LONDON, UK—Foreign troops who fought alongside British soldiers in the First World War must not be forgotten, a Cabinet Minister says.
Britain must show its gratitude to the “Tariqs and Tajinders” who fought with the “Tommies in the trenches” for the hardships and horrors endured in a war fought thousands of miles away from their homes, Lady Warsi says.
The soldiers, sailors, and airmen from the Commonwealth played in The First World War, more than 70,000 soldiers from the British Indian Army alone lost their lives during the conflict. Over 100,000 Canadians and Australians died in battle as well.
Around three million men from across the Commonwealth signed up to fight alongside British soldiers during the four years of war, with some travelling at their own expense from places as far as Africa, and the Caribbean. 175 of these acted with such conspicuous bravery, self-sacrifice, and extreme devotion that they were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honor.
Unveiling commemoration plaques to the bravest of these foreign soldiers Lady Warsi stressed that without the support of these foreign fighters Britain and the Allies would “not have prevailed”.
Soldiers from Canada, Australia, India, Belgium and the Ukraine are among those who were honored.
The plaques will be sent to each soldier’s country of origin who received a VC to be permanently displayed in public places.
As part of the commemoration of the centenary of WWI, the Foreign Office will be publishing an online digital archive of all the overseas VC recipients.
Lady Warsi told the event at Lancaster House in Westminster:
The bugle call to arms that sounded across Britain in August 1914 was heard at the farthest corners of the world, around three million men responded, coming to Britain’s aid and joining the Allied cause.
Tariqs and Tajnders fought shoulder to shoulder with Tommies in Flanders, Ypres, Gallipoli and Passchendele.
And it is very clear without all of them Britain and the Allies could not have prevailed. Without them we would not have the rights and freedoms that we all enjoy today.
Among the recipients was Gobind Singh from India, awarded the VC after he saved fellow soldiers on three occasions by walking miles under heavy fire to deliver messages, after his horse was shot from under him.
Last year Lady Warsi visited the battlefields of France and Belgium and laid a wreath to Sikh soldiers in Hollobeke in Belgium.
She added: “All deserve our enduring gratitude and respect for the hardships and horrors they endured, and for the selfless sacrifice they made. To me they are all heroes.”
Her words came as David Cameron travels to Ypres, Belgium to meet EU leaders for a summit two days before the 100th anniversary of the killing in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the event regarded as the trigger for war.
The summit will begin at the Menin Gate, the memorial bearing the names of more than 54,000 soldiers from Britain, Australia, Canada, India and South Africa who have no known grave.
