For many folks, the most widely recognized pop culture image of Desi soldiers in WWII was Naveen Andrews’ portrayal of Kip, the Sikh soldier, in the film version of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient. Kip was a combat engineer / bomb removal expert for the British army in Italy and his love affair with Hana, the gorgeous nurse played by Juliet Binoche, formed one of the central plot lines of the movie.

Oh bury me at Cassino
My duty to England is done
And when you get back to Blighty
And you are drinking your whisky and rum
Remember the old Indian soldier
When the war he fought has been won!

-Indian 8th Infantry Division
War Song from the WWII Italian Campaign

When I saw the flick, I recall many a female audience member shuddering at Kip’s “hair scene” - much to my progressively follicle-challenged chagrin…

Still, Ondaatje’s use of Kip in such a significant role is laudable not just because Kip is a strong, attractive & clearly desi male in a leading romantic role but also because it implicitly frames the presence of folks like him as relatively commonplace. I recently stumbled across a fascinating, slick, Indian-produced documentary that goes into much more detail on the “real Kips” who participated in the Allied offensive in Italy. Thanks to the magic of YouTube, it appears the entire documentary is online and available for your viewing pleasure after the fold.

Naveen Makes It Look Easy

The facts, sights, and sounds of the video are an impressive testament to an often overlooked chapter in history. Desi losses in the multi-day assault on the Gustav line, for example, numbered over 1000 - a figure comparable to US losses on D-Day. An Italian countryside scene shows a field of Hindi-inscribed tombstones that hits you in the gut. The UK’s highest military honor, the Victoria Cross, was awarded to its youngest WWII recipient during these battles - 19 yr old Kamal Ram. As is common in these sorts of documentaries, snapshots of soldier’s daily lives provide poignant color - such as the Sikhs making Naan on makeshift ovens. Local Italians, some of whom were barely teenagers at the time, discuss their impressions of these “handsome” soldiers from afar who’ve come to fight for their liberation and attend modern day memorial services to commemorate their sacrifice.

The most powerful scenes, of course, are the interviews from the living veterans themselves. While contemporary folks occasionally see Desi history through a giant “British Colonialism was the Root of All Evil” lens, these veterans were clearly and deservedly proud of their role in “the last Good War”. They’re an apt example of the saying that “support the troops” is supposed to mean respecting them as fighters, rather than pitying them as victims. Amongst them, a place on the front line was an opportunity volunteered for & earned rather than just a place to become “cannon fodder” for the man. The Indian 8th division, having proved itself in Africa, earned Crack status as “the river crossing division” and became the theater’s recognized experts at one of the most difficult combat operations in all war across all time. And through all these things, they left their mark on the world in ways big and small.

So hopefully, while the debate about the significance and meaning of War will remain with us till the end of Time, perhaps we can put aside those contentious words for a bit and respect the warriors & their deeds profiled in the following videos -

Part 1 -

Part 2 -

Part 3 -

Related - Previous SM Coverage of the Battles of Kohima and Imphal