An Italian interlude

The Italians have a great sense of history and archaeology. Travel through the length and breadth of the country and you will realise how ...

The Italians have a great sense of history and archaeology. Travel through the length and breadth of the country and you will realise how busy they are excavating newer and newer places to know more and more things about their past glorious or otherwise. It is this trait in them that was on display at Bagnacavallo, 56 km southeast of Bologna, where a function to commemorate the end of the Second World War was held early this month. For a change and for good reason, the toast of the function was the unknown Indian soldier.

It may not be widely known in India that one of the last battles of the great war was fought at Bagnacavallo, on the banks of the Senio. It was, undoubtedly one of the most difficult battles. Today it is remembered by historians of war for the exceptional brilliance shown by the Indian soldiers. Major F. Wilcox, holder of Military Cross and who was a company commander then, recalled on the occasion the bravery of Sepoy Ali Haider, who earned the Victoria Cross in that decisive battle.

Tributes were paid to the then commanding officer, the late Lt Col S.J.H. Green, who was represented by his daughter Jacqueline Green. A commemorative plaque was unveiled by the vice-president of the Italian veterans8217; association.

At the function, Indian Ambassador K.P. Fabian was approached by many elderly Italians who recalled their meeting with the Indian soldiers. quot;Some of them, especially women, were literally in tears.quot; After all, it is they who had to bear the brunt of the war inflicted on them by their thoughtless leaders. It is a different matter that, at a personal level, all that many of them remember about the Indians was the turbans they wore.

This was just one of the many commemorative functions held in Italy to mark the end of the war. Last month, a monument was unveiled at Lugo, 65 km from Bologna, to honour the first Jaipur Infantry. A museum of the Liberation War was also inaugurated. It contains rare photographs showing the entry of the Indian troops into Italy. Over 40,000 Indian soldiers, in all three divisions, saw action in Italy. There are an estimated 5,660 graves of Indian soldiers killed in action in the country.

The Indians had arrived in Italy after a splendid performance in North Africa. They had been despatched there to arrest the onslaught of Mussolini, who had set his covetous eyes on the continent. In less than a year of their arrival, the Indians were able to play a major role in the destruction of eight Italian divisions after they had crossed into Egypt from Libya. They were committed to battle against the Italian army in Eritrea and Ethiopia by advancing through Sudan. The Italians were decisively beaten at Agordat and Keren. Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, was finally liberated in April 1941. It was the first major victory against the Axis.

It may be worth recalling that in gratitude Sudan and Ethiopia contributed substantially to the setting up of the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasla. Significantly enough, Indian officers ran the Academy for Ethiopia till the late 1960s.

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The success of the Indians had a profound influence on the course of events in Europe. The defeat in North Africa marked the finis of Mussolini8217;s dream of a Mediterranean empire. It encouraged a coup in Rome, the resultant invasion of Italy by the Germans and the eventual arrival of the Indian soldiers in Italy.

Fighting in an alien land, the Indian soldiers displayed great military acumen. Thus they could inflict a crushing defeat on the Axis forces and help in the ending of the war. A great achievement for an army half of which had been recruited at short notice and entirely through voluntary means. Truly the Indian soldiers had earned their laurels.