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Very early on in World War I it was
apparent that the allies did not have enough forces to cover all
the areas of fighting - for example in North Africa, Europe and
the Middle East. So it was decided to employ troops from the Indian
Army. One of the reasons for this was that the Indian Army could
be mobilised immediately. It would be the first time that the Indian
Army would be deployed to fight outside of India.
On the 8th August 1914 the first
Indian troops to fight in World War I left India headed for Egypt
to be held in reserve. However the fighting on the Western front
was so desperate that they were needed on the front line instead
of being kept in Egypt as reservists. So the troops were redirected
to the fighting on the Western front in Europe. Still dressed in
the khaki uniform suitable for Egyptian not European weather, the
troops arrived in France on 26th September 1914 ready to battle.
Soldiers wounded in battle on the
Western front needed to be hospitalised somewhere. Originally it
was hoped that the wounded Indian soldiers could be hospitalised
in France, but the number of casualties was so great that this was
not possible, and alternative arrangements had to be made to accommodate
the wounded soldiers.
The next best
option was the South Coast of England, and Brighton was one of the
main towns that offered its service to the war office. There were
also other offers of accommodation in the South East: Brockenhurst,
New Milton, Southampton and Bournemouth, to name a few.
On the 21st November 1914 Colonel
Sir Walter Lawrence visited Brighton and met with the Mayor at the
time Alderman Sir John Otter. The meeting was to inform the Mayor
that King George V had requested the use of the Royal Pavilion as
a militarily hospital for wounded Indian soldiers. This was immediately
agreed.
After a consultation with the Chairman
of the Pavilion Committee (Councillor Bartlett) and the Town Clerk
(Mr. Hugo Talbot, O.B.E.), the following telegram was sent to the
Secretary of State for War (Lord Kitchener):
"Understanding
that the Royal Pavilion at Brighton is specially suited for hospital
treatment of Indian troops, the Corporation beg to place it at His
Majesty's disposal for that purpose".
The Royal Pavilion estate had to
be able to accomodate the three main Indian religions: Hindu, Muslim
and Sikh, in order for soldiers to be able to worship. The Sikh
temple was a marquee erected in the Pavilion grounds. The Muslims
were able to use the lawn in front of the Dome, as this was facing
East. Nine kitchens were erected in the grounds to cater for the
various religions.
The Royal Pavilion was not the only
building in Brighton to be transformed into a militarily hospital
for wounded Indian soldiers, the Brighton General hospital Elm Grove
at the top of a hill near the Brighton racetrack was renamed the
Kitchener General Indian hospital, the York Place school, were all
converted and especially adopted for the wounded Indian soldiers.
A gift from the people of
India to the inhabitants of Brighton & Hove
Two Indian Memorials exist
in Brighton
The Chattri Memorial Service 22nd June 2003
Muslim taken from Brighton to a Mosque in
Woking for burial
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