The Indian Army 1914-1947

Description

At the height of its strength and confidence the army of British India was a unique organisation, whose officers and other ranks - all volunteers - were bound together by extraordinary esprit de corps. Already the largest volunteer army in the world in 1914, by 1918 it had quadrupled in strength to nearly 600,000 men. Indian divisions served with distinction on the Western Front and, particularly, in the Middle East. After interwar campaigns on the North-West Frontier, in the Second World War Indian divisions made a major contribution to the British effort in North Africa, Italy and Burma. With independence and partition the old army was divided between the new states of India and Pakistan, retaining its discipline and professional pride in the most difficult circumstances.

Ian Sumner was born in 1953 in Eccles, near Manchester. He originally trained as a librarian in Newcastle-upon-Tyne but is now a freelance author. His previous work for Osprey includes three Men-at-Arms titles on the French Army 1914-45; he has also written several books on the history of the East Riding of Yorkshire, where he now lives with his wife. Mike Chappell spent 22 years in infantry soldiering, retiring in 1974 as RSM of the 1st Bn., The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers). Since beginning to paint military subjects in 1968 Mike has gained world-wide popularity as a military illustrator, and has been a prolific artist and author for Osprey for well over 20 years.