"Hitler's Indian Soldiers". Case Study on Indian Independence Legion of Germany. Nazi connection to India's Independence.

Case Study on Indian Legion Germany                "Hitler's Indian Soldiers".

So, Hey Viewers You all might be Surprised with the title, But it's not a fake one it's all true. This was Recently covered by France 24 English from a few German Soldiers who fought deadly Second World War.

So, We all know the Contribution of Subhash Chandra Bose in India's Independence. I will not go much deep into it. Fast forwarding to 1939 Second World War Started with German attack on Poland. Here, in India Congress was itself divided on ideas of Supporting Britishers Against Fascist Regimes. Subhash Bose though an anti-fascist was of view of Pushing British out of India by taking Advantage of World War.

So in 1941 he escaped to Kabul from His home arrest at Calcutta. There he got an Italian Passport and a Transit Visa to go Germany via Soviet Union. He reached Berlin in 1941.

                ' Bose with Hitler..'  

   ' SC BOSE with Nazi Interior Minister'

Now try to understand Burma had fallen to Japanese by British. Hitler had already kicked Britishers very well in North Africa. Thousands of Indian Soldiers fighting for their British Masters were also Captured. Aa that time there was no conflict between Russians and Germans. Russia had it's Border till Afghanistan.

Army of Indian Legion taking oath in               Berlin with the Tiger Banner.            

Bose made an Idea to liberate India by Military Power. But it's not Azad Hind Fauj which fought in Burma Arakan and Manipur.

Bose thought that he will March his Army all the way from Berlin via Russia and Afghanistan to India. At that time British Army only had a 100,000 or 1 lakh personals rest were all Indians.

German Symbol of Indian Legion Literally "Free India".

So there he meet Hitler and with help of those Prisoners of War he established a Free India Legion. But unfortunately Destiny had something else to do. Russians and Germans came at war. So netaji left Indian Legion and with the help of the Nazis went to Japanese Singapore.

But no one thought what happened to these young people who wanted to liberate India.

They didn't know what to do. For whom to fight, they had already left the service of King George VI by joining Indian Legion. 

Why I mentioned them as Hitler's Soldiers unlike INA who were not Japanese. As  initially as part of the German Army and later the Waffen-SS (Occupied Germany) from August 1944.It was 950th infantry regiment of Indian Army.

So these soldiers were used by Nazis in various conflicts against the Allied Forces in German oocupied France and especially in Normandie Landing (Allied Landing in West european soils). After a due course they could not remain a contact with INA fighting against Britishers in Burma. 

So the Indian Legion, still in Europe for training, was sent to the Netherlands and France to get experience guarding coasts in 1943 until Germany was ready to invade through either the Soviet Union or the Middle East into India. Some Indian Legion members were still on the French coast when the Allies launched the 1944 Operation Overlord, the invasion of Fortress Europe through France.

The Indian Legion saw some combat there, but was quickly pulled from the front lines as the men complained that they would likely be executed as traitors if captured by British forces. The legion continued operations across Nazi-occupied France and Belgium and maintained some presence on the Atlantic Wall.

It suffered a few casualties against French forces, but saw little combat overall until the last of its troops deployed in France were sent to join brethren already in Italy. It was there, in Italy, that the Indian Legion surrendered to the Allies. Indian Legion members generally opted to surrender to American and French forces, but they were handed over to British and Indian forces quickly after capture.

There has been no maintained record of those died fighting for Germans. Fast forwarding to 1945 Allied won The Germany divided it into 4 quarters. Nearly all POW's were expatriated but these Indians were not lucky enough. Because they were not given asylums or shelter by any european countries when Germany was being occupied. Many of them died due to cold or were lost. Few were stationed at Switzerland were again captured and reparations were made to India. Here again legacy was curious many of them were tried for treason.

So it was an article by me just to acknowledge their contribution in an indirect way in Nation's Independence though they could not do it directly.

Thank you.

 Parth Mishra,

1 June 2021.