During theSecond World War (1939–1945), India was a part of theBritish Empire.British India officially declared war onNazi Germany in September 1939.^[1] India, as a part of theAllied Nations, sent over two and a half million soldiers to fight under British command against theAxis powers. India was also used as the base for American operations in support of China in theChina Burma India Theater.

Indians fought throughout the world, including in theEuropean theatre against Germany,North African Campaign againstfascist Italy, and in thesoutheast Asian theatre; while also defending theIndian subcontinent against the Japanese forces, includingBritish Burma and theCrown colony of Ceylon. Indian troops were also redeployed in former colonies such asSingapore andHong Kong, with the Japanese surrender in August 1945, after theend of World War II. Over 87,000 Indian troops, and 3 millioncivilians died in World War II.^[2][3]Field MarshalSir Claude Auchinleck, formerCommander-in-Chief, India, stated thatBritain "couldn't have come through both wars [World War I and II] if they hadn't had theIndian Army."^[4][5]

There was pushback throughout India to expending lives supporting the colonial British Empire in Africa and Europe amidst movements for Indian independence. Particularly,Subhas Chandra Bose sought alliance with theSoviet Union and then ultimately withNazi Germany as a tool for subverting the British empire. Many factions of theIndian Independence Movement did supportNazi Germany during the war, most notably the so-calledIndian Legion which Bose was instrumental in creating and which was incorporated for some time as a division of theWaffen-SS.^[6]

TheMarquess of Linlithgow,Viceroy of India, declared war on Germany on India's behalf in September 1939, an action for which he was criticised by elements of the Indian National Congress for not consulting the Indian people.^[7] Political parties such as theMuslim League and theHindu Mahasabha supported the British war effort while the largest and most influential political party existing in India at the time, theIndian National Congress, demanded independence before it would help Britain.^[8][9] London refused, and when Congress announced a "Quit India" campaign in August 1942, tens of thousands of its leaders were imprisoned by the British for the duration. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Indian leaderSubhas Chandra Bose, Japan set up an army of IndianPOWs known as theIndian National Army which fought against the British. In 1943, a majorfamine in Bengal led to between 0.8 and 3.8 million deaths due to starvation, and a highly controversial issue remains regardingWinston Churchill's decision not to provide emergency food relief.^[10][11]

Indian participation in the Allied campaign remained strong. The financial, industrial and military assistance of India formed a crucial component of the British campaign against Nazi Germany andImperial Japan.^[12] India's strategic location at the tip of the Indian Ocean, its large production of armaments, and its huge armed forces played a decisive role in halting the progress of Imperial Japan in theSouth-East Asian theatre.^[13] TheIndian Army during World War II was one of the largest Allied forces contingents which took part in theNorth andEast African Campaign,Western Desert Campaign. At the height of the second World War, more than 2.5 million Indian troops were fighting Axis forces around the globe.^[14] After the end of the war, India emerged as the world's fourth largest industrial power and its increased political, economic and military influence paved the way for its independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.^[15] The Indian servicemen who served in the British Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force during World War II and still had service period remaining at the time ofIndia's Independence would go on to become serving members of the future armies, navies, and air forces of post-Partition India and Pakistan.

TheIndian National Congress, led byMohandas Karamchand Gandhi,Vallabhbhai Patel andMaulana Azad, denouncedNazi Germany but would not fight it or anyone else until India was independent.^[16] Congress launched theQuit India Movement in August 1942, refusing to co-operate in any way with the government until independence was granted. The government, not ready for this, immediately arrested over 60,000 national and local Congress leaders, and then moved to suppress the violent reaction of Congress supporters. Key leaders were kept in prison until June 1945, although Gandhi was released in May 1944 because of his health. Congress, with its leaders incommunicado, played little role on the home front. Unlike the predominately Hindu Congress, theMuslim League rejected the Quit India movement and worked closely with the Raj authorities.^[17]

Supporters of the British Raj argued that decolonisation was impossible in the middle of a great war. So, in 1939, the British Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow declared India's entry into the War without consulting prominent Indian Congress leaders who were just elected in previous elections.^[1]

Subhas Chandra Bose (also called Netaji) had been a top Congress leader. He broke up with the Congress and tried to form a military alliance with Germany or Japan to gain independence. Bose, with the assistance of Germany, formed theIndian Legion from Indian students inAxis occupied Europe and Indian Army prisoners of war. With German reversals in 1942 and 1943, Bose and the Legion's officers were transported by U boat to Japanese territory to continue his plans. Upon arrival, Japan helped him set up theIndian National Army (INA) which fought under Japanese direction, mostly in theBurma Campaign. Bose also headed theProvisional Government of Free India, a government-in-exile based inSingapore. It controlled no Indian territory and was used only to raise troops for Japan.^[18]

In 1939 theBritish Indian Army numbered 205,000 men. It took in volunteers and by 1945 was the largest all-volunteer force in history, rising to over 3.35 million men.^[19] These forces included tank, artillery and airborne forces.

Over World War II, officers and soldiers of theBritish Indian Army received 6,000 awards for gallantry. These included a total of 31Victoria Crosses, the highest award in British and Commonwealth Forces for operational gallantry.^[20] British, Indian, Nepalese as well as future Pakistani soldiers and officers of the British Indian Army taken together account for these Victoria Crosses, as well for the other thousands of gallantry awards attributed to the British Indian Army. Indians were also awarded theGeorge Cross, the highest award for non-operational gallantry and equivalent to the Victoria Cross. Significantly, in World War II, several Indian officers also received theDistinguished Service Order (DSO). The DSO was a level 2A order-cum-decoration, second only to the Victoria Cross, that could be bestowed only upon commissioned officers for operational gallantry and leadership under conditions of actual combat. The DSO became available to Indian officers largely following the gradualIndianisation of the officer ranks of the British Indian Army 1923 onwards. A rare exception wasHiraji Cursetji, an Indian military surgeon who was awarded the DSO during World War I. Level 3A decorations awarded to Indian officers in World War II included theDistinguished Service Cross (DSC), theMilitary Cross (MC), and theDistinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Other high military recognitions included appointments as officers or members of theOrder of the British Empire (shortened as OBE and MBE respectively), both of which ranked below the DSO but above the level 3A decorations.^[21]

The British Indian Army was the key British Empire fighting presence in theBurma Campaign. The Royal Indian Air force's first assault mission was carried out against Japanese troops stationed in Burma. TheBritish Indian Army was key to breaking the siege ofImphal when the westward advance of Imperial Japan came to a halt.

The formations included theIndian III Corps,IV Corps, theIndian XXXIII Corps and the Fourteenth Army. As part of the new concept of Long Range Penetration (LRP), Gurkha troops of the Indian Army were trained in the present state of Madhya Pradesh under their commander (later Major General) Orde Charles Wingate.

These troops, popularly known asChindits, played a crucial role in halting the Japanese advance into South Asia.^[22]

By 1942, neighbouringBurma was invaded by Japan, which by then had already captured the Indian territory ofAndaman and Nicobar Islands. Japan gave nominal control of the islands to theProvisional Government of Free India on 21 October 1943, and in the following March, theIndian National Army with the help of Japan crossed into India and advanced as far asKohima inNagaland. This advance on the mainland of South Asia reached its farthest point on Indian territory, with the Japanese finally retreating from theBattle of Kohima and near simultaneousBattle of Imphal in June 1944.^[23]

In 1944–45 Japan was under heavy air bombardment at home and suffered massive naval defeats in the Pacific. As its Imphal offensive failed, harsh weather and disease and withdrawal of air cover (due to more pressing needs in the Pacific) also took its toll on the Japanese and remnants of the INA and theBurma National Army. In spring 1945, a resurgent British army recaptured the occupied lands.^[24]

For the highest gallantry in the South East Asian theatre, the Victoria Cross was awarded toFazal Din,Abdul Hafiz,Karamjeet Judge,Ganju Lama,Bhandari Ram,Sher Shah,Gian Singh,Nand Singh,Parkash Singh,Prakash Singh Chib,Ram Sarup Singh, andUmrao Singh. In the same theatre, the George Cross was awarded toMateen Ansari,Islam-ud-Din,Abdul Rahman, andMahmood Khan Durrani (future Pakistan Army officer).

For their gallant leadership and personal bravery in different battles during the Burma Campaign, the DSO was awarded toKondandera Subayya Thimayya (futureCOAS, Indian Army),Lionel Protip Sen (futureCGS, Indian Army),S.P.P. Thorat (future CGS, Indian Army),Harbans Singh Virk, andSarbjit Singh Kalha.Siri Kanth Korla, a future division commander of the Indian Army during the1965 Indo-Pakistani War, was awarded the DSO, the MC, and two Mentions in Dispatches for gallantry in different episodes of this Campaign. The Indian DSO winners in Burma also includedAkbar Khan, future leader of Pakistani irregular forces in theIndo-Pakistani War of 1947-48 as well as a futureCGS, Pakistani Army.

Gurbakhsh Singh was awarded the DSO and appointed as an OBE for leading a contingent the British Indian Army in Japanese captivity in Singapore, and for preventing defection of his men to theIndian National Army during this internment.Abrar Hussain, a future divisional commander of the Pakistan Army in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war, was appointed as an MBE for a similar feat with interned personnel of the 2/10 Baluch in Singapore.

K.M. Cariappa, the future secondField Marshall of the Indian Army, was appointed as an OBE for non-combat service in this theatre.

Miyan Hayaud Din, another future CGS, Pakistan Army, was appointed as MBE and awarded the MC for his actions in Burma.

Sam Manekshaw (the future first Field Marshall of the Indian Army) andA.A.K. Niazi, who would go on to lead the Indian and Pakistani armies respectively during the1971 Indo-Pakistani War, were both awarded the MC in the Burma Campaign.Naveen Chand Rawlley, futureVCOAS, Indian Army, was also awarded the MC in Burma.

The British government meanwhile sent Indian troops to fight inWest Asia and northern Africa against the Axis. India also geared up to produce essential goods such as food and uniforms.

The4th,5th and10th Indian Divisions took part in theNorth African theatre against Rommel'sAfrika Korps. In addition, the18th Indian Infantry Brigade of the 8th Indian Division fought against the Afrika Korps at Deir el-Shein. Although they were overrun, they bought valuable time for the rest of theBritish 8th Army to prepare the defences for what was to be theFirst Battle of El Alamein, halting the German advance in Egypt.^[25] Earlier, the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions took part in theEast African campaign against the Italians inSomaliland,Eritrea andAbyssinia capturing the mountain fortress of Keren. In theBattle of Bir Hakeim, Indian gunners played an important role by using guns in the anti tank role and destroying tanks of Rommel's panzer divisions.

Indian units also took part in theAnglo-Iraqi War,Syria-Lebanon campaign, andAnglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

Premindra Singh Bhagat (future co-author of theHenderson Brooks - Bhagat report),Richhpal Ram, andChhelu Ram were awarded the Victoria Cross in the Middle East and African Theatre.

PP Kumaramangalam andRajendrasinjhi Jadeja (both future COAS, Indian Army), andVidya Dhar Jayal, a future brigade commander of the Indian Army during the1947-48 Indo-Pakistani War, were awarded the DSO in this theatre.

Jayanto Nath Chaudhari, future COAS, Indian Army, was appointed as an OBE for gallant service in the Middle East.

Muhammad Musa (future head of the Pakistani Army during the1965 Indo-Pakistani war) was appointed as an MBE for his action in the Middle East.

Indian forces played a role in liberating Italy from Nazi control. India contributed the third largest Allied contingent in theItalian campaign after US and British forces. The4th,8th and10th Divisions and43rd Gurkha Infantry Brigade led the advance, notably at the gruellingBattle of Monte Cassino. They fought on theGothic Line in 1944 and 1945.

Yashwant Ghadge,Namdeo Jadhav,Kamal Ram, andAli Haider (future Pakistani Army officer) were awarded the Victoria Cross during the Invasion of Italy.Subramaniam andDitto Ram were awarded the George Cross for actions in Italy.

Thakur Mahadeo Singh, future first native commandant of theIndian Military Academy, was awarded the DSO for actions in Italy.

Kashmir Singh Katoch, future VCOAS, Indian Army, was awarded the MC in Italy.Bakhtiar Rana, future corps commander of the Pakistan Army in West Pakistan during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, was also awarded the MC in this theatre.

DuringWorld War II, the IAF played an instrumental role in halting the advance of theImperial Japanese Army inBurma, where the first IAF air strike was executed. The target for this first mission was the Japanese military base inArakan, after which IAF strike missions continued against the Japanese airbases atMae Hong Son,Chiang Mai andChiang Rai in northernThailand.

The IAF was mainly involved instrike,close air support,aerial reconnaissance,bomber escort and pathfinding missions for RAF andUSAAF heavy bombers. RAF and IAF pilots would train by flying with their non-native air wings to gain combat experience and communication proficiency. Besides operations in theBurma Theatre IAF pilots participated in air operations inNorth Africa andEurope.^[26]

During the war, the IAF experienced a phase of steady expansion. Many Indian airmen in the Royal Air Force were seconded or transferred to the expanding IAF. New aircraft added to the fleet included the US-builtVultee Vengeance,Douglas Dakota, the BritishHawker Hurricane,Supermarine Spitfire,Bristol Blenheim, andWestland Lysander.

Subhas Chandra Bose sentIndian National Armyyouth cadets to Japan to train as pilots. They went on to attend theImperial Japanese Army Air Force Academy in 1944.^[27]

In recognition of the valiant service by the IAF,King George VI conferred theprefix "Royal" in 1945. Thereafter the IAF was referred to as theRoyal Indian Air Force. In 1950, when India became a republic, the prefix was dropped and it reverted to being the Indian Air Force.^[28]

Post war,No. 4 Squadron IAF was sent to Japan as part of theAllied Occupation forces.^[29]

In addition to the IAF, many native Indians and some 200 Indians resident in Britain volunteered to join theRAF andWomen's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). One such officer volunteer was Assistant Section OfficerNoor Inayat Khan, a pacifist of Indian origin who joined the WAAF, in November 1940, to fight against Nazism. Noor Khan served bravely as a secret agent with theSpecial Operations Executive (SOE) in France, but was eventually betrayed, captured, and executed by the Nazis.^[26] She was posthumously awarded the George Cross.

Mehar Singh, Indian flying prodigy, was awarded the DSO for his actions in Burma.

Karun Krishna Majumdar, the first Indian to reach the rank of Wing Commander, was awarded the DFC & bar.Arjan Singh (futureMarshal of the Indian Air Force),Pratap Chandra Lal (future chief of the IAF during Indo-Pakistani War of 1971), andRamaswamy Rajaram (futureVCAS, IAF) were awarded the DFC in Burma. The brothersAspy Engineer andMinoo Merwam Engineer, who both later became Air Marshalls of the IAF, were also awarded the DFC.

In 1934, the Royal Indian Marine changed its name, with the enactment of the Indian Navy (Discipline) Act of 1934. The Royal Indian Navy was formally inaugurated on 2 October 1934, at Bombay.^[30] Its ships carried the prefixHMIS, for His Majesty's Indian Ship.^[31]

At the start of theSecond World War, the Royal Indian Navy was small, with only eight warships. The onset of the war led to an expansion in vessels and personnel described by one writer as "phenomenal". By 1943 the strength of the RIN had reached twenty thousand.^[32]During the War, theWomen's Royal Indian Naval Service was established, for the first time giving women a role in the navy, although they did not serve on board its ships.^[30]

During the course of the war six anti-aircraft sloops and several fleet minesweepers were built in the United Kingdom for the R.I.N. After commissioning, many of these ships joined various escort groups operating in the northern approaches to the British Isles.HMIS Sutlej andHMIS Jumna, each armed with six-high angle 4" guns, were present during the Clyde "Blitz" of 1941 and assisted the defence of this area by providing anti-aircraft cover. For the next six months these two ships joined the Clyde Escort Force, operating in the Atlantic and later the Irish Sea Escort Force where they acted as the senior ships of the groups. While engaged on these duties, numerous attacks against U-boats were carried out and attacks by hostile aircraft repelled. At the time of action in which theBismarck was involved, the Sutlej left Scapa Flow, with all despatch as the senior member of a group, to take over a convoy from the destroyers which were finally engaged in the sinking of the Bismarck.^[33]

LaterHMIS Cauvery,HMIS Kistna,HMIS Narbada,HMIS Godavari, also antiaircraft sloops, completed similar periods in the U.K. waters escorting convoys in the Atlantic and dealing with attacks from hostile U-boats, aircraft and glider bombs. These six ships and the minesweepers all eventually proceeded to India carrying out various duties in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Cape stations en route. The fleet minesweepers wereHMIS Kathiawar,HMIS Kumaon,HMIS Baluchistan,HMIS Carnatic,HMIS Khyber,HMIS Konkan,HMIS Orissa,HMIS Rajputana,HMIS Rohilkhand.^[33]

HMIS Bengal was a part of theEastern Fleet during World War II, and escorted numerous convoys between 1942 and 1945.^[34]

ThesloopsHMIS Sutlej andHMIS Jumna played a role inOperation Husky, the Allied invasion ofSicily by providing air defence and anti-submarine screening to the invasion fleet.^[35][36]

Furthermore, the Royal Indian Navy participated in convoy escort duties in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean and was heavily involved in combat operations as part of theBurma Campaign, carrying out raids, shore bombardment, naval invasion support and other activities culminating inOperation Dracula and the mopping up operations during the final stages of the war.^[37]

The sloopHMISPathan sunk in June 1940 by the Italian Navy SubmarineGalvani during theEast African Campaign^{[38][39][40][41]}

In the days immediately following theAttack on Pearl Harbor,HMS Glasgow was patrolling theLaccadive Islands in search of Japanese ships and submarines. At midnight on 9 December 1941,HMS Glasgow sank the RIN patrol vesselHMIS Prabhavati with two lighters in tow en route to Karachi, with 6-inch shells at 6,000 yards (5,500 m). Prabhavati was alongside the lighters and was mistaken for a surfaced Japanese submarine.^[42][43][44]

HMIS Indus was sunk by Japanese aircraft duringBurma Campaign on 6 April 1942.^[45]

HMIS Jumna was ordered in 1939, and built byWilliam Denny and Brothers. She wascommissioned in 1941,^[46] and withWorld War II underway, was immediately deployed as a convoy escort.Jumna served as an anti-aircraft escort during theJava Sea campaign in early 1942, and was involved in intensive anti-aircraft action against attacking Japanese twin-engined level bombers and dive bombers, claiming five aircraft downed from 24 to 28 February 1942.

In June 1942HMIS Bombay was involved in the defence of Sydney Harbour during theattack on Sydney Harbour.

On 11 November 1942,Bengal was escorting the Dutch tankerOndina^[47] to the southwest of Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Two Japanesecommerce raiders armed with six-inch guns attackedOndina.Bengal fired her single four-inch gun andOndina fired her 102 mm and both scored hits onHōkoku Maru, which shortly blew up and sank.^[47][48]

On 12 Feb 1944, theJapanese submarine RO-110 was depth charged and sunk east-south-east off Visakhapatnam, India by the Indian sloopHMIS Jumna and the Australian minesweepersHMAS Launceston andHMAS Ipswich (J186). RO-110 had attacked convoy JC-36 (Colombo-Calcutta) and torpedoed and damaged the British merchant Asphalion (6274 GRT).^[46][49]

On 12 August 1944 theGerman submarineU-198 was sunk near theSeychelles, in position 03º35'S, 52º49'E, bydepth charges fromHMIS Godavari and the British frigateHMS Findhorn.^[50][45]

HMS Choudri, the future first native Commander-in-Chief of thePakistani Navy, was appointed as an MBE for his services in the Royal Indian Navy in 1945.

Nilakanta Krishnan, future commander of the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, was awarded the DSC in 1941.

Several leaders of the radicalrevolutionary Indian independence movement broke away from the main Congress and went to war against Britain.Subhas Chandra Bose, once a prominent leader in the Indian National Congress, volunteered to help Nazi Germany and Japan; he claimed in speeches that Britain's opposition to Nazism and Fascism was "hypocrisy", since Britain was itself denying individual liberties to Indians.^[51] Moreover, he argued that it was not Germany and Japan but theBritish Raj which was the enemy, since the British were over-exploiting Indian resources for the war.^[51] Bose suggested that there was little possibility of India being attacked by any of the Axis powers provided it did not fight the war on Britain's side.^[51]

Nazi Germany was encouraging but gave little help. Bose then approached theEmpire of Japan at Tokyo, which gave him control of Indian forces it had organised.^[53]

TheIndian National Army (INA), formed first byMohan Singh Deb, consisted initially of prisoners taken by the Japanese in Malaya and atSingapore who were offered the choice of serving the INA by Japan or remaining in very poor conditions in POW camps. Later, after it was reorganised under Subhas Chandra Bose, it drew civilian volunteers from Malaya and Burma. Ultimately, a force of under 40,000 was formed, although only two divisions ever participated in battle. Intelligence and special services groups from the INA were instrumental in destabilising the British Indian Army in the early stages of the Arakan offensive. It was during this time that the British Military Intelligence began propaganda work to shield the true numbers who joined the INA,^{[verification needed]} and also described stories ofJapanese brutalities that indicated INA involvement. Further, theIndian press wasprohibited from publishing any accounts whatsoever of the INA.^{[citation needed]}

As the Japanese offensive opened, the INA was sent into battle. Bose hoped to avoid set-piece battles for which it lacked arms, armament as well as man-power.^[54] Initially, he sought to obtain arms as well as increase its ranks from British Indian soldiers he hoped would defect to his cause. Once the Japanese forces were able to break the British defences at Imphal, he planned for the INA to cross the hills ofNorth-East India into theGangetic plain, where it was to work as a guerrilla army and expected to live off the land, garner support, supplies, and ranks from amongst the local populace to ultimately touch off a revolution.

Prem Kumar Sahgal, an officer of the INA once Military secretary toSubhas Bose and later tried in the firstRed Fort trials, explained that although the war itself hung in balance and nobody was sure if the Japanese would win, initiating a popular revolution with grass-root support within India would ensure that even if Japan lost the war ultimately, Britain would not be in a position to re-assert its colonial authority, which was ultimately the aim of the INA andAzad Hind.

As Japan opened its offensive towards India, the INA's first division, consisting of four Guerrilla regiments, participated inArakan offensive in 1944, with one battalion reaching as far as Mowdok inChittagong. Other units were directed to Imphal and Kohima, as well as to protect Japanese flanks to the south of Arakan, a task it successfully carried out. However, the first division suffered the same fate as did Mutaguchi's Army when the siege of Imphal was broken. With little or no supplies and supply lines deluged by the Monsoon, harassed by Allied air dominance, the INA began withdrawing when the 15th Army andBurma Area Army began withdrawing, and suffered the same terrible fate as wounded, starved and diseased men succumbed during the hasty withdrawal into Burma. Later in the war however, the INA's second division, tasked with the defence ofIrrawaddy and the adjoining areas around Nangyu, was instrumental in opposing Messervy's7th Indian Infantry Division when it attempted to cross the river at Pagan and Nyangyu during the successfulBurma Campaign by the Allies the following year. The 2nd division was instrumental in denying the17th Indian Infantry Division the area aroundMount Popa that would have exposed the flank of Kimura's forces attempting to retake Meiktila and Nyangyu. Ultimately however, the division was obliterated. Some of the surviving units of the INA surrendered as Rangoon fell, and helped keep order till the allied forces entered the city. The other remnants began a long march over land and on foot towards Singapore, along with Subhas Chandra Bose. As the Japanese situation became precarious, Bose left for Manchuria to attempt to contact the Russians, and was reported to havedied in an air crash near Taiwan.

The only Indian territory that the Azad Hind government controlled was nominally theAndaman and Nicobar Islands. However, they were bases for the Japanese Navy, and the navy never relinquished control. Enraged with the lack of administrative control, the Azad Hind Governor, Lt. Col. Loganathan, later relinquished his authority. After the War, a number of officers of the INA were tried for treason. However, faced with the possibility of a massive civil unrest and a mutiny in the Indian Army, the British officials decided to release the prisoners-of-war; in addition, the event became a turning point to expedite the process of transformation of power and independence of India.^{[55][page needed]}

The region of Bengal in India suffered a devastating famine from 1943 to 1944. Some of the key reasons for this famine are:

1. Japanese invasion of Burma which cut off food and other essential supplies to the region;
2. British export of food and material for the war in Europe;
3. British denial orders destroying essential food transportation throughout the Eastern region;
4. British banned transfer of grain from other provinces, turning down offers of grain from Australia;
5. mismanagement by British Indian regional governments;
6. constructing 900 airfields (2000 acres each) taking that huge amount of land out of agriculture in a time of dire need;
7. price inflation caused by war production
8. increase in demand partially as a result of refugees from Burma and Bengal.

The British government denied an urgent request fromLeopold Amery, the Indian secretary of state, andArchibald Wavell, the Viceroy of India, to stop exports of food from Bengal in order that it might be used for famine relief.Winston Churchill, then prime minister, dismissed these requests in a fashion that Amery regarded as "Hitler-like," by asking why, if the famine was so horrible,Gandhi had not yet died of starvation.^[56]

Indian EconomistAmartya Sen (1976) challenged this orthodoxy, reviving the claim that there was no shortage of food in Bengal and that the famine was caused by inflation.^[57]

During World War II, in 1941, the British presented a captured German BF 109 single-engined fighter to theNizam of Hyderabad, in return for the funding of 2 RAF fighter squadrons.^[58]

There was a campsite for Polish refugees atValivade, inKolhapur State, it was the largest settlement of Polish refugees in India during the war.^[59][60][61] Another such campsite for Polish refugee children was located inBalachadi, it was built byK. S. Digvijaysinhji, Jam Saheb Maharaja ofNawanagar State in 1942, near his summer resort. He gave refuge to hundreds of Polish children rescued from Soviet camps (Gulags).^[59][62][63] The campsite is now part of theSainik School.^[64]

From 1944 to 1945, Daru Khan Badinzai led an insurgency against the authorities of the Raj. It began in the first half of 1944, when rebels of the Badinzai tribe began interfering with road construction on the British side of the Balochistan border.^[65] The insurgency had subsided by March 1945.^[66]

In 1944, the Southern and Eastern provinces of Afghanistan entered a state of turmoil, with theZadran,Safi andMangal tribes rising up against the Afghan government.^[67] Among the leaders of the revolt was the Zadran chieftain,Mazrak Zadran,^[68] who opted to invade British India in late 1944. There he was joined by a Baloch chieftain, Sultan Ahmed.^[69] Mazrak was forced to retreat back into Afghanistan due to British aerial bombardment.^[70]

• Propaganda and India in World War II
• Burma Campaign
• U Go offensive
• Bombing of Calcutta
• Indian Army during World War II
• List of Indian divisions in World War I
• Military history of India
• Military production during World War II
• Military history of the British Commonwealth in the Second World War

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• Media related toIndia in World War II at Wikimedia Commons

• India in World War II
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