LIONS AT WAR - SIKHS IN THE WORLD WARS WW1 + WW2

Sikhs in World Wars were and are often referred to as Lions of the Great War.

After the fall of the Sikh Empire and death of its king Maharaja Ranjit Singh- the British began recruiting Sikhs in their army in large numbers.

Contributing the most volunteers of any of the British imperial holdings that fought in the war, India produced between 900,000 to 1.5 million troops for combat by 1919.

Of these troops, the Sikhs, one of the two loyal 'martial races' of the British Raj, rallied in enormous numbers for the King, Empire, and the defense of Europe.

In two world wars 83,005 Sikh soldiers were killed and 109,045 were wounded. Sikh soldiers died or were wounded for the freedom of the world sometimes under heavy shell fire, with no other protection but their Dastaar (a turban symbol of the Sikh faith).

At the beginning of the war, Sikh military personnel numbered around 35,000 men of the 161,000 troops, which is around 22% of the British armed forces, yet the Sikhs only made up less than 2% of the total population in India.

Sikhs in WW1 fought the battles of Ypres, Flanders, the Somme, Gallipoli, East Africa, Palestine, Egypt / Suez Canal, Mesopotamia, and numerous other battlefields.

Piara Singh 'Electrician' Syria WW2
Real photo
c1944

Bren Gun carriers of Sikh battalion in Eritrea. WW2
Real photo
c1940s

Set of real photos of the HMS SIKH Real photos c1940s.

SIKH was a tribal class destroyer of the British royal navy. The ship entered service in 1938 and served during the second world war, participating in the sinking of Bismarck and the battle of cape Bon. In 1942, while participating in a commando raid, Sikh was sunk by a combination of shore artillery, anti-aircraft guns and aerial bombs.

Sardar Malloc Singh. Pilot WW2.
American chewing gum card.
c1940s

LIONS AT WAR - SIKHS IN THE WORLD WARS WW1 + WW2

SIKHS IN FRANCE DURING WW1

GERMANS CAPTURED INDIAN P.O.W WW1

SIKHS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR (WW2)

SIKHS IN THE FREE INDIAN LEGION WW2

Do you have any Indian army Collectables ?

LIONS AT WAR - SIKHS IN THE WORLD WARS WW1 + WW2

SIKHS IN FRANCE DURING WW1

GERMANS CAPTURED INDIAN P.O.W WW1

SIKHS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR (WW2)

SIKHS IN THE FREE INDIAN LEGION WW2

Do you have any Indian army Collectables ?

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