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Remembered Today:

"Duty & Fidelity"


Steven Broomfield

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When the Summer isue of Durbar, the Journal of the Indian Military History Society appeared, I saw a review of a new book by Chris Kempton - the authority on Indian Army lineage, orders of battle, etc. As it was, happily, not long till my birthday, I persuaded the lady wife to buy it for me.

It arrived yesterday (my birthday was 5 weeks ago :unsure: ), and I thought Forum members might be interested to know more.

The title is as the topic title: Duty & Fidelity, The Indian Army August 1914 - 1922, thus taking the subject from the outbreak of war to the fall-out of the post-war reduction and reorganisation of the army.

It is published by The Military Press, 29 Roslyn Way, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 6JX (www.militarypress.co.uk), tel: 01582 529271. It is in Three parts (Part III being in two volumes). Complete sets are £136.96 (h/b ) or £82.96 (s/b ) . Note: when my wife contacted them, only the soft back was available.

Anyway, as mentioned, the work comes in three parts, across four volumes:

Part I is Divisions: a brief history of each division, together with GOCs, CRS, CREs, and a brief breakdown of Brigades and Divisional troops. Appendices cover the British Divisions "Indianised" in 1918 (10th, 53rd, 60th and 75th); a full alphabetic list of Divisional GOCs and CRAs; and a bibliography.

PartII: Brigades: as with part I, a potted history of each Brigade, together with GOC and constituent units. This also includes various brigade-strength formations involved in Frontier skirmishes (such as the Waziristan Field Force of early 1917). Additionally, this section covers the 3rd Afghan War of 1919. A further 'chapter' also covers formations in East Africa, The Gulf, Macedonia and Persia, and (interestingly) the Indian Army's role in the Arab Revolt of 1920-21. Appendices include an alphabetic list of Brigade commanders.

Part III is in 2 sections: section 1 covers "Deployments" and gives brief details of service of all cavalry and infantry regiments/battalions: this includes British units on the Indian Establishment. This also includes Imperial Service Troops (units loaned by the Princely States) and the Nepalese Contingent. An Appendix covers the reorganisations of 1922. Section 2 of Part III is maps - of battles, locations, campaigns and general geographic orientation.

So, if we wanted, for example, to trace a cavalry regiment, how would we do it?

Let's take the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse). We go first to Part III, Section 1, where we see this entry:

August - November 1914. At Jubbulpore u/c 5th (Mhow) Division, ex Saugor

November 1914 - March 1918. 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade

April 1918 - November 1920. 6th Mounted/10th Cavalry Brigade (Palestine/Syria 1919/20)

So we go to Part I; without reproducing everything, suffice to say we learn that the Brigase was formed in November 1914 under the 2nd Cavalry Division, followed by a brief digest of service. Its commanders are listed, together with its constituent units (6th Inniskilling DG, 2nd Lancers and 38th Central India Horse, plus X Bty, RHA to September 1915, replaced by A Bty, 11th MG Sqaudron from Feby 1915, and 39th Field Post Office).

Then moving to 6th Mounted Brigade we receive the information that the brigade re-formed on 24th April 1918 from units of the Mhow Brigade, under 1st Mounted Division. This Brigade and Division were re-named as 10th Cavalry Brigade, 4th Cavalry Division, and again, a short synopsis.

Finally we go to Part I, and read the notes on the 2nd Cavalry Division and then the 1st Mounted/4th Cavalry Division (each covering two pages).

The format, from brief usage, seems extremely user-friendly.and a wealth of information is at the reader's finger tips.

I might also add that introductory notes outline the creation of the various Indian Expeditionary Forces, the theatres in which they served, the numbers of men involved and honours and awards received by Indian ranks.

I'm sorry I didn't get the hard back version, but the soft back seems well-appointed. The books are quite slender (Mrs B's face was a picture when she saw what her money had bought!) - a total (not including the maps volume) of about 350 pages of approximately A4 size - but the value is in the quality, not the quantity.

I am sure this is a set of books I will return to time and again, and yet again Chris Kempton has produced the goods. My only worry is that there is a set of companion volumes, Loyalty & Honour, September 1939 - August 1947. Hmmm ...

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There is an anniversary commemmorated towards the end of December each year (and which must remain un-named for now) which involves the giving of presents.

Maybe the Lady Wife might be given a hint as to what she could purchase you, and, given the delivery time, an order in September might just arrive in time!

Bruce

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Steven

Many thanks for both a good review of the publication and for raising the profile of the Indian Army and its contribution to the Allied victory in the Great War.

Harry

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A pleasure, Harry.

In fact, thanks to some of the vilest weather I've seen for years (in September) coinciding with having a day off to watch a One Day International at The Rose Bowl, I have spent most of the day looking through these volumes, and the more I see, the more impressed/amazed I am at the work that has gone into them.

I might also point out that the volumes can be purchased separately, so if one doesn't want the maps volume, no need to buy it.

The WW2 version looks a bit of a must, too. At £19.99 per volume (p/b ), I reckon I might spend the refund on my ODI ticket (assuming there's no play now). Result!

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Does this work document the supposed "linkages" of Indian units in 1914? There was supposed to be a pre-war scheme whereby related regiments could provide reinforcements to each other when necessary, but I haven't been able to find more than a few fragmentary details. I thought that a listing of who was linked with who would exist, but maybe it doesn't. Historically, it seems to have been something that didn't work in practice and so has been forgotten.

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Not having read the whole thing yet, all I can say is that Part III, Section 1 touches on it (page 81), really only to say that the system started in 1886, but was abandoned in the war and that the depot system broke down. This explanation is in the context of explaining the reforms of 1922 and the consequent creation of the multi-battalion system.

I'll carry on, and if more appears I'll tell you, but I suspect it won't.

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