   
INDIAN MILITARY HISTORY
"LOYALTY & HONOUR’’ - THE INDIAN ARMY: September 1939 - August 1947.
By Chris Kempton.
Between September 1939 and August 1945 the Indian Army expanded to become the largest all volunteer army of all time. It was involved in every theatre, except the Pacific, and in effect defeated the Japanese in Burma on its own. Post-war the Indian Army was involved in the re-occupation of Malaya, Siam & Indo-China plus the Netherlands East Indies and as part of the Commonwealth occupation force in Japan. Only four proper Divisional histories exist and very little is available on Orders of Battle of Divisions or Brigades, their commanders or their operational involvement. ‘‘Loyalty & Honour’’ is the only comprehensive record to be published and at over 400 pages, in three volumes, covers a very wide field.
Volume I. DIVISIONS
Contains the introduction and general background and is then followed by148 pages covering all Armoured, Infantry and Airborne Divisions with Divisional, Artillery and Engineer Commanders. Each Division has a full Order of Battle to FPO level and history. Divisional Formation Signs are shown in colour and there is an alphabetical list of Divisional Commanders and CRA’s plus a comprehensive Bibliography for all parts.
[Publication March 2004]
210 x 295mm, 160 Pages, Coloured still.
ISBN 0-85420-223-4 Hardback Edition £32.99
ISBN 0-85420-228-5 Softback Edition £19.99
Volume II. BRIGADES
Orders of Battle and Commanders [where known] for all Armoured, Cavalry, Tank, Motor, Infantry, Parachute & Frontier Brigades together with brief operational histories. There is also an alphabetical list of Brigade Commanders.
[Publication April 2004].
210 x 295mm, 100 pages.
ISBN 0-85420-233-1 Hardback edition £32.99
ISBN 0-85420-238-2 Softback edition £19.99
Volume III. HIGHER FORMATIONS, DEPLOYMENT, FORCES & COLUMNS.
The deployment of all RAC & British Infantry Regiments & Battalions which came under the and of Indian Divisions or Brigades. The Deployment of all Regiments & Battalions of Indian Armour, Infantry, The Gurkha Brigade, Indian States Forces [serving outside their States], The Burma Army and The Nepalese Contingent. Listing and history of miscellaneous Forces & Columns. Higher Formations. Four Appendices on the Army in India [including the Lines of Communication Organisation] and Indian Army statistics. 39 colour maps covering all the campaigns and a number of specific battles/actions This book fills a considerable gap in the history of both the Indian Army and WW II and will be a must for those who take a serious interest in either subject.
[Publication May 2004]
210 x 295mm, 150 pages, 39 coloured maps.
ISBN 0-85420-248-X Hardback edition £32.99
ISBN 0-85420-207-2 Softback edition £19.99
VALOUR & GALLANTRY.
H.E.I.C & INDIAN ARMY VICTORIA CROSSES & GEORGE CROSSES 1856 - 1946
By Chris Kempton.
Foreword by Field Marshal Sir John Chapple G.C.B., C.B.E., D.L.
This work, which is the first comprehensive and detailed listing, contains a roll of the 162 H.E.I.C & Indian Army Victoria Crosses and the 21 Indian Army George Crosses, including Albert Medal and Empire Gallantry Medal conversions.
The VC & GC rolls are in chronological order, grouped together by campaign, or theatre, as appropriate. There is a initial general description of the campaign for background information followed by the entry for each recipient which contains the citation as printed in the London Gazette, biographical / career information and, where applicable and available, further background information relating to the action and citation. The book also contains short histories of the evolution of the VC, AM, EGM & GC and a listing of VC & GC recipients by regiment or corps under the 1945 titles.
Research for the book has created a number of corrections to previously accepted facts and in one case a location and unit revision by the War Graves Commission. As the first fully comprehensive and definitive source of reference on the subject the book will be a must for historians and researchers as well as anyone with an interest in the HIEC/Indian Army or the VC/GC in general. In addition it has an: Appendix with a roll of the 33 Indian Army Albert Medal and Empire Gallantry Medal recipients who did not exchange to the George Cross. Details of the action of each recipient that gained them the decoration as well biographical information where available. It is believed that this is the first time such a list has been produced. There is also a second Appendix listing recipients by date of action with London Gazette dates. A listing of VC recipients who subsequently served in the Indian Army with biographical information. The illustrations include portraits of a number of recipients of the Victoria Cross. The coloured maps show the locations of both where the Victoria Crosses and George Crosses were won.
210 x 295 mm, 280 pages, 1 Colour and 70 Black & White illustrations, 11 Coloured Maps.
ISBN 0-85420-276-5 Hardback edition £45.00
ISBN 0-85420-281-1 Softback edition £25.00
SITANA
by Colonel [later General Sir] John Adye RA
originally published in 1867 & reprinted for the first time.
The 1863 Ambela campaign on the North West Frontier of India which the author witnessed as a staff officer. One of the largest military efforts in India after the Mutiny. Starting as a punitive expedition against a group of fanatics and dissident tribes it became a major frontier campaign involving two pitched battles with over 9000 British and Indian soldiers committed to the struggle. Two Victoria Crosses were won. The campaign also saw the involvement of some of the most influential figures in frontier political and military strategy and included the future Field Marshal Roberts. Sitana is an excellent study of a mountain campaign undertaken against overwhelming odds. This edition includes new maps as well biographical notes on the significant personalities and lists of the units involved. Shaun Corkerry, a member of the Victorian Military Society has written an extensive introduction setting the campaign in context and discusses the evolution of frontier warfare up to the 20th Century.
210 x 295mm, A-N, i-iii, + 61 pages, 4 col maps, tables, index.
ISBN 085420-325-7 Hardback edition £25.99
ISBN 085420-330-3 Softback edition £12.99
SIKHIM
by Colonel John Cox Gawler
originally published in 1873 & reprinted for the first time.
Col Gawler commanded this punitive expedition into a small but strategically important kingdom on the north east borders of British India which also bordered on to Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. The author recounts his campaign by the use of his contemporary reports and dispatches. He conducted this jungle campaign brilliantly, and despite being almost bloodless, the 1861 expedition into Sikhim has much to teach modern readers on the conduct of operations in jungle covered mountain regions. Colonel Gawler served on the South African Frontier (Kafir)Wars and was an expert in fighting in the jungle and bush. His modifications to British infantry tactics and equipment in Sikhim makes fascinating reading. New maps and biographical details of the key figures have been added to this edition as well as details of the units involved. An introduction by Shaun Corkerry, a member of the Victorian Military Society, discusses the conduct of the campaign and subsequent wars in Sikhim and Tibet.
210 x 295mm, xii + 81 pages, 3 maps, index.
ISBN 0-85420-345-1 Hardback Edition £25.99
ISBN 0-85420-350-8 Softback Edition £12.99
THE ARMIES OF THE INDIAN PRINCELY STATES
by Richard Head and Tony McClenaghan.
Volume 1: An Historical Overview.
This volume sets the Princely States into the overall context of the British Indian Empire, listing those States which participated in the Schemes, as well as reference to the British raised contingents and subsidiary forces. The introduction of the IST Scheme and it=s later replacement, the ISF Scheme is detailed and the states and units involved in them are listed as are Indian army units raised from within the states in time of war. The basis of the Battle Honours awarded to state units are explained, as are the honours and rewards made to soldiers of the states. This volume provides the background to the rest of the series.
210 x 295mm, iv + 141 pages, 36 stills, map.
ISBN 0-85420-133-5 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 2: The Patiala Army
As with all volumes there is an overview of the history and development of the Patiala Army, with a map showing the state=s location, a listing of all the IST/ISF units and the state army units (these did not belong to the IST/ISF). Each regiment has details of its history, organisation, class composition, war services, honours, rewards and battle honours. The 1st Patiala Infantry was probably one of the most famous regiments in the ISF, it=s services in Burma proved it to be the equal of any Indian Army battalion. It won an impressive number of awards, including 2 D.S.O.s, and 8 M.C.s as well as many other awards. The Battalion Commander, Colonel Balwant Singh Sidhu, was identified as being an excellent commander, he was one of the few Indian States Forces officers to command a battalion in action. He also became an acting brigade commander during the Burma campaign.
210 x 295mm, iv + 154 pages, 2 maps.
ISBN 0-85420-143-2 Softback Edition £19.99
Volume 3: The Gwalior Army
Gwalior was a state with a strong military tradition and was one of the states in India which raised, towards the end of the 18th century, a large force of European trained troops. It was organised into some 67 battalions of infantry and about 45,000 irregular cavalry. The last Maharaja of Gwalior, George Jivaji Rao Scindia, maintained a special interest in his military forces, which consisted of a brigade of cavalry, two brigades of infantry, with artillery, engineers and transport in support. An infantry battalion took part in the ill-fated landing at Tanga in East Africa in 1914. In the Second World War units served in Burma, the Middle East, on the North-West Frontier of India, and on garrison duties in India.
210 x 295mm, iv + 179 pages, 2 maps.
ISBN 0-85420-158-0 Softback Edition £19.99
Volumes 4 & 5: Sappers and Miners States
Six of the smaller states in the IST / ISF Schemes raised small units of cavalry and infantry which were gradually converted into engineer units, the logic being that such units would be invaluable in wartime whilst minor units of cavalry and infantry were unlikely to be employable. This proved to be the case. Units were to see service in both the World Wars. The Malerkotla Field Company, under orders, was involved in the demolition of the Sittang River Bridge in Burma, the blowing of which left many troops of the 17th Indian Division isolated on the eastern bank of the river. Much equipment and many weapons had to be abandoned. Recent research puts the error down to a communications failure. This unit took part in the long fighting retreat through Burma following the Japanese invasion of that country.
Sappers And Miners [Part 1] Faridkot, Tehri-Garhwal, Suket
210 x 295mm, ii + 151 pages, maps.
ISBN 0-8520-011-8 Softback Edition £19.99
Sappers And Miners [Part 2] Malerkotla, Mandi, Sirmoor
210 x 295mm, ii + 137 pages + maps.
ISBN 0-85420-070-1 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 6: The Bikaner Army
The State Forces of Bikaner were early members of the IST/ISF Schemes. They earned a reputation for being valuable troops in times of war. The Ganga Risala (Camel Corps) saw service in China 1900/01 in an infantry role. During its service in the Somaliland Campaign 1903/04, the Victoria Cross was awarded to Lieutenant Walker a Special Service Officer attached to the unit. This was the only occasion such an award was made to someone serving in an IST/ISF unit. In Egypt during the First World War the Ganga Risala as part of the British Forces fired the opening shots, on the 29th November 1914, in the campaign against the Turks. The Ganga Risala was the most famous camel corps in the British Empire. The Bijay Battery, a camel pack battery (screw guns), was organised on the same lines as a mountain battery (mule) of the Indian Army. Later having converted to a mule battery it served in the Burma Campaign against the Japanese. In both World Wars additional units were raised.
210 x 295mm, ii + 121 pages, map & stills.
ISBN 0-85420-221-8 Softback edition £19.99
THE CAMPAIGNS AND MEDALS OF THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND THE INDIAN ARMY
by A G Stone OBE.
THE VICTORIA CROSS RECIPIENTS OF THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIAN COMPANY AND INDIAN ARMY
New edition, comprehensively revised. This publication is a convenient reference book that lists the campaigns fought by the troops of the HEIC and the Indian Army for which medals were awarded. Mr Stone=s original publication has been out of print for some time and only listed those campaigns up to 1914. The editors have added a section that completes the publication to the end of World War II.
In addition this publication includes a list of those who received the Victoria Cross and the George Cross whilst serving with the East India Company=s Armies and the Indian Army. Each entry includes the recipients name, rank, unit, location and date of the deed, the date of the London Gazette entry. Also where known, final rank, other decorations and date of death.
There is also a chapter on other awards for gallantry or distinguished service with particular reference to the Indian Order of Merit [Military] and the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. These awards were exclusively to Viceroys Commissioned Officers and Indian N.C.Os and Other Ranks.
210 x 295mm, ii + 82 pages.
ISBN 0-85420-308-7 Hardback edition £22.99
ISBN 0-85420-309-5 Softback edition £12.99
BUTTONS OF THE INDIAN ARMY
by Lt. Colonel N Poulsom.
These reference books have taken many years of research and the cataloguing of some hundreds of Indian Army buttons worn between Pre 1861 to 1947 when the old Indian Army was split between Pakistan and India. The outcome of this research is being published in a series of volumes consisting of :
Volume 1. Cavalry
Volume 2. Bengal Army Infantry
Volume 3. Punjab Frontier Force, Madras Army Infantry, Hyderabad Infantry
Volume 4. Bombay Army Infantry, Gurkha Infantry
Volume 5. Arms and Services
Volume 6. Comprehensive Index of Sections 1-5;
Summary of Battle Honours awarded to each Regiment & summaries of post 1922 Amalgamations.
Volume 7. Additions, Amendments, Alterations, Corrections, Post 1914 Battle Honours.
Each volume is divided into Serials; each Serial covering one Regiment giving details of its lineage from formation to disbandment, (or to 1947). In addition it contains details of the Regimental Battle Honours, colour of uniform lace and finally descriptions of the buttons with the period they were worn; most of the buttons are illustrated. The buttons described cover the period from pre Indian Mutiny of 1857 to the granting of Independence. Early Infantry buttons of the pre Mutiny era were mainly numbered buttons, very similar to those used by French Infantry Regiments. Over the years the buttons developed incorporating battle honours, emblems and other designs; some of them being works of art. It is hoped these reference books will go some way to help clarify the minefield of Indian Army Buttons, a mission that has never been attempted before, and will result in an increasing interest in Indian Army militaria.
Volume 1: vi +108 Pages, 144 stills.
ISBN 0-085420-094-0 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 2: vi + 172 pages, 430 stills.
ISBN 0-085420-164-5 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 3: vi + 123 pages, 308 stills.
ISBN 0-085420-156-4 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 4: vi + 106 pages, 188 stills.
ISBN 0-085420-166-1 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 5: vi + 45 + 93 stills.
ISBN 0-85420-176-9 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 6: vi + 121 pages.
ISBN 0-85420-186-6 Softback edition £19.99
Volume 7: ii + 216 pages, 610 stills.
ISBN 0-85420-196-3 Softback edition £19.99
See also:
A REGISTER OF TITLES OF THE UNITS OF THE H.E.I.C. & INDIAN ARMIES
1666 - 1947
Which can be found in our Recommended Reading section.
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Indian Military History