UK Defence Secretary Pays Homage to Indian World War-I Veterans

NEW DELHI: Visiting British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on Thursday met Defence Minister Arun Jaitely at the latter’s Office in the South Block. Earlier, Fallon paid tributes to over a million Indian soldiers who had fought in World War I, by laying a wreath at the War Memorial at India Gate here.

Fallon arrived here on Thursday on a day-long visit to commemorate the WWI, in which over 70,000 Indian soldiers had lost their lives.

According to officials, Fallon also presented the Government of India with memorials of the six Victoria Cross Medals, that were won by Indian soldiers in the war, at a special function organised at the British High Commission here.

The UK is working very closely with the United Service Institution of India (USI) for the commemoration programme of the WWI. It has funded a battlefield guide book, which will be available through the USI for those families wishing to visit the scene of the battlefields in France and Flanders.

It has also funded, in conjunction with the USI, a coffee table book giving a pictorial overview of India and the Great War, besides digitising the War Diaries of the India Corps that fought in France and Flanders.

The books will be presented to the Indian Government and the key Regimental War Diaries will be printed and bound for presentation to the Colonels of the Regiments Six Victoria Cross winners, won by Indian soldiers.

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