Explained: What was India’s role in World War II?

Indian Army Chief Manoj Naravane, during his four-day visit to the UK and Italy, is all set to inaugurate the Indian Army Memorial at Cassino in Italy, about 140 km away from Rome.

It can be seen that the memorial commemorates over 3,100 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the effort to liberate Italy in World War II. Apart from this, 900 Indian soldiers were also commemorated on this memorial.

What happened in Italy during World War II?

Under Benito Mussolini, Italy had joined Nazi Germany in 1936 and in 1940 it entered World War II (1939-1945) against the Allies. But in 1943, Mussolini was overthrown and instead, Italy declared war on Germany. The invasion of Italy by the Allies coincided with an armistice that was made with the Italians.

What was India's role in World War II?

During the first half of the 1940s, India was still under the British rule and the Indian Army fought in both the world wars. The army comprised both Indian and European soldiers. Apart from this, there was the East India Company Army that also recruited both Indian and European soldiers and the British Army, which was also present in India.

While millions of Indians participated, their efforts are not always recognised. In an article for the BBC, historian Yasmin Khan said in 2015 that while the war years changed South Asia "dramatically", "this part of the British Empire's history is only just emerging".

In a website "British Military History", states that three infantry divisions of the Indian Army took part in the Italian campaign. These were the 4th, 8th and 10th Indian Divisions. The first one to land in the country was the 8 Indian Infantry Division that saw action in Iraq and Iran when the British invaded these countries in 1941. The second one arrived was the 4 Indian Division that came to Italy from North Africa in December 1943. In 1944, it was deployed in Cassino. The third, which is the 10 Indian Division, was formed in 1941 in Ahmednagar and moved to Italy in 1944.

The website further noted that how the men from the Punjab, and Indian plains, coped with the extremely hostile conditions experienced in Italy. Even the Gurkhas from Nepal struggled with the heavy and persistent rain, and freezing nights in the Italian mountains.

"All three Divisions performed well in the Italian Campaign and were highly respected by the Allied and Axis commanders alike," the website notes.