Hat 8236 WWI Indian Infantry

In order to control its "pearl in the Crown", that is the Indian subcontinent, Great Britain created the British Indian Army at the end of the 19th century. At the outbreak of World War I, the army consisted of approximately 250,000 soldiers, all of whom were volunteers. Operationally, it was divided into two armies: the Northern Army and the Southern Army. The first had five divisions and three independent brigades, and the second - four divisions. These two armies included: 39 cavalry regiments, 139 infantry battalions (including 20 Gurkha battalions) and 3 sapper regiments. It is worth adding that the infantry brigades in the British Indian Army at that time consisted of one British and three Indian infantry battalions. The infantry battalion, on the other hand, was smaller than in the British Army and consisted of 753 full-time officers and soldiers, compared to 1,006 men in a British regular battalion. It is worth adding that companies in battalions were often composed of people of the same religion or caste. Most often, the infantry division of the British Indian Army numbered about 13,000. The armament and the majority of equipment were identical to those used in the British army. British Indian Army soldiers fought with the troops of the Central Powers in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Western Front, including participation in the First Battle of Ypres (1914). It is assumed that throughout the war, the British Indian Army deployed about 1 million people, of whom over 120,000 were injured and killed. It is worth adding that the Indian soldier often showed not only discipline and good training, but also great courage, a perfect example of which can be Khudadad Khan - Knight of Victor Cross. The first soldier The British Indian Army has been awarded the highest British order in history.