how to find my Grandfather's service record during World War II. I'm communicating with family in India to find ways find his service record. He passed away when I was a child. After returning from the war, he was a police officer in India until he retired.
My friend India is changed now...you can see the difference now...370 and 35A is removed now.
this channel is really very informative...
700,000 Muslims and 900,000 Hindus fought for Britain during WWII.
Its a shame to see that this contribution has been forgotten
Indians are always disciplined.
It's our culture.
I swear, India back then must have had it's priorities all screwed up, it mustered 2.5 million men to fight for the British but not enough to free itself from the British.
true man. All becuz of FAITH in a DICK Head called GANDY
Ghandi was a British agent
Profoundly perceptive comment!
If this is what you feel about indians under British rule then you don't know a thing about india under the British rule and the conditions in which indians were forced to live. British were clever people they exploited caste differences and divided people on religious lines to keep ruling over them for centuries. Indians were kept illiterate, britain had one job of exploiting india economically. Indians started to resist only after the floodgates of education for indians were opened by the British but for that too happen it took a great deal of coaxing and not before 70 years of british loot already of india. Education to Indians were only given with a mindset that it would aid the British in smooth administration of the country and help make economic exploitation much smoother and because india was highly complex for any country to rule. Indians didn't have any weapons all weapons were under British control and if at all indians owned weapons they were dated and generations old and also it was only after british made sure that they (the british) had the more modern & latest ones. As soon as there was an uprising it would be brutally suppressed by the company.
@histdorkbastilleday I am right there with you. An area I have never studied is India's role in ww2, I guess I just considered them the British and never studied Sikh soldiers. Great brave fighters that gave there lives so the world would not suffer Axis tyranny! Enlightening for me as well.
There is perhaps nothing more noble than the actions of our soldiers then - sent far from home to die fighting a was that was not theirs so as to protect the interests of a people that despised us. Yours was truly an inglorious empire.
These men were the real patriots
A few days ago the Scottish news was talking about paying respects to all Indians who fought during the war, showing their gravestones up in the highlands. A lot of muslim names were on the graves. I think they gave names of notable sikhs saving men from the trenches. Glasgow-based Colourful Heritage (a support group) wants to build a permanent memorial in Scotland to Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus who fought for Britain in both world wars.
The group involved are largely Indian / Pakistani and it was a local not nationwide announcement. The largest visible ethnic group in the UK are south asian. Even the news reporters are not always white ;) Now go and listen to some UK bhangra
Please add the rest of the videos
RIP, had ancestor who died in Burma against Japanese, no one remembers these men or care about them in India. Not even any memorials or documentation to acknowledge their sacrifice.
My maternal great grandfather was in the British Indian Army, he was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese and came back after the war.
The exact song BTW, goes like this:
We don't want to fight,
But, by Jingo, if we do,
We won't go to the front ourselves,
We'll send the mild Hindoo.
M y salute to the gr8 heroes of our nation jai hind
7:50 Can somebody give context for that clip?
Thanks for the upload, very interesting!
Any Indian veteran who faced the tragically corrupted Tojo army is a hero to Indian history! A national hero to be honored with a free rent house! Theres only a few of those guy's left, treat them like princes!
Exactly.. Some people still believes the aryan race concept or aryan invasion concept..but it's more of a philological divide rather than a racial one. Many contemporary historians like Romilla Thappar have explicitly mentioned the facts that aryan and dravidian streams are purely on linguistic basis than a racial one..
Many of these soldiers later became a part of the Indian, Pakistan, and Bangladesh Army.
Yes my friend you can find the proof in the book written by the acclaimed Scottish historian Nial Ferguson, the title of the book is "Empire, How Britain made the modern world" and the chapter would be the one relating to British India. Just find the book, go to Index and search British Indian army, you will find the reference on one of the pages.
Why did we fight for the British ??? We are not British. England is a great country but they had no right to be in India
England is a devil country.
Ravinder Sian : India is too far
@Ravinder Sian no Nazis....
It was Japan
Germany was friendly with India
@jamie sharpe lol google bose hitler meetings and moreover most of the nazi ideology is early vedic translations in german
@@marka.1770 Hitler considered Indians as impure Aryans as they had mixed with the local people and thought that British colonisation was the best thing to happen to India
🇬🇧 🇮🇳 🇳🇵 Sad that everyone forgot these men that fought. Indians rejecting the army. And even the British forgetting their own soldiers fighting in Burma and India after the surrender of Germany. God. It is sad.
too insulting ....... those Indians fought for trechorous britisht
It's also true that thousands of Indian troops deserted and joined the Japanese invaders.
Anyone who thought that Japanese rule in India would have been an improvement -- or even similar in nature -- was a fool and a racist.
Ask any East Asian what Japanese rule was like. Indian soldiers in WWII may have fought under a British flag, but they were defending civilization as well as their country. This was truly a global war in which neutrality was nearly as shameful as joining the enemy.
So is British civilization, especially of the Celts. One could say the same for many Indian groups, the main difference being that the Indian subcontinent has mostly united while Europeans such as the British and Italians still remain vastly independent, ignoring the EU of course.
Absence of Gratitude !
Thanks for interesting information. I'll do some Googling about to learn about this Bose fellow.
I hope one day they will help us like we helped them in a war and Indian need respect they all think that. They are good but without India they would have lost and india would not have been free.
Why didn't Indian Army soldiers stop joining the British Indian army?
Western media never shows this.
Um, BBC showed this.
ur information is knowledge , thanx, gr8
damn i was trying to wipe my laptop screen not knowing that its part of your avatar pic lol
My grandad and mums cousin were in the Punjab regiment in Libya they had Italian German and Libyan prisoners
“Arms of the brave always support and sustain the people like (a father his) son. A brave is, for this reason, honoured by all, in all situations. There is nothing in all the three worlds, which is beyond (the reach of) bravery. Brave sustains all, and all depend upon the brave.” - The Mahabharat
@jatkshatriya i dont get it what are u trying to say? british didnt break up egypt australia, south africa or burma? they were just conquered because they were weak, is that it? plz elaborate.
3 million indian soldiers fought with allies. it was the largest voluntary contribution in WW2.
1 million indians fought against the british and chose to seek support and arms from imperial japan and nazi germany. to them british were the first problem to be dealt with. whatever that was going on in europe was none of their business. they were fighting for indian freedom.
I want to know more details about this..
Still they won't provide us a permanent seat in UNSC council.
@atrumira ahhh the thing is, you specifically spoke about the sikhs not indians in general which can easily be misconstrued as giving them a separate country during independence(1947). since yor homeland did give muslims a separate country, i thought you were talking about a separate khalistan for the sikhs. look at your comment in tha context....means something completely different. anyway my bad
Why we n our kids are never thought about this in our study curriculum?
This are the lapdog of British Queen.
We do know I learnt about the Indians in world war 1
There was terrible poverty and many indian young men found it a way to escape.Assured foods for three times a day and some money as salary was enough for them to put a fight.British did not conqueor india with european race,but by employing indian men. 1857 rebellion was put down by gorkhas,pashtun,sikh troops under the command of british.This country after 1947 is trying to become a nation and the process still on.
Sorry man but the British Indian army,90 percent of which were primarily Indian, were the main force through which the British empire ruled more than half of the world prior WW2. They were used to crush rebellions throughout Africa, Asia and even fought int he Opium wars. Also you should know that in those there was an old song by the british about how they, themselves refused to fight and instead decide to send the Indian soldiers to fight for them.Song ends wiz "we will send the mild Hindoos"
It was only this army of 2.5 M that forced British out of India and that made India so much powerful to keep it intact with just two divisions. Hyderabad was defeated by same army.
You will find much of these details in the magnificent historical book written by NIALL FERGUSON, entitled "Empire, how Britain made the modern world"
Indian and German Soldiers are the same !
so and so sad no naga paple in war wtf dis indias
dis inda don like naga but naga r hart heros
You people hate us Indians.
Sits there with a statue of Victoria at 5:57 in the back.....is he still colonised?
Subhas Chandra Bose, once a prominent leader of Congress, volunteered to help Germany and Japan; he said Britain's opposition to Nazism and Fascism as hypocrisy since it was itself violating human rights and denying individual liberties in India.
The word "British" does not mean "English" ....it historically included the Welsh and Scottish because "Great Britain" was the union of England and Wales and later Scotland. Also about a third of the people of Ireland consider themselves to be British.
Any idea what happened to those that supported Nazi Germany & Imperial Japan after War's end?
There were INA trials after the war. But because these trials were publicized, there were revolts and unrest within the Indian Army. After watching the situation deteriorated, the British government released all the axis collaborators, and nobody was persecuted.
in the case of "indian national army" or "azad hind fauj" which was armed by german wehrmacht. they were honored as :"freedom fighters". after the war ended they received freedom fighter allowance from indian government. while the volunteer army for british got nothing. no pension. nothing. british deserted them. these soldiers joined indian army later on. Bose is still a "war criminal" as per the british govt. here in india, he is a legendary freedom fighter and has a huge cult status.
when was this made?
Respect in military sense, but, it is no consolation that you preferred to be a mercenary for our country's enemy , the british raj rather than becoming a revolutionary for freedom of India
India wouldn’t be a country if the Axis alliance won the war. Do you really think the Germans and Japanese would have recognized Indian independence and allowed the Indian people live freely under better conditions than the British?
@@SamsungKat enough of singing praises for the enemy that killed millions in India. It is not about what would have happened had axis won etc,it is more about the wrong glorification of becoming a mercenary
@@rahulmig35 they were not mercenary’s in my opinion, that’s were our viewpoint is different. But I agree in military sense we must respect anyone who serves. Governments and policies decide where war and battles happen not soldiers. I come from a family who served pre British raj, during British raj and after independence and I am proud of that. Much respect to you. I would consider you a brother.
@@rahulmig35 I don’t agree with your viewpoint. If you feel that strongly, make a comment to every single unit and division in the current Indian Army who still proudly display pictures and follow traditions of those who served pre-independence.
@@rahulmig35 if you think supporting the Japanese and Axis was a good thing that’s your opinion.
bravo
They were no volunteers
You honestly believe that the average Indian wasn't starving for food back in the 16th century? What statistics and extensive research shows that Indians in the 16th century were much better fed with a higher quality of life and a much lower poverty rate than those in 1947, which I might add, was a horribly down year for most of the world, including that of Britain, due to the massive world war than ended only two years earlier. This sketch speaks wonders /watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso
It is very sad that Saptarshi Bhattacharjee should mock these brave men, and does not respect the sacrifice and service they gave. If it was not for their sacrifice, he would not be able to sit there, fiddling with his i-phone, drinking cola, spouting off. Sadly, most young people in the UK have the same attitude to the generation who gave us our freedom.
You'll probably all be writing/reading in German, imagine that!
+bigjon12345 If you hadn't caused the collapse of Mughal Empire, you would've stayed a shithole island you were before you invaded and infested the subcontinent.
+bigjon12345 So what, how would that have been any different from reading and writing in English? You were as much invaders and oppressors as any Germans would have been. Thing with your type is you honestly think the sun shines out of your arses and the oppressed and exploited people of the 'British empire' should actually be grateful for their subjugation. Thats how deluded you are. And then all the while going on about the darstardly Germans. Hypocrites!
Indians were always brave warriors but were always considered underdogs..even today but irony is today india is one of the most powerful nations of the world n churchill was an asshole
are you going to put some proof in the comment section of the british army refusung to fight and send indians instead
It was Indian army that saved Britain,otherwise they didn't have enough manpower to continue two world wars
Don't worry .... At the present time we are bigger in economy and power than the British .... Also our companies own most of the British industries .... This is karma
@anthony k Don't think anyone wants to do that.
@anthony k Americans can have pride about their economy, military,technology but India can not?
And soon INDIAN economy will eat entire UK I just can't wait for that day it would be awesome finally our ancestors will get their revenge
@@Metanoia7-J lol calm down
We the Sikhs paid the heaviest price, all the time.
And we are not backstabbers or cowards
When we have given our oath.
i wasnt referring to the original aryan concept..but hitler's views were different..he believed germanic people to be of pure aryan race and others as undesirables, he considered germanic people as ubermensch ..you are not getting my point..he advocated for pure aryan race...had he considered us as aryans he'd have definitely annexed india..