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Indian Army in World War I and II Module - III

Military History of the
Indian Officers, and 514 men, moved out to attack and capture Turkish trenches.
Colonial Era
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The 14 Sikhs won glory in this advance and several soldiers won the Indian
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distinguished Service Medal. The performance of the 14 Sikhs in the assault of
Koja Chaman Tepe, which they failed to reach, was described by General
Birdwood as "A feat which is without parallel". Though no decisive result was
obtained and the Allies had no substantial gains from the Gallipoli Campaign, the
Indian troops, including the Medical Services, displayed great bravery and Note
courage in the rest of the operations on the Peninsula and several were granted
the Indian Order of Merit.

(v) Indian Army in Mesopotamia
The largest Indian Army force to serve abroad was the Indian Expeditionary
Force D in Mesopotamia, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir John
Nixon. The Mesopotamian campaign was largely an Indian campaign and saw
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deployment of the largest Indian Army force abroad. The 16 Infantry Brigade
of the 6 (Poona) Division was sent from Bombay for the Mesopotamia
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Campaign, under General Sir Arthur Barrett, when War was declared with Turkey
in November 1914. A series of success followed including the capture of the
port of Fao, dislodging of the Turks at Sahil; capture of Basra, which was a
major step in protecting oilfields and refineries; storming of Shaiba-Barjisiyah;
and the submission of Khafajiyah, Amara, and Nasariyah. The campaign
experienced a setback at the Battle of Ctesiphon and the Indian troops retreated
to Kut-al-Amara, where General Townshend decided to hold the position instead
of marching down river towards Basra and thus, began the siege of Kut. Several
unsuccessful attempts to lift the siege resulted in the Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad,
Battle of Wadi, Battle of Hanna, and the relief attempt by General George
Gorringe, usually referred to as the First Battle of Kut. The total casualties during
Mesopotamia Campaign amounted to 92,501. Nayak Shamad khan (89 Punjab
regiment,), Lance Nayak Lala (41Dogra Regiment) and sepoy Chhata Singh (9
Bhopal Infantry) won prestigious Victoria cross in Mesopotania.

(vi) Indian Army in Egypt and Palestine

Indian soldiers of the Sirhind Brigade were part of the first troops providing the
defence of the Suez Canal. Troops from the Imperial Service Troops, which
comprised men from the Armies of the Indian states, were part of the Indian
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effort in Egypt, alongside the 10 and 11 Indian Division, the Bikaner Camel
Corps and three batteries of Mountain Artillery. By 1917, Indian troops were a
significant part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. On 23 September 1918,
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the 15 Imperial Service Brigade comprising of the Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers
undertook one of the most famous cavalry actions in the Great War and recaptured

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