9th Hodson's Horse (Bengal Lancers), Indian Army, near Vraignes, France, April 1917.
Card parties of wounded Indian soldiers in Brighton, Eng., after being wounded on the Western Front. This photograph shows convalescing soldiers playing cards; a moment of recovery, routine, and camaraderie far from the trenches of France.
British Indian Army soldiers armed with Lewis light machine guns ready to put up a barrage against enemy aircraft. 1918 but no location.
When most folks think of the Great War, they picture the mud and wire of the Western Front. But thousands of miles away, Indian troops were fighting a very different war in the deserts of Mesopotamia, holding dry, exposed trench lines like the one seen here. Many of these men were deployed overseas early in the war, long before Britain had enough trained soldiers of its own ready to fill the gaps.
Indian Army units were among the first imperial troops sent into action in 1914, and some arrived in active combat zones only weeks after leaving home. Their letters often mentioned the shock of the climate: blazing daytime heat followed by surprisingly cold desert nights. A good reminder that World War I was global long before most people realize.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
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