1914 Indian Corps aficionados question

[Attrition]

Beckett apparently ascribed 65% of Indian Corps wounds at La Bassee to self-infliction, pp139-140. Is this true? If so is it different to metropolitan units? Thanks

[Terry Duncan]

This could depend on just what exactly was termed a self-inflicted wound? My great grandfather had a brief period with some Indian Army troops in Europe before he was shipped out to India in November 1914. He always remembered that the Indians were not at all used to the cold and wet, and some were quickly suffering from all manner of health problems due to that and certain practices that were different to European troops - he never specified quite what this was. Such things as frostbite and trench foot were at times classified as self-inflicted, so maybe this case is similar?

[Attrition]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_La_Bass%C3%A9e

Subsequent operations

"By 3 November, the Indian Corps had suffered 1,989 casualties along its 8-mile (13 km) front, c. 65% of which were self-inflicted wounds, not always punished by court martial." (Beckett 2003, pp. 139–140.)

I haven't read Beckett as far as I can remember but he seems well thought of. I'd like to see the text but there's no Amazon read inside. I had a look in Willcocks, J. (1920). With the Indians in France. London: Constable. OCLC 1184253 from Archives org but needed a sickbag because of the racism. He noted casualties but not the reasons.

65% seems rather high so I wondered if it was either a typo for 6.5% or if the behaviour of Indian troops was being judged differently to that of metropolitans. I don't want to leave it there without checking.

My purge on unfinished business is going quite well, I've only side-tracked myself with the Malmaison page ;O)

[Attrition]

I notice that in The German Army at Ypres 1914 pp359-362 the Germans and metropolitan British had a few problems with morale.

[pugsville]

Quick google around found this.

In a secret report during the war, Colonel Bruce Seaton examined 1,000 wounds and injuries to Indian troops being treated at the Kitchener Hospital in Brighton to find out whether any of them were self-inflicted. After careful investigation, however, Seaton concluded that there was no evidence to support the theory of self-wounding among the Indian soldiers.

see report here
http://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles ... -world-war#


review of this book says "Old canards are re-examined - inability to stand the cold, reluctance to fight, the prevalence of self-inflicted wounds - are shown not to be supported by the evidence. "
http://www.amazon.com/Sepoys-Trenches-I ... 1862273545

[Attrition]

Thanks very much, I was so trying not to smell a rat.