During WW2, the British Empire and Dominions raised 8,586,000 men for military service including 2.5 million Asian soldiers who fought against facism.
The Indian Army won many awards, including 31 Victoria Crosses.
5 million came from the British Isles 1.5 million from India 629,000 from Canada 413,000 from Australia
136,000 from South Africa 128,500 from New Zealand plus more than 134,000 from other colonies.
The Empire fell into two distinct parts. There were the self-governing 'white' Dominions - Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. And there were those regions that were wholly or partly governed from London, including India, which had its own viceroy, as well as the West Indies and British colonies in Africa and the Far East. At the outbreak of war in 1939, India and the other colonial parts of the Empire had no choice and automatically joined in the war on the side of Britain. The Dominions made their own decision to enter the war on the British side. The Irish Free State opted for neutrality.
Abstract retrieved on 12/01/2022 from bbc.co.uk
Image source: iwm.org.uk
Members of an Indian Air Force fighter squadron photographed in front of a plane.
By the end of the Second World War in August 1945, the Armed Forces of India were the second largest fighting force among the Commonwealth nations, after Britain, and had fought on virtually every battle front that Britain had been engaged in.
Image source: iwm.org.uk
A Gurkha of 4th Indian Division keeps watch on enemy positions in Alpi di Catenaia from high ground on Monte Castiglione, 29 July 1944.
The Gurkhas are soldiers from Nepal who are recruited into the British Army, and have been for the last 200 years. Gurkhas are known to be as fearless in combat as they are good natured in daily life. To this day, they remain renowned for their loyalty, professionalism and bravery.
Image source: dameveralynntrust.org
Dame Vera Lynn is a British singer of traditional popular music, songwriter and actress, whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during the Second World War. She is widely known as "the Forces' Sweetheart" for giving outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt, India, and Burma during the war. She was also a patron for the charity, Help for Forgotten Allies, which is focused on supporting Karen and Karenni ethnic minorities widows and veterans from the Second World War who fought with the British.
Image source: h4fa.org.uk
The soldiers who fought for Britain in Burma (now Myanmar) in World War Two have often been called the Forgotten Army, but the Burmese who formed part of this army were truly forgotten by the UK in the decades after the war. Visit the links to find out more:
Image source: iwm.org.uk
Recruitment poster for soldiers of British Empire
When World War Two broke out in September 1939, Britain called upon countries from across the British Empire for help. The contribution from people across the empire was crucial in helping Britain to defeat Nazi Germany. Despite the importance of their role, those who had been recruited from the empire were not always treated equally.
Visit the links below to learn more about the Commonwealth and Allied Forces that helped to fight the war:
Image source: umedia-qat.lib.umn.edu
Click here to find out more about the Canadian soldiers who fought in WW2
Image source: vwma.org.au
Click on the links below to learn more about the Australian soldiers who fought in WW2:
