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'Terriers' in India - Peter Stanley |
- By Nick-D
'Terriers' in India: British Territorials, 1914-19 is the first comprehensive history of the more than 50,000 members of the British Territorial Force who were dispatched to India during World War I. It was written by the leading Australian military historian Peter Stanley, who is also the author of several other works on colonial-era Indian military history.
The Territorial Force was a reserve formation made up of part-time citizen soldiers who enlisted to defend the UK from invasion. At the outset of the war members were asked to volunteer for overseas service in France or the British Empire. Many territorials volunteered, of whom more than 50,000 were sent to India to replace regular British Army units in the garrison, which was mainly dispatched to France. Most of the territorial units sent to India were deployed elsewhere (most notably Mesopotamia, but some ended up as far afield as central Siberia!) but tens of thousands of men remained in India until late 1919.
The experiences of the territorials in India have been little remembered, and Stanley states that this is the first full-length history of the subject. As is common for his books, it's an interesting mix of social and operational history. The book is organised into thematic chapters - for instance, there are separate chapters on the relationships between the territorials and Indians and territorials and British civilians in India, as well as chapters on the main areas the territorials were deployed. This structure works well, and the book covers some fascinating issues. For instance, Stanley argues that while the territorials were under-trained for war upon arrival in India, they brought extensive skills to the army due to their civilian occupations. He is also frank about racism and indiscipline among the territorial soldiers. The book is well illustrated with photos and drawings, mainly created by the territorials.
Although Stanley is highly complementary of his editors at Helion, I don't think that he was particularly well served by them. The book contains some typos and, more seriously, there are some odd elements of the narrative that should have been fixed: for instance, it takes several chapters until readers are told why a large British garrison was maintained in India before the war. The book was also printed in overly glossy paper, which made it irritating to read.
Overall, this is a really interesting book that shines a light on an under-remembered element of the British war effort during World War I.
Publishing details: Stanley, Peter (2019). 'Terriers' in India: British Territorials, 1914-19. Warwick, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-912390-82-3.
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