Visiting British Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon MP, his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley and Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh attended a flagship event on Thursday evening to commemorate the centenary of the First World War (WW1) that saw the participation of over a million Indian volunteers.
The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, the United Service Institution of India (USI) and the British High Commission (BHC).
It included the unveiling of six Victoria Cross (VC) memorials won by Indian soldiers during the 1914-18 war; the presentation of war diaries to senior retired officers representing 27 regiments of undivided India; the presentation of digitised war diaries of the India Corps (that fought in France and Flanders) to Defence Minister Jaitley; the unveiling of a Victoria Cross (VC) commemorative bronze plaque; the unveiling of a battlefield guide book and a coffee table book giving a pictorial overview of India and the Great War by Defence Secretary Fallon and Mr. Navtej Sarna, Special Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Fallon said:"India and the UK are natural partners. The events I've attended and the discussions I've held in Delhi are the clearest possible evidence that this partnership is deep, broad and long-standing.
In a moving ceremony to mark the enormous contribution made by Indian servicemen during the First World War, Defence Minister Jaitley and I reflected on the common values which India and the UK shared then and still share now. There was, rightly, great pride on both sides.
We also looked forward, to consider how our countries can work together in tackling the many security challenges threatening global and regional security. And our shared pride at events a century ago stands us in very good stead as we embark together on that work."
In his address, Jaitley said: "I am extremely grateful to your Excellency (UK Defence Minister) for having given us brief glimpse of six bravest of them all in whose honour these plaques have been unveiled and will be going to their home towns or their villages."
A host of dignitaries comprising senior officials from the Indian defence, political and business establishments were present.
They included Navtej Sarna, Special Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs of India; British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan KCMG; USI Director General Lt. Gen. (retired) P.K. Singh; Squadron Leader Rana TS Chhina, Secretary and Editor, Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research (CAFHR), USI; Brigadier Brian McCall, Defence Adviser, British High Commission; Jody East, Curator of Exhibitions, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery and descendants of some of the Victoria Cross winners.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) bands were in attendance and played some inspiring western, Indian classical, martial and Bollywood music.
The audience had the opportunity to watch some rare original black and white WW1 footage, including that of soldiers from the Indian corps. This was procured from the UK especially for the event. There were also 16 to 17 billboards that highlighted the Indian contribution during World War I.
In all, eleven Victoria Crosse's were won in World War I. Apart from the six Indians, there were two Nepalese nationals and three by soldiers born in what is today recognized as Pakistan.
A war diary is an official record of events maintained during conflict. It includes routine orders, operational orders and administrative orders. In effect a historical record of the regiment's life on the front.
The commemorative bronze plaque was unveiled at Lancaster House in London on June 26, 2014 by the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office senior minister Baroness Warsi.
The UK's plans to mark the centenary of the First World War (WW1) both in the UK and abroad kicked off on 4 August this year. In the UK, activity includes a programme of ceremonial events spread over four years; a programme organised by the Imperial War Museum and funding for students and teachers to visit battlefields of the Western front.
The UK recognises that it could not have prevailed in WW1 without the huge contribution and sacrifice made by many countries.
The Great War started on July 28, 1914 and finished on November 11, 1918.
All of the world's then great powers were involved in the conflict, which saw the participation of 70 million combatants, including a million-and-a-half from the undivided Indian subcontinent. More than nine million of these were killed.
About 70,000 volunteer Indian servicemen died in the war.
The Indian Army was the dominant force, but the Indian Navy also contributed as also the Army Flying Corps. There were also labour battalions recruited from Bengal.
The Great War was fought in 13 theatres, and the Indian Army has the distinction of having fought in almost all theatres of the war - France and Flanders, alongside the ANZACs at Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Palestine and North Africa.
Apart from the memorial service conducted on August 4 at the Glasgow Cathedral for Commonwealth Leaders which coincided with the closing ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games; homage at the Symphorien Military Cemetery in Mons Belgium and a candle-lit vigil at Westminster Abbey, the UK has announced a rolling four-year programme with a significant WW1 milestone marking each year. These include centenary events at Gallipoli in April 2015, commemorations at the Battle of Jutland and first Battle of the Somme in 2016; commemoration at Passchendale in 2017 and observing the Armistice Day anniversary in 2018.
