Indian cavalry’s vital but overlooked role in WW-I’s deadliest battle – The Tribune

princess Anne, the only sister of reigning British monarch King Charles III, earlier this month honoured servicemen who fought in the Battle of the Somme, regarded as the deadliest campaign of World War-I, in which Indian troops played a vital but often overlooked role.

The commemorations would have struck a chord with military historians, as the 2nd Lancers, the only Indian Army unit to have produced three Army Chiefs, including the incumbent Gen Dhiraj Seth, was among those that had fought at the Somme.

Also referred to as the Somme Offensive, the battle was fought along the upper reaches of Somme river in France, with the forces of the erstwhile British Empire and the French Republic pitted against the German Empire from July 1 to November 18, 1916. The Indian cavalry regiments, along with some other elements, were deployed at the Somme.

The battle, according to historical records, was intended to hasten victory for the Allies. More than three million men fought in the battle, of whom more than a million were either killed or wounded, making it one of the deadliest battles in human history.

“The Princess Royal (Anne) and The Duke of Gloucester joined commemorations to mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in France. They paid tributes to servicemen at events across the Somme, including at The Thiepval Memorial, the largest CWGC memorial by the number of casualties commemorated,” a post on the X handle of The Royal Family said.

Princess Anne is the president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), an intergovernmental organisation that maintains the graves and memorials of nearly two million soldiers from Commonwealth countries who died during the First and Second World Wars.

Describing it as one of the most infamous campaigns of the First World War, the CWGC website states that the first day of the Somme Offensive, July 1, 1916, remains the single deadliest day in British military history. Over 57,000 casualties were suffered by the British Army, marking its largest single-day loss of life.

“The Battle of the Somme was a major moment not just for Britain and Ireland, but for the wider Commonwealth. Australian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South African forces were all part of the battle,” the website states.

During World War-I, also known as the Great War, more than 1,40,000 Indian soldiers served in Europe with valour and distinction from 1914 to 1918. These included 90,000 infantry and cavalry personnel and 50,000 non-combatant support staff, with frontline casualties estimated at nearly 84,000.

After 1915, Indian infantry divisions were redeployed to Mesopotamia, while only two cavalry formations, the 1st Indian Cavalry Division and the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division, remained in France, fighting dismounted battles in the trenches. The Embassy of India in France lists the 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) and 9 Horse (Deccan Horse) as participants in the Battle of the Somme, where they fought at Bazentin Ridge and High Wood.

These are among the Indian Army’s oldest and most highly decorated armoured units, tracing their origins to 1809 and 1790, respectively, as part of the Presidency Armies. Both units were awarded the Battle Honour Somme for their performance in France. Besides the Somme, they had also participated in other battles on the Western Front.

Gardner’s Horse is closely associated with two other Army Chiefs. Gen Rajendrasinhji Jadeja had commanded the regiment, while Gen Bipin C Joshi, like Gen Seth, was commissioned into it. Another Army Chief, Gen AS Vaidya, had commanded Deccan Horse.

At the Somme, the cavalry was generally held in reserve, poised to exploit any breakthrough created by infantry assaults. The Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London mentions Indian cavalry charging and attacking German machine-gun positions.

The most notable action involving Indian troops occurred on July 14, 1916, during the attack on the Bazentin Ridge. As part of efforts to capture High Wood and surrounding areas, the Deccan Horse and the British 7th Dragoon Guards were ordered to move forward in the afternoon.

“Emerging from Carnoy Valley, they galloped towards positions between High Wood and Delville Wood. The charge was bold but costly. German resistance was fierce and the cavalry achieved limited gains before withdrawing. As many as 74 men and 110 horses of the Deccan Horse and supporting units were killed or wounded in that engagement alone,” IWM records state.