India during WWII

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by mosin_nagant, Mar 11, 2009.

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  1. mosin_nagant

    mosin_nagant Member

    Hi everyone,
    My cultural background is Indian, and i was really intereseted in learning about India during WWII. I was wondering if people could help get gather information on India during WWII.

    Thanks,
    Jills
     
  2. handtohand22

    handtohand22 Senior Member

    Welcome again Mosin Nagant.

    At least you will have a good start in the Burma and India section. You have also joined a fine group of people. They have directly and indirectly helped me write three books connected with WW2.
    Have you any specific questions to start off with?
     
  3. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

  4. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

  5. mosin_nagant

    mosin_nagant Member

    Thanks, all of you, the only information i have about India during WWII was that they gave a lot of men to the allies - approximately 2,000,000 men.
     
  6. mosin_nagant

    mosin_nagant Member

    Does anyone know any battles that India fought with the allies that that time? There has been articles of India fighting with the Germans, and joining the German tropps, why would that be so?
     
  7. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

  8. handtohand22

    handtohand22 Senior Member

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/burma-india/8771-memoriam-sikh-contribution-2.html

    My father fought in the Western Desert in AA support of the 3/2 Punjab Regiment.
    This was on November 18 1941 during Operation 'Crusader' when a composite group called Force 'E' under the command of Brigadier Reid went through the heart of the desert. They captured many Italian forts and tried to cut off the German and Italian retreat along the coast road.
    My father and the whole battery had great admiration for the fellow volunteers of 3/2 Punjab Regiment.
     
  9. WotNoChad?

    WotNoChad? Senior Member

    There has been articles of India fighting with the Germans, and joining the German troops, why would that be so?

    Well and also in league with the Japanese. I believe the common motivation behind it was to liberate Mother India from British rule.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    Well and also in league with the Japanese. I believe the common motivation behind it was to liberate Mother India from British rule.


    You are correct, also factor in many of them may have been POW's before hand and chosen to join because the conditions on the front would have been better than those in the camps, especially the Japanese camps.

    Over 2 million Indians did willingly join the army when war had broken out, unfortunetly (suprisingly?) not all of them had seen combat. I believe their were 2-4 regiments which didn't see any fighting in the war! Those interviews have a good example of a group of people who joined the army wanted to fight on the front but were instead forced to drive trucks in India to carry supplies, they essentially went on strike and were killed by the commanding officers for mutiny.
     
  11. mosin_nagant

    mosin_nagant Member

    Had no idea that some Indians allied with the Japanese!! And Peter, Thanks for the video, i got to see a little of the video, now i got to finish it!

    Jills
     
  12. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    Had no idea that some Indians allied with the Japanese!! And Peter, Thanks for the video, i got to see a little of the video, now i got to finish it!

    Jills

    This was the case all over the world, Brits sided with Germans, Chinese sided with Germans, Americans with Germans, etc. World War II was not as clear cut as people are lead to believe.
     
  13. mosin_nagant

    mosin_nagant Member

    WOW, its said that every single person learns something new everyday.
    Today i learned that allies did not just fight with allies but also fought with the enemy.

    Thanks for the new info.
    Jills
     
  14. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    WOW, its said that every single person learns something new everyday.
    Today i learned that allies did not just fight with allies but also fought with the enemy.

    Thanks for the new info.
    Jills

    Likewise, I thought I was pretty well versed in World War II until stumbling across these forums. :)
     
  15. handtohand22

    handtohand22 Senior Member

  16. mosin_nagant

    mosin_nagant Member

    thanks handtohand22 i got to start reading that book, even though i cannot stand reading books. I have to actually finish another book i am reading right now, "Reaping the Whirlwind" by Nigel Cawthrone
     
  17. panzer1988

    panzer1988 Junior Member

    I would really like to know details of the Indian troops in north africa and fighting alongside Germans
     
  18. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    I would really like to know details of the Indian troops in north africa and fighting alongside Germans

    I remember seeing pictures of Rommel inspecting Indian soldiers, will try to find them.

    The Indian relation with the Japanese was far better than the relation with the Germans. After Subhas Bose left Germany to go to Japan the Indian soldiers fighting alongside the Germans felt betrayed and went into a state of anarchy, rape, pillaging, etc became common towards the ends of the war. I remember reading a journal entry of a German soldier in France during the retreat who was disgusted at the way the Indian soldiers in his unit were acting.

    Here are some links,

    Indian Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht in WWII

    BBC NEWS | Europe | Hitler's secret Indian army

    I for one didn't know the Italians had Indian units, that might explain the Indian population in Italy.

    Indian veterans who had fought with German, Japanese, Italian, etc soldiers to my knowledge are largely ignored now a days in India. Bose of course is looked at as a hero. I personally feel it isn't fair to criminalize those that switched allegiances, conditions back home were very confusing and complicated and require much research from both sides.

    Edit: Of course that is my own opinion, I can't speak for how my grandfather or his fellow soldiers would have viewed these men and women. Would have been a good question to ask him if I knew more about the subject then.
     
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  20. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

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