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Indian Legion and prisoner losses in Malaya and at Singapore Indian Army troops accompanied British regulars in the longest retreat in British or Indian military history in Burma in early 1942 Disaster and defeat reflected lack of preparation for modern combat, for which the Indian Army lacked heavy weapons, motorized transport, or proper training, as did regular British Army forces in Asia The Indian Army regrouped and rearmed From 1942 to 1943 it was instrumental in holding off the Japanese in Burma and manning garrisons in the Middle East Its wartime expansion and modernization was paid for by heavy contributions from Indians, but also by direct British funds and American aid Better trained and equipped Indian Army divisions were key to retaking Burma in 1944–1945 By the end of the war Indian casualties reached 89,000, including 24,000 killed In 1947 the Indian Army was divided between independent India and Pakistan Most of its officers and physical assets remained with India See also Admin Box; airborne; Allies; COMPASS Suggested Reading: Daniel Marston, Phoenix From the Ashes: The Indian Army in the Burma Campaign (2003) INDIAN INDEPENDENCE LEAGUE See Bose, Subhas Chandra; Indian National Army INDIAN LEGION “Legion Freies Indien.” The armed wing of the “Indian Independence League,” this small military force comprised deserters and prisoners of war from the Indian Army About 6,000 recruits were taken from among disgruntled prisoners captured by the Germans in the North African desert campaigns in 1940–1941 Nominally headed by Subhas Chandra Bose, this anti-Raj band had all-German officers Bose and the Abwehr had wild thoughts about parachuting the Legion into India to foment rebellion or marching through the Middle East to India, but nothing came of these When Bose went to Japan by U-boat in 1943, the Abwehr arranged for blockade runners to take the Legion to the Far East One ship got through, but another was lost at sea The survivors of the Legion were ordered to the Eastern Front; they mutinied instead After shooting the ringleaders, the Germans disbanded the Legion, formed its men into a Wehrmacht regiment— “Indisches Infanterie Regiment 950”—and sent the unit to perform garrison duty in France In a sheer propaganda maneuver on August 8, 1944, 2,500 of these men were absorbed into the Waffen-SS as the “Indische Freiwilligen Legion,” though they retained Heer uniforms The unit saw no combat in France, retreated into Germany, and surrendered in March 1945 The Regio Esercito also recruited Indians to form the “Battaglione Azad Hindoustan.” See also Indian National Army INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY (INA) “Azad Hind Fauj.” The armed wing of the “Indian Independence League,” this small military force (about 20,000 at maximum strength) comprised deserters and prisoners of war from the Indian Army captured by the Japanese at Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong It also recruited 566
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