April 25 marks the landing of Australian and New Zealand (Anzac) troops in Gallipoli, a military campaign during WW1 which lasted eight months and claimed at least 125,000 lives.
As Australians prepared to mark the Anzac day with great respect, to honour those who fell in battle, the contribution of Indian troops in Gallipoli is also being remembered.
Nanak Singh served at Gallipoli with the 1/69th Punjabis regiment. Today his grandson Baldev Singh and great-grandson Tajinderpal Singh live in Perth.
Baldev Singh, Nanak’s grandson told SBS Punjabi that his grandfather used to tell the stories of bravery and destruction at the Gallipoli campaign.
A tale of battle, bloodshed, and bravery from the eyes of Sepoy Nanak Singh:
“When our boats were landing in Gallipoli there was shell fire everywhere. Our boats carried the soldiers and horses. As the boats came in, many were hit by shell fire and destroyed.”
“In the water, there were many dead Sikh soldiers, amongst the debris of the boats, horses were thrashing to stay afloat, like fishes. There were bodies, horses, and boat parts everywhere.”
“The Turks were fierce soldiers. I remember one incident when many Sikhs had been shot dead and the source of the gunfire upon them could not be identified.”
“After many lives had been lost, we spotted the source – it was a Turk hiding behind the carcass of an animal, such as a cow. We were then quick to act and shelled this enemy post.”
“The food there was very bad, but we kept fighting on. I remember the daaal (lentil curry) was off as it had gone sour and the roti (bread) had also gone hard.”
After serving in Gallipoli, Nanak Singh and his regiment served in Belgium and France.
“In Belgium, the mud was very deep, as we marched we saw many of our Sikh comrades drawn in the mud, but we kept our spirit high and always kept faith in God and kept on fighting for the sake of mankind.”
Like many British officers, Nanak Singh’s family had a tradition of military service. His son Shiv Singh fought for the British in WW2 in Malaya and was captured and imprisoned in Singapore by the Japanese.
Tejinderpal Singh, the great-grandson of Nanak Singh said that he is proud of his Sikh heritage and military ancestry.
“Oral history cannot always be relied upon for facts, but it is certain that Nanak Singh’s recollections of sour dhal and hard roti – and that the Turks were ‘fierce soldiers’ – were absolutely true,” Mr Singh adds.
Dr Singh wore his great-grandfather's medals when he marched in the Anzac Day parade in Perth (see video).
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