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THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 14, 1941.
INDIAN ARMY HELPED ROUT ITALIANS
AS THE CABLES at the time briefly indicated, the broadcast given from Delhi on February 9 by the new Commander-in-Chief in India, General Sir Claude Auchinleck, paid tribute to the exploits of the Indian Troops in Libya and His Excellency fur- thermore made important references to the relation of the Indian Army with India herself.
The full text of his speech has now been receiv- ed by air mail and as the latter half of it deals spe- cially with India, it is reproduced here as of special interest to the Far East where Indian Troops are also serving.
After giving a vivid account of efficiency in spite of the less in- Las experiences in Norway and teresting nature of the work. in England in training the new armes, General Auchinleck sand
A few weeks ago I was told
Fresh Honours
to come back to India to take up Even at this mement they are the post of Commander-*n-Chief, | Winung fresh battle honours for the highest honour that can
their colours On the eve of the
be
'Indian
paid by His Majesty to an officer latest brilliant victory in Labya I ..f
Indian the
received the following message Army need
from General Wavell: hardly say how deeply 1 appreciat-
the early ed this privilege, though I must troops were amongst admit that I left my
post in reinforcements to arrive in Egypt maintaining the England with the greatest regret and have been
had defence "On my way to India I
that country over the good fortune to ser a good since. deal of
military effort in West Africa and was very much impressed by the tremendous amount of progress being made
our
there. African tribesmen from the great forests and plains of Nigeria and other territories are
being turned into soldiers, and very good soldiers too, at an as- tonishing speed.
ان
lighten the hardships they arc enduring so cheerfully.
Devotion To Duty
"Equally important 10 their comfort and peace of mind is the assurance that those they have left behind them are being watch- ed over and that their homes are secure. Both individually and collectively we Ca by K.ving practical demonstration pride in the deeds of our own soldiers and sailors, help them to maintain their
magnilleent spirit.
our
"There has, perhaps, been a tendency in the past to regard India's armed forcés as being something apart from and of no concern to the rest of the people. 1 hope that that day has passed. Nothing. } suggest. сал be more stimulating to understanding and mutual re-
India spect throughout
than that the people of this country. whatever their political opinions may be on other issues, should unite in showing their pride and affection for the men of the Indian
in- Army, Royal dian
and Indian Navy Force. Their devotion to duty is unstinted; let our confidence In them be as complete.
Air
are
"Let us not forget above all that those who are performing the duties allotted to them in less This long period of defence | striking tasks behind the battle was rewarded by their participa-fronts and in this country tion in the battle of Sidi Barrani, making just as important a con- work tribution to success as those ac- in which the magnificent of the Indian troops enhanced | tually face to face with the enemy. the already high reputation they had previously held. Since then Indian troops have taken part in several mportant actions in the Sudan, culminating in the most brilliant pursuit from Kassala to In this action the Indian troops have performed extremely good work in most difficult con- ditions.'
The same applied to Central Keren. Africa and the Sudan, Wherever I went everyone had one object and one only-to spare no effort to produce armed men to defeat the enemy. Cooperating with
ur
troops are the Free French forces which have already attack- ed Italian posts in Southern Libya, I met French officers of Spahis ighting side by side with Our Indian soldiers on the borders of Abyssinia,
گرام
British-
"The fact that our Indian troops took 2 leading part in the victory of Sidi Bar- rani, the battle which started the italian rout in Libya, can. not fail to make Us here irs
"Everything goes to suggest that this present year will be a most critical one. The blows we withstood in 1940 were tremen- dous-we had our backs to the wall: In 1941 our enemies have to make their supreme effort in an attempt to prevent the tables being turned on them
may
"They undoubtedly know this as well as we do and will spare 110 effort and shrink from no expense to crush us. Although it seems as if the United Kingdom is likely to have to bear the brunt of this gigantic assault, n one can foretell from what other India tremendously proud of directions attack may
in come them. They have won golden an attempt to stop once and for opinione everywhere and it is all the rapidly growing collect ve
us to see that the troops power of the Empire. which follow them overseas shall lack for nothing that they need to enable them to keep the same high standard.
for
At Sidi Barrani
"In the Eastern Sudan I was privileged to see a number our Indian units, sume of which had already fought at Sidi Bar- rani and others which had come "I welcome this chance of tell- direct from India. The Italiansing all our troops in Egypt and had not then withdrawn from the Sudan how very pleased I Kassala and their other advanced was to be able to see something posts, and our men, inferior in of them under active Service strength to the enemy, were conditions, how grateful I am to strung out over an immense front | them for their welcome to awaiting reinforcements before and how intensely proud I am of beginning their attack.
them.
me
"In spite of their relative weak- "I wish I could have stayed ness in numbers, they and the with them, but I hope it will not Sudan Defence Force, which has be long before I am able to visit greatly distinguished itself, were them again. As I said before, in complete control of No-Man's the driving of the Italians out Land, having entirely deprived of Africa is a most important the Italians of their initiative. step towards winning the war
"I can say at once that, al and it is good to think that In- though i have served continuous-dia is playing a major part in ly with Indian troops for over this effort.
more
toes.
38 years. I have never seen In- "Here in this country we can Gian units which looked happier, best honour the gallantry and fitter or
on their
soldiers I devotion of our Indian saw men of many classes and it overseas by doing everything we was the same everywhere.
can to help to win that complete "The British units, of whom victory which alone will restore there are many with the force, peace and security. To-day In- seemed to me, in the light of mydian troops in North Africa are considerable experience with Bri- fighting side by side with British, fish troops at home, to be of the Australian. New Zealand, South very best, tough and At, and African and Free French forces adapting themselves to the con- to destroy once and for all the ditions of that wild country as threat to bring war to the shores only British soldiers can. The of India from North Africa. combination of the two services
seemned to me about as perfect as Threefold Duty
it could be.
course
the
"I came away-with-the-most "Our_duty_to_them is threefold, comforting, and gratifying sense We must ensure that their efforts of efficiency, purpose and deter-are not rendered in vain by any mination. Conditions are of failures on our part to make this. often uncomfortable, and country, that is this great country work is hard and strenu- of India, secure against direct ous, but a soldier expects this.attack from any direction. We The men are well fed, well cloth- must place ourselves in a position ed and excellently looked after, to give our men actually facing "There is no doubt that in the the enemy in the field the great- Sudan we have a modern army est possible assistance and sup- excellently commanded and led, port of which we are capable, in trained to war under modern the form of trained reinforce- conditions, very well able to look ments and supplies, - after itself in all circumstances, "We must also and here and ready to give much harder would particularly appeal to blows than it will receive.
those who, for one reason or "I was able to visit also In- another, may not be able to take dian
the reinforcement · camps In a direct part in
immense Egypt and Indian units guarding military and industrial effort on with the Suez Canal and other im which India has embarked 'portant points in the rearward such striking results-provide our areas. Here, too, I. found the men overseas with all the com- same state of cheerfulness and forts and amenities we can
•
1
to
"We are prepared for the or deal. In the British people we have the finest possible example of courage, self-sacrifice and de- termination in the face of danger, I have seen for myself these qualities displayed time and time | again by people of all ranks and classes, and we too must not spare ourselves in our effort to place beyond doubt the victory of toleration, justice and goodwill.”
Couldn't keep my eye
on the ball to-day!"
Page
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