Veterans day has its roots in Armistice day, the holiday that once marked the end of the “Great War” (WWI) on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 [Link].

Over 138,000 Indian troops fought in Belgium and France during World War I, many of them Sikhs. More than one quarter of these soldiers would became casualties.

In the first battle of Ypres at Flanders in 1914 a platoon of Dogra Sikhs died fighting to the last man, who shot himself with his last cartridge rather than surrender.

After the bloody battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915 the Sikh regiments had lost 80% of their men, 3 regiments stood at only 16% of their original compliment. [Link]

Encarta: Indian Soldiers in France

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p>Incidentally, the photo that I use as my “avatar” here at SepiaMutiny also dates back to WWI:

Sepoy Harnam Singh, later to become famous as the public face of “Ennis”

Drawings by Paul Sarrut from the French postcard series “Types de l’Armee de l’Inde” (Men of the Indian Army). The postcard was effectively employed as a medium for raising awareness of the Sikhs amongst the French public. The caption accompanying this picture reads: “Sepoy Harnam Singh, type de Sikh. Mot Singh dont les Sikhs font suivre leur nom veut dire: Lion”. (Sepoy Harnam Singh, a Sikh. The word Singh which the Sikhs have as a surname means Lion.) [Link]

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p>These soldiers made a strong impression on the Europeans:

“The English and the women of this place [France] are very pleased to see us, like opening flowers. They shake hands with our men when they disembark, and attempt to feed them from their own pocket…The Germans are very frightened of our men, but they are sturdy fellows. Several times they have displayed the white flag and then attacked, but now we know their tricks and have taken many of them prisoner. Spread this news everywhere because this is the only letter that I can send you.”

From a letter, dated 15th December 1915, written by a Sikh cavalry soldier at a Marseilles Depot. [Link]

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And Europe, in turn, made a strong impression on them:

“If God spares me to return, I intend to start new customs. Look, in our country people ruin themselves over marriages and lawsuits. In this country rich and poor, high and low, go to church together and worship, and there is no distinction between them there… The very best custom in this country is that a man chooses his own wife, and a women her husband.”

From a letter written by a Sikh cavalryman just before leaving France in 1918. [Link]

Unfortunately, the French forgot about the Sikhs too soon, and the young soldier above was unable to do enough when he returned to the Punjab.