THE VALIANT DOGRA SOLDIERS IN PARIS DURING WORLD WAR I

                                                                          

                           ( Wounded Dogra soldiers  convalescing in the Brighton Pavilion in the UK )

THE VALIANT DOGRA SOLDIERS IN PARIS

 

In the freezing month of December 1841, Wazir Zorawar Singh, the Dogra General, moved to Tibet to fight the Tibetans in the deadly conflict in the high Himalayas. Under the worst freezing conditions, he demonstrated the saying of Napoleon Bonaparte, ‘Offence is the best form of defence.’ His military campaigns helped in the process of assimilation of Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan into the erstwhile Dogra state in Jammu and Kashmir. We have another warrior, Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal (MVC), who is also remembered as the Saviour of Kashmir in 1947. He was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra independent India’s second-highest military decoration. Maj. Somnath Sharma, another valiant Dogra who fought Pakistani infiltrators and saved Srinagar Airport, was the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, Param Vir Chakra (PVC). There are unending bravery stories of the valiant Dogras of Jammu. In the 1965 war, Dogra soldiers saw action on many fronts in J&K and won many battle honours. In the 1971 war, Dogra soldiers saw action in East Pakistan and the Khem Karan Sector. For their bravery in East Pakistan, 9 Dogra was awarded the battle honour of Suadih. The 5th Dogra Battalion fought in the Kargil War to capture Tiger Hill. The Dogra Regiment has not only contributed to the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in the Gaza Strip, Korea, and Congo but has also contributed to providing various military observers in various peacekeeping operations around the globe. Under British command, the Dogra units served in numerous colonial military campaigns across Asia and Africa. They participated in the Second Afghan War (1878–80), where their familiarity with mountainous terrain made them effective against Afghan tribesmen. They were also involved in the campaigns in Abyssinia, Burma, and Tibet. In World War II, the Dogra Regiment was extensively involved across various theatres of war. The regiment contributed multiple battalions, which served in Burma, North Africa, Italy, and Malaya. Dogra troops fought the Japanese during the Burma Campaign, notably in the Battle of Kohima (1944) and the Battle of Imphal, which were turning points in halting Japanese advancement into India. Before Indian independence, the Dogras had to their credit two Victoria Crosses and 44 Military Crosses besides 312 other awards, including 2 Unit Citations.

                                                           

                                                                                                        

                                              ( Indian soldiers marching in Paris during World War I)                                                                        

                                                           ( General Wavell inspecting Dogra soldiers )                                          

       

(Scottish Highlanders and Indian Dogra soldiers sit side by side in a trench fortified with makeshift shelters during World War I. Captured in Fauquissart, France, this photograph from 9 August 1915 reflects the diversity and solidarity of the Allied forces on the Western Front.)

                                                                                  

DOGRAS IN WORLD WAR I

In Paris, I came to know that during World War I, Maharaja Partap Singh had sent the Dogra troops to fight alongside the British soldiers. The Dogra Regiment played an important role in World War I with its battalions deployed in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  The 41st Dogra regiment saw action in France during World War I (1914-1918), and this is mentioned in the books and literature relating to World War I. The Dogra and Sikh soldiers are remembered for their heroic deeds in the Battle of La Bassee, which was fought by German and Franco-British forces in northern France. The Dogra soldiers also joined the action in the Aubers, Neuve-Chapelle and Festubert areas of France. Lance Naik Lala (No. 501) of the 41st Dogra Regiment was conferred the Victoria Cross for his exemplary bravery in World War I. In France, the Dogra troops were commanded by Capt. PH Myles of the 41st Dogra Regiment, who was later killed in Action in *Mesopotamia in January 1916. In this war, the Ottoman Turkey had allied with Germany. The Dogra soldiers also saw action in Palestine and Egypt, supporting the British-led offensive against the Ottomans in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The Dogra soldiers joined British soldiers in the campaign against the Ottoman Empire in Iraq, where Indian troops bore the brunt of fierce resistance and logistical hardships. Throughout the war, the Dogra soldiers earned accolades for their bravery, and several were awarded the Indian Order of Merit and Distinguished Service Medal. Working their way through mangrove swamps, the Dogra soldiers surprised the European army with their bayonet charge, something not heard of in bush warfare. Many times, the Dogras led from the front. After protracted international discussions held mainly at Versailles ( France ), a peace treaty was signed between the Allied and Associated Powers (which included Great Britain, France, United States of America, Russia, Japan and some more countries ) and the  Central Powers ( which included Germany, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria). After the war was over, many injured Dogra soldiers were admitted to special convalescent homes for the wounded soldiers set up in Paris and the UK by the British authorities. Most of the Dogra soldiers were sent to the Brighton Pavilion. The Royal Pavilion, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, was a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. The Royal Pavilion was transformed into the first Indian hospital in Brighton. The former palace, along with the Dome and Corn Exchange, was converted into a state-of-the-art medical facility in less than two weeks. New plumbing and toilet facilities were installed, and 600 beds were set up in the newly created wards. The  Brighton Pavilion was used for Indian troops from 1914 to 1916.

The wounded soldiers were visited by Queen Mary and King George V, who handed over some gifts to the injured soldiers. King George V and Queen Mary were also active in the war effort. The King first visited the Western Front in November 1914, and he returned five further times during the war. His engagements included meeting Allied heads of state, inspecting troops and visiting the wounded. Queen Mary felt she should accompany her husband, and her first visit to France was in July 1917, where she visited hospitals, aerodromes, nurses' hostels and casualty clearing stations. At home in Britain, they undertook similar visits to wounded and disabled soldiers, sailors and airmen in hospitals and convalescent centres; discharged soldiers and sailors were even invited to entertainments at Buckingham Palace. They were sent back to India only after all possible medical treatment. 

A major portion of the Jammu Kashmir State Forces under Maharaja Partap Singh participated in World War I (1914-1919). Their war trophies included the German insignia, the Brass Eagle and the German flag captured by the 2nd battalion, amongst other German artillery.  

An Army magazine on World War 1 wrote this about Dogra soldiers:-

 "More solid than brilliant, they are full of quiet and resolute courage when face to face with danger. Law-abiding and well-behaved, steady and resolute, though not showy of courage, their virtues shine forth in moments of peril when they will face certain death with a calm and determination to do before they die."

Another magazine published in India wrote this on Bastille Day in France:-

“The association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War I. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war, and almost 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches to never return, while another 67,000 were wounded. Indian troops valiantly fought on French soil also. Their courage, valour, and supreme sacrifice not only thwarted the enemy but also significantly contributed towards winning the war.”

Perhaps the best compliment given to the Dogra soldiers  has come from Field Marshal Sir William Slim, who wrote this:-

“The Dogra proved themselves yet again a hardened and courageous fighter. Like his predecessors, he has been proud of his military heritage and has shown himself well-versed in the art of war. Nor did he fail to live up to his age-old reputation of combining courage with modesty and good manners as a gentleman should. I know from personal experience that in an army with many fine battalions, the Dogras have not merely upheld their brilliant reputation, but have added lustre to the pages of history of both their own regiment and of the Indian Army.”

 

                                                   ( A Dogra Rajput soldier in uniform, 1916)

The origins of the Dogra Regiment can be traced back to the late 19th century when the British Indian Army recognised the martial competency of the Dogra people. The regiment was initially raised as part of the Bengal Army in 1877, with the establishment of the 37th Dogra Regiment of Bengal Infantry. The 37 Dogra, 38 Dogra and 41st Dogra regiments saw action in World War I.

Enrolling in the army has long been the ambition and career motivation of the hill regions of the Dogras. Soldiering has not only become a substantial part of the economic structure of the Dogra Hills, but created social and cultural traditions built on the people's association with the army. After 1947, the Dogra Regiment became a prominent infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Dr Karan Singh, the last Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote the Dogra Regiment’s regimental song, ‘Dikhi Lai Dogra Desh‘.General Nirmal Chander Vij, the 21st Chief of the Army Staff, was from the Dogra Regiment. And so were Lieutenant General M S Pathania PVSM, Major General Mohan Lal PVSM, Lieutenant General P N Hoon PVSM, AVSM, SM, Lieutenant General V K Jetley PVSM, VSM, Lieutenant General V K Sood PVSM, AVSM, PhD, Lieutenant General Sher Amir Singh PVSM, AVSM Lieutenant General H.S. Bedi PVSM, VSM, Lieutenant General Surjit Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Lieutenant General S S Sanga PVSM, AVSM, VSM, SM, Lieutenant General J K  Mohanty PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, SM, ADC, Lieutenant General Jasbir Singh Dhaliwal PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Lieutenant General A K Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM, SM, Lieutenant General G S Dhillon PVSM, VSM, YSM, SM, Brig Jagmohan Varma, SM, VSM, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh AVSM, YSM, SM, ADC, Lieutenant General Jai Singh Nain AVSM, SM, ADC, Lt General VM Bhuvana Krishnan AVSM, YSM.

And in the field of sports and games, it produced six national-level players and twelve service-level players.

( Avtar Mota)

 

PS

The name Mesopotamia means "the land between the rivers" in Greek; meso is "middle" or "between" and "potam" is a root word for "river," also seen in the word hippopotamus or "river horse." Mesopotamia was the ancient name for what is now Iraq, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It has sometimes also been identified with the Fertile Crescent, although technically the Fertile Crescent took in parts of what are now several other countries in southwest Asia

 

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