Sumit's Inkwell

On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany, joining France, and the Allies after Germany invaded Belgium.

Britain urgently needed manpower, and they looked across their vast empire for soldiers. India, their most important colony, became one of the largest sources of recruits.

Among the Indian troops, the Sikhs of Punjab stood out. Though Sikhs made up only two percent of the India’s population, they contributed significantly to the Indian Army during the war. Known for their discipline and courage, they were sent far from their villages to fight in lands they had only heard about in stories.

For many, it was their first time leaving Punjab, their first time seeing the ocean, their first time setting foot in Europe. In the muddy trenches of the France, these men fought bravely alongside the Allied soldiers in one of the deadliest conflicts in human history.

This is one of their stories.

From the diary of Sikh Solider in the Great War:

August 29th, 1914

I had never seen the ocean before. Only in photographs, or the stories of officers. I thought I knew what to expect, but this…this was beyond me.

Water. Just endless water.

The steamer loomed before us like a floating city. How could something so massive sit on the water without sinking? I tried to keep my composure, but my heart pounded like a drum.

Some of the men couldn’t contain themselves. Up until now, many of us had only seen the Beas River. A few had never stepped beyond their villages. Yet here we were, all standing together before the endless sea.

We boarded in regiments, marching in order, rifles slung across our shoulders. When I reached the top deck, I froze. To one side the city of Bombay stretched across. To the other, nothing but the Arabian Sea.

One of the soldiers, a Sandhu I had befriended on the train, stood beside me. He pointed at a small island on the horizon.

“Is that France?” he asked.

I smiled. “I think what they call France is a little further away”.

He nodded. “ What do you think it will be like?”

I answered honestly. “I don’t know. But we’ll find out together”.

France…What will it be like?