INDIAN SOLDIERS IN MESOPOTAMIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3014, 27 February 1917, Page 7

INDIAN SOLDIERS IN MESOPOTAMIA

Work of the imperial service sappers

(From M r . Edmund■'Gandler, official Jiye-Witness" at General Headquarters, Indian Expeditionary Mesopotamia.) So much has been written and spoken *f tho loyalty of the Indian 'Native ■btatee to the Crown sinco ivar broko' out that somo apology is necessary for enlarging O n this subject. The best /apology is the fact that it is with the ■smaller States, whose names are com.parativoly seldom heard, and of whoae | ■existence- many people are unaware, 'that this article deals, and more particularly with, the four small States in t and United Provinces— •£arKgj ote) Malerkotla, Sirmooiy and Te.kn Garhwal. '■ Imperial Servico troops are picked Units of the armed forces of the different Isative States, and experience has 'shown that they are a most valuable addition to the King-Emperor's.lndian .Forces. They are occasionally employ- . **!, m peace times on garrison and ' ether duties outside their own borders; «n important section of one of the 'strategic railway lines .on the North,iWest frontier was constructed in way by the- Sirmoor Imperial Service • Sappers. ' ■ The four native States above re- ■ terred to provide as their 'quota of ;troops for the defence of' the Empire held companies of sappers and miners, .■with complete transport and medical ■ >nd signalling establishment andeguipment. The Sirmoor State supplies, in addition, a printing and photographic section. Imperial Service Troops in the field remain under the command of their own State-appointed Commandants, but they-are accompanied by special service officers, usually British officers from the Staff of the Inspector- ■' General, Imperial .Service- Troops -in India. ; The function of these British | •ofheers is to convoy orders to Native •Commandants, and on them , 'falls the onus of seeing : that •■ they. ar-s understood and carried • out. Sirmoor Imperial Service Sapper Corps is the ■ oldest Imperial Service j Sapper unit, and' has a fine record. It j is a matter of history now that the oirmood Imperial Service Sappers formed part. of ■ tlio gallant garrison .under General Townshcnd inKut-el-■Amara, sharing to the full .the privations, dangers, and discomforts of the siege, and eventually accompanied the garrison into captivity. " The Malerkotia Imperial Service Sap-1 per Corps is with ■ the Mesopotamia : J<lold. Force, . and anyone moving through Basra cannot fail to be struck ■with, the widespread nature of their work-.there;'roads where swamps existed in former days and trim neat 'bridges.over.the various creeks testify ito their value. A large draft of the Malerkotla Imperial Service.. Sappers ,Tvent to France,-as a reinforcement to ,the 2nd Sappers and Miners, • and shared the- hardships and -honours .which fell to the lot of the Indian itroops. They were, mentioned in dispatches, one Indian officer being -personally mentioned for' good; work. More will "be heard of this corps, as they now 'form part of one of our divisions.- . ";- . ■■'-. .- ■ -~ ! . ... Faridkote is one of the Cis Sutlej Sikh Statesof the Punjab. -The.'lmiPerial Service Sapper Corps consists «f four'sections of Jat.Sikhs, and has rendered valuable service in the East 'African theatre of war, sharing both the bright and the dull day si of that campaign. . ■ '. . Last and youngest but certainly Jeast of the Imperial; Service Sapper Corps is that of Tehri Garhwal. Of the many, and various regimente of the Indian Army-who have distinguished ,'themselves in the present war, no "corps-or regiment can show a better «r more gallant record than the Garhwals. The-39th Garhwal Rifles served in France- as part of the Indian Araiy Corps, and when reinforcements were ■urgently required the Tehri .Garhwal Imperi.al Service Sapprs nobly stepped in and sent practically the whole Sapper Company. For their gallant work there they were mentioned in dispatches, and their commandant received the Military , Gross. • Later, when' the Indian troops were transferred from France, the tattered TPmnant-s of the went back to In<3ia to rporpaniße,"and ,the heroes of the Tehri Garhwal: Imperials Service Sappers came on to Mesopotamia. . . Like the Mal)erkotla%.- 'flief: Tehm have left permanent traces of their stay in Basra,-and are now engaged on most important work in Mesopotamia. In due course, it may be hoped, they also will go: to one of the fighting divisions, and with their record and. experience in both France and Mesopotamia will add fresh laurels to the name of Garhwal. . ■ -.-. . v - ' •?-.- :