{"id":11302,"date":"2026-05-14T20:04:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/?p=11302"},"modified":"2026-05-14T20:04:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:34:26","slug":"815-book-review-we-too-were-there-indians-at-gallipoli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/2026\/05\/14\/815-book-review-we-too-were-there-indians-at-gallipoli\/","title":{"rendered":"815: BOOK REVIEW: WE TOO WERE THERE: INDIANS AT GALLIPOLI"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Book Review published in the May 26 edition of “The Book Review Literary Trust” Publication.<\/span><\/p>\n

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WE TOO WERE THERE: INDIANS AT GALLIPOLI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Written by :<\/u> (By Col Tejinder Hundal)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Reviewed by<\/u>: Air Marshal Anil Khosla (Retd) PVSM, AVSM, VM<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Gallipoli campaign (also called the Dardanelles campaign, the Defence of Gallipoli, or the Battle of Gallipoli) was a military operation during the First World War on the Gallipoli Peninsula (now Gelibolu) from 19 February 1915 to 9 January 1916. The Allied powers, Britain, France, and the Russian Empire, aimed to capture the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers, by gaining control of the Turkish straits. This would have exposed the Ottoman capital at Constantinople to bombardment by Allied warships and cut it off from the Asian part of the empire. With the Ottoman Empire defeated, the Suez Canal would be protected, and the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits would be open to Allied supplies to the Black Sea and Russian warm-water ports.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In February 1915, the Allied fleet failed to force a passage through the Dardanelles. An amphibious landing on the Gallipoli peninsula began in April 1915. Gallipoli was the first major amphibious operation in modern warfare. British (including troops from the British Empire) and French troops landed on the Ottoman-held peninsula in the Dardanelles Straits. In January 1916, after eight months’ fighting, with approximately 250,000 casualties on each side, the campaign was abandoned, and the invasion force was withdrawn. It was a costly campaign for both the Allied powers and the Ottoman Empire.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Indian troops played crucial roles in several key battles during the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign, suffering heavy casualties while supporting Allied efforts against Ottoman defences. On 12 May 1915, the 29th Indian Brigade, including the 1\/6th Gurkha Rifles, captured a coastal hill feature west of Krithia, named Gurkha Bluff for their effective action; this marked their first significant engagement in the Helles area. In the third Battle of Krithia, fought on 4 June 1915, the 14th Sikhs (Jat Sikhs) from the 29th Indian Brigade charged Turkish positions at Gully Ravine amid intense machine-gun fire and barbed wire, suffering 82% casualties as nearly the entire battalion was wiped out in close-quarters fighting. Indian units repelled Turkish assaults on 3 and 5 July 1915 near Gully Spur and Gurkha Bluff, with Gurkha battalions pushing back the enemy by 1,000 yards over eight days of counterattacks, while sustaining 40% casualties. In the August 1915 offensive, the 29th Indian Brigade landed at ANZAC Cove on 5-6 August and assaulted Sari Bair Ridge; on 9 August, the 1\/6th Gurkha Rifles briefly crested the summit before artillery and counterattacks forced a retreat.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The histories of Gallipoli have traditionally focused on the ANZACs (Australia and New Zealand) and British forces.\u00a0 The book \u201cWe Too Were There: Indians at Gallipoli\u201d by Col Tejinder Hundal is a detailed military history that focuses on the Indian Army\u2019s role (over 16,000 Indian troops) in the Gallipoli Campaign during the First World War. Hundal\u2019s book seeks to restore the Indian soldiers\u2019 service, sacrifices, and experiences to the narrative. Hundal argues that the “spirit of Gallipoli” wasn’t just an Anglo-Saxon phenomenon. It was a multicultural crucible where Indian soldiers earned the respect of their peers through sheer grit and professionalism. The book follows the 13th Frontier Force Rifles, the Indian Mountain Artillery, and the thousands of mule drivers and medical personnel who served on the rugged Turkish peninsula. Hundal doesn\u2019t just provide a dry military report; he reconstructs the campaign through a lens of shared sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Author Col. Tejinder Hundal is a serving Indian Army officer with a PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies. He has a keen interest in the participation of Indian Army troops in the two World Wars. At over 600 pages, his book is comprehensive and deeply researched. The book is built from extensive research into primary sources, including war diaries, personal letters, and regimental records. These sources document the deployment of Indian infantrymen, artillery units, mule transport and logistic corps, and the hardships they endured on the Dardanelles peninsula from April to December 1915. The book includes maps and sketches that help visualise the Dardanelles’ impossible terrain. It doesn\u2019t just recount battles; it delves into mobilisation, logistics, adaptation to harsh conditions, and the administrative challenges of war from an Indian perspective. These topics are rarely covered in mainstream histories of Gallipoli.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hundal highlights how Indian mountain batteries provided the only effective artillery support for the Anzacs in the early days of the landing.\u00a0 A significant portion is dedicated to the 6th Gurkha Rifles and their legendary capture of “Sari Bair,” the highest point reached by Allied troops. Beyond the frontline, the book also emphasises the Indian mule corps, who navigated treacherous terrain under constant fire to deliver water and ammunition.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The first Chapter of the book \u201cThe Activation\u201d unravels the decisions and strategies of the belligerents (mainly Britain and Turkey) in their efforts to capture and defend the peninsula, respectively. The chapter also discusses the origins of the various Indian Expeditionary Forces and their deployments in the various theatres of war. It finally covers the operations of the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade’s troops in the peninsula.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The second chapter of the book \u201cThe Arrangements\u201d provides a detailed analysis of the recruitment system, patterns, Incentives, and the state of the Indian Army (Infantry, Artillery, and the Imperial Service Troops) in 1914. It also briefly includes the oft-neglected component of the Burma Military Police, which was part of the Indian Brigade at Gallipoli. The third chapter of the book \u201cThe Affirmation\u201d is dedicated to the participation and contributions of the Indian Troops in the various battles fought in the peninsula.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The penultimate chapter of the book \u201cThe Administration\u201d discusses the personal arms and ammunition, food, water, medical supplies, and the pay and allowances of the Indian Troops at Gallipoli. The chapter also deals with the issues of reinforcements and reporting of casualties of the Indian forces. The last chapter of the book, \u201cThe Acknowledgement\u201d, is dedicated to the memories of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives at Gallipoli. The chapter delves into the trials and tribulations of the Indian soldiers. Stories of three sikh soldiers who participated in the campaign are also painstakingly developed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hundal\u2019s central aim is to acknowledge and honour the Indian troops whose contributions have been historically overlooked. The narrative draws attention to the courage, discipline, and heavy casualties suffered by formations like the Sikh infantry and support units.\u00a0 Hundal\u2019s work also serves as a corrective to colonial-era histories that minimised the Indian role in favour of Western front perspectives. This makes the book not just historical but also commemorative, appealing to readers interested in hidden or marginalised war narratives.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hundal\u2019s writing is deeply researched, striking a balance between military strategy and human emotion. It is a vital read for anyone interested in how the Indian Army became a world-class fighting force. The book is most useful for military historians, defence professionals, students of World Wars, and readers interested in the overlooked role of Indian soldiers in global wars.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Please Add Value to the write-up with your views on the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

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