From Gallipoli to 2026: Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s Australia visit reaffirms century-old bond between nations

World War I: Comrades at Gallipoli (1915)

The first significant instance of Australian and Indian troops fighting together occurred during the Gallipoli Campaign, one of the defining operations of the First World War. As part of the Allied attempt to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and open a supply route to Russia, British, French, Australian, New Zealand, and Indian forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula on April 25, 1915.

Indian Expeditionary Force ‘G’ reinforced the campaign in April 1915. It included the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from the 10th Indian Division), two Indian Mountain Artillery batteries (21st Kohat and 26th Jacob’s), and substantial elements of the Indian Mule Corps. Up to 16,000 Indian troops – professional soldiers from Punjab, Gurkha, and other regiments – served at Gallipoli over eight months, far more than the often-cited figure of “a few thousand.”

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops landed at what became Anzac Cove, while Indian units operated in support across the peninsula, including at Cape Helles and in the Sari Bair offensive. Indian mountain guns provided crucial artillery support in the rugged terrain where heavier British guns struggled.

Sikh, Punjabi, and Gurkha infantry held trenches alongside Australians, shared rations, and endured the same dysentery, sniper fire, and Ottoman counter-attacks. Indian casualties were heavy: approximately 1,400 killed and 3,500 wounded.

Contemporary accounts and later Australian histories record genuine camaraderie. Australian soldiers, many carrying racial prejudices into the war, came to respect the discipline and courage of their Indian comrades under fire. The shared trauma of Gallipoli – immortalised in Joan Baez’s ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ – created an enduring bond. Indian troops at Gallipoli remain relatively under-acknowledged in both nations’ popular memory, yet they represent the first major instance of Australian and Indian armies fighting side-by-side in a combined operation.

World War II: North Africa – The Siege of Tobruk (1941)

The next major collaboration came in the Western Desert Campaign. In early 1941, during Operation Compass, Australian forces played a leading role in defeating Italian armies in Libya. The 9th Australian Division (the famous ‘Rats of Tobruk’) formed the backbone of the garrison that held the Libyan port of Tobruk against Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps from April to December 1941.

The Tobruk garrison was a genuinely multinational force. While the 9th Australian Division (approximately 14,000–18,000 men) provided the majority of the infantry, it fought alongside British artillery and armoured units and Indian troops. Most notably, the 18th King Edward’s Own Cavalry (later simply 18 Cavalry of the Indian Army) and elements of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade were integrated into the defence. The Indian cavalry regiment conducted patrols, diversionary raids (including support for the famous Twin Pimples raid in July 1941), and defensive actions at outposts such as Mechili.

The siege lasted 241 days. Australian and Indian soldiers endured relentless artillery and air bombardment, water shortages, and repeated German-Italian assaults. The 18th Cavalry’s armoured cars and light tanks operated in concert with Australian infantry in counter-attacks and reconnaissance. By the time the Australians were relieved in October–December 1941, the combined garrison had inflicted disproportionate casualties on the Axis forces and prevented Rommel from advancing on Egypt and the Suez Canal. Indian casualties during the siege totalled at least 26 killed, with many more wounded.

Tobruk remains a powerful symbol of Commonwealth solidarity. Australian official histories and Indian regimental records both emphasise the seamless integration of the two armies under unified command – a rare example of genuine combined-arms defence in a desert environment.

World War II: Malaya and Singapore (1941–42)

The most extensive joint ground combat between Australian and Indian armies occurred during the Malayan Campaign and the subsequent fall of Singapore–Britain’s greatest military disaster of the Second World War.

By December 1941, the Allied garrison in Malaya comprised roughly 88,000 troops: approximately 50,000 Indian, 33,000 British, 17,000 Australian, and smaller local forces. The Indian Army provided the bulk of the infantry (11th and 9th Indian Divisions in the north), while the 8th Australian Division (under Major-General Gordon Bennett) defended the southern state of Johore.

The critical joint action came in mid-January 1942 during the Japanese drive down the west coast. The inexperienced 45th Indian Brigade was tasked with holding the Muar River line. When Japanese forces outflanked it by sea, two Australian battalions (2/19th and 2/29th from the 8th Division) were rushed forward to support them. The combined force became known as “Muar Force,” commanded by Australian Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Anderson.

For four days (January 15–19 1942), Australian and Indian troops fought a desperate fighting withdrawal through rubber plantations and jungle tracks. Australian anti-tank gunners destroyed at least nine Japanese tanks at Bakri. Indian infantry, despite heavy losses (including the brigade commander and all three battalion commanders killed), held positions long enough for the Australians to conduct rearguard actions. Anderson led the survivors in a breakout that prevented the entire Johore front from collapsing immediately. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his leadership.

From Battlefield to Strategic Partnership (1947–Present)

After India’s independence in 1947, the two armies no longer fought under a single imperial command. Australia remained aligned with the United States and Britain through ANZUS and SEATO, while India pursued non-alignment. There were no further joint combat operations. Both nations contributed to United Nations peacekeeping missions in later decades, but rarely in the same theatre at the same scale.

The shared wartime legacy, however, was never forgotten. Australian and Indian defence leaders routinely invoke Gallipoli, Tobruk, and Malaya when discussing military ties. Since the 2010s, the relationship has deepened dramatically under the framework of the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” (upgraded in 2020) and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).

Exercise AUSTRAHIND

The flagship army-to-army engagement is Exercise AUSTRAHIND, conducted annually since 2016 and alternating between India and Australia. The exercise has grown in complexity, focusing on jungle warfare, urban operations, counter-terrorism, special forces integration, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). The fourth edition AUSTRAHIND 2025 in Australia involved over 120 Indian personnel and emphasised multi-domain interoperability.

Other mechanisms include annual Army-to-Army Staff Talks (since 2016), officer exchanges (including the Young Officers Exchange Programme launched in 2022), and instructor placements at each other’s premier training institutions (eg, India’s Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School). Both armies participate in multilateral exercises such as Naval Exercise Malabar and Australia’s Pitch Black air exercise.

From the beaches of Anzac Cove to the deserts of Libya and the jungles of Johore – and now the training grounds of Rajasthan and Queensland – the story of Australian and Indian armies fighting and training together remains one of the most enduring and positive chapters in the military history of both nations. It is a partnership not only of shared sacrifice, but of shared purpose in an increasingly uncertain world.