Indian army contributed valiantly

                              indian army contributed valiantly

The flag of India flies adjacent to an Anzac commemoration in central Hamilton, but it is not widely known that Indian soldiers fought valiantly alongside the Anzacs in the Gallipoli.The enduring Anzac image of the World War I Gallipoli campaign, Man with the Donkey, was painted by Sapper Horace Moore-Jones (1868-1922). The Line of Fire is a commemorative public artwork in Hamilton that was unveiled on March 27, 2015. The bronze portrayal of Sapper Moore-Jones kneels on stone gifted by the government of Turkey and the city of Canakkale. Four flagpoles stand adjacent to the artwork, from which fly the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and India. 

 
The role of Indian soldiers in the Gallipoli campaign, however, is less well known in New Zealand than that of the Anzac and Turkish. At the dawn of the 20th century, the British Raj (rule) over what was known as the Indian Empire extended over almost all of present-day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Incidentally, the people of Australia and New Zealand had the opportunity to observe Indian troops at close quarters in 1901. The Imperial Indian Contingent was made up of soldiers from all of the regiments, both Indian and British, in the Indian Army. It toured Australia and New Zealand to reinforce the bonds of empire and to mark the federation of Australia. Research by Hamilton historian Abdullah Drury reveals that New Zealand newspapers from Invercargill to Auckland reported enthusiastically the tour by a contingent of 100 troops, who paraded through cities and towns in dress uniform and often on horseback.Indian Air Force Squadron Leader (retired) Rana Chhina contributed a chapter to the 2013 book Gallipoli: A Ridge Too Far. He notes that the Indian Army force that served at Gallipoli was small in numbers (barely 5000 men), but had a significant impact. Designated the Indian Expeditionary Force "G" from 21 July 2015, the soldiers fought side by side with the Anzacs until the final evacuation in late December.Chhina writes that the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade of the 10th Indian Division was constituted in October 1914.  It consisted of the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs (14th Sikhs), the 69th Punjabis, the 89th Punjabis and the 1/6th Gurkha Rifles.  It was ordered to Gallipoli and landed at V Beach on May 1, 1915.  On May 14, the 69th Punjabis and the 89th Punjabis were withdrawn from the line and embarked for France via Egypt.  In their short time at Gallipoli, the 89th Punjabis had suffered over 100 casualties.  The 69th Punjabis, which had not been engaged in the front line, had 10 killed and 23 wounded.  These units were replaced temporarily by two British battalions and from June 2 by the 1/5th and the 2/10th Gurkha Rifles.  One double company of Patiala Service Infantry arrived as reinforcements for the 14th Sikhs on July 7 and a second on September 25, but their contributions to the campaign are not recorded separately.