On August 20, 2019, the Indian Post issued a series dedicated to the participation of Indians in the First World War.
India, being the colonial possession of Great Britain, entered the First World War simultaneously with it in August 1914. Indian troops participated in hostilities in Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East. During the war in India, 1,440,437 people were mobilized, about 1,000,000 Indian troops were sent outside of British India.
The 15 stamps in the series reflect several themes: “Major Battle Theatres”, “Air Warriors”, “Indian War Memorials” and “Treaty of Versailles”.
The first four postage stamps with a face value of 5.00 rupees and 15.00 rupees, dedicated to the main theaters of war, depict Indian troops in Mesopotamia, France and Belgium, East Africa and Gallipoli.
The following four stamps are dedicated to Indian military pilots: Lieutenants Indra Lal Roy, Hardit Singh Malik, SC Wellingkar and Erroll Suvo Chunder Sen. After that there are five stamps with the image of the Indian war memorials and the last stamp dedicated to the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty.
The stamps of the series were also issued in miniature sheets, in accordance with the theme uniting them.
In developing the design of a postage stamp entitled "France and Belgium", a historical photograph was taken by Lieutenant Ernest Brooks in April 1917 (stored at the Imperial War Museum in London). It depicts the 9th cavalry regiment of the Indian army. The famous Bengal Lancers move forward during the Battle of Arras (France) in April 1917.
At the beginning of World War I, the Indian Expeditionary Force «A» was formed from 2 cavalry and 2 infantry divisions. September 30, 1914, these units have already arrived in Marseille, commanded by General Sir James Willcocks.
Indian troops were sent to the front line at Ypres. At the end of 1914, the Indians participated in the Battle of La Bassée. In March 1915, the Indian division took part in the offensive at Neuve Chapelle. In the fall of 1915, infantry units were transferred from France to Egypt, and two Indian cavalry divisions continued to fight on the Western Front. In 1916, they actively participated in the battle of the Somme. In March 1918, they were also transferred to the Middle East, to Palestine. Of the 130,000 Indians serving on the Western Front, some 9,000 were died.
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