India's War: Uncovering South Asian Stories of WWII
Imperial War Museums launches 'India's War,' a project to gather stories and memorabilia on Indian participation in WWII. Recognizing the extensive role of South Asian forces, it aims to document personal experiences and enhance collections, involving communities in remembering and understanding the war’s impact.
- Country:
- United Kingdom
Britain's Imperial War Museums (IWM) has initiated a significant project, 'India's War,' seeking public contributions of stories and memorabilia related to Indian experiences in World War II. The project aspires to highlight the significant roles played by South Asian communities during the war.
By August 1945, armed forces from the Indian subcontinent had become the second-largest fighting force from the Commonwealth, following Britain. The IWM recognizes the sacrifice of 89,000 South Asian military personnel who perished across various battlefronts, with 28 Indian service members receiving the Victoria Cross for valor. Despite extensive film and photography documentation, IWM aims to better capture personal war experiences.
The 'India's War' project, recently launched, aims to enrich IWM's collections by embracing personal narratives, particularly focusing on lesser-known stories such as that of Pilot Officer Sayanapuram Duraiswamy Thyagarajan, aka 'Tiger' Rajan. The effort marks the 80th anniversary of WWII's end, spotlighting contributions from pre-Partition India under colonial rule and inviting contributions via iwm.org.uk.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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