The battlefields of Neuve Chapelle, 103 years later

The year 2018 marks the centenary of the end of the First World War (1914-1918). Over one million Indian soldiers fought in this war, and around 70,000 of them were martyred. At the beginning of the war, the Indian Army was the second largest volunteer army in the world, and by the end of the war, it was the largest.

The contribution of India and its soldiers to winning the war is seldom recognised. There were many battles which determined the outcome. One such was fought in Neuve Chapelle (France) in March 1915 against the Germans. About 4,700 Indian soldiers perished in combat but won decisively. British and even Indian military historians have ignored their role.

But your paper, the DNA, thinks it’s paramount to remember the sacrifice of those valiant, unsung soldiers.

To remind you of this, we bring you a graphic account of the Neuve Chapelle assault. The real story, as an Indian soldier would have recounted it. The Garhwal Brigade of Meerut Division, Indian Corps had a strategy: First, it fiercely charged with four battalions against the Germans, gaining 200 yards of a 600-yard front. This success spurred them to finish the rest of the attack in just 15 minutes.

As a tribute to these soldiers, the French government built an Indian Army Memorial titled Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial. In 2017, the bodies of two Indian soldiers, who fought at Neuve Chapell, were found in the northwest of France. They were cremated with full military honours.

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