Hardit Singh

[W.G.Ewald]

The first Indian, or indeed Asian, to procure aeroplanes was the then-young Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, who was following aviation developments with keen interest. The Maharaja sent his chief engineer to Europe for an on-the-spot study and then ordered three aeroplanes, including a Bleriot monoplane and Farman biplanes. These aeroplanes arrived in the Punjab in December 1910.

The Sikhs have been pioneers in flying ever since - be it in military or civil aviation, as pilots or engineers - virtually from this dawn of flight. Even now, as we forge ahead in the new millennium, Sikhs remain at the forefront of aviation activities ... in India, they continue to be in the vanguard of the Indian Air Force, Naval Air Arm, Army Aviation Corps, and the air wings of the Coast Guard and Border Security Force..Many are with international airlines, as Boeing 747 "Jumbo" commanders, flying distant intercontinental routes from Chicago to Bombay, or as captains of Airbus A-320s, operating in South-East Asia. Quite a number are with the Royal Malaysian and Singapore Air Forces, others in East Africa.

However, the very first Indian to fly, join the Royal Flying Corps, get his wings, go into aerial combat on the Western Front, shoot down German fighters and himself be seriously wounded in the air, was an outstanding personality: Sardar Hardit Singh Malik. His life and times were so extraordinary and his achievements so varied, that it is most meaningful to dwell upon his pioneering career. .

A British Bristol Fighter FB2 and a German Albatros D.III in combat during WWI. Hardit Singh flew this type of Bristol Fighter for the Royal Air Force.

http://www.sikhchic.com/history/flying_ace_pioneer

 

[Blackwater]

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[Yusuf]

Wow, Ewald how did you come across that? Thanks for the info.

 

[satish007]

acha kaam, Singh

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Wow, Ewald how did you come across that? Thanks for the info.

Searching for images of WWI aircraft, I found the photo of the FB2 and the subject story.

 

[amitkriit]

My question is did those Indian soldiers do India a favor by fighting against those "NAZI" German troops? I doubt that, and for me sacrifices of those thousands or millions don't mean anything. Gandhi was a moron for asking Indians to assist British in their war, and is partially responsible for the death of those "Brown Men" who willingly served their "White Masters" and served them well.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

My question is did those Indian soldiers do India a favor by fighting against those "NAZI" German troops? I doubt that, and for me sacrifices of those thousands or millions don't mean anything. Gandhi was a moron for asking Indians to assist British in their war, and is partially responsible for the death of those "Brown Men" who willingly served their "White Masters" and served them well.

The enemies of the Allies in the Great War were the Central Powers, which included Imperial Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II. The NSDAP ("nazis") emerged after WWI.

Your question remains valid about Indian soldiers in WWI, but it occurs in many other DFI threads.

 

[amitkriit]

The enemies of the Allies in the Great War were the Central Powers, which included Imperial Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II. The NSDAP ("nazis") emerged after WWI.

Your question remains valid about Indian soldiers in WWI, but it occurs in many other DFI threads.

Actually I feel shame in knowing that they were Indians. They had no allegience towards their nation or society. They were all hiered militia/gladiators. A soldier without conscience has no honor, no matter how impressive his records are. Sikhs were the first few to ally with British, and they benefitted, while others were being looted.

 

[Singh]

^^ I think what those Indians did was commendable.

A soldiers duty is to fight and conduct himself with honour. For a soldier the only thing that matters is that he be true to his ethos. His ethos consists of courage, selflessness, honour, loyalty to his comrades and love. Love for something greater than himself, his self-preservation.

What those Indians did as soldiers was they were true to their dharma/their ethos, they fought with dignity, they fought with courage, they fought like brave lions, they fought with loyalty.

You have issues with their flag under which they fought, but for a soldier to perform his duty, his flag and the cause hardly matters.

The flag or the causer doesn't matter, that is why even on DFI, we have had a rule that none of the soldiers even of enemy country, should be shown disrespect. We respect the men who gave up an easy to life, high paying jobs, their need for self-preservation, to choose a hard life full of misery and adversity.

Why is the Great Bhishma Pitmah, the ancient old warrior who fought against Good on the side of Evil celebrated ? Why is the Great Karna, the son of the resplendent Sun himself, still lionized and young boys named after him ?

Both of them were warriors, soldiers who were wedded to their ethos, who never once deviated from their code, even thought they fought against the almighty God himself.

 

[amitkriit]

^^ I think what those Indians did was commendable.

A soldiers duty is to fight and conduct himself with honour. For a soldier the only thing that matters is that he be true to his ethos. His ethos consists of courage, selflessness, honour, loyalty to his comrades and love. Love for something greater than himself, his self-preservation.

What those Indians did as soldiers was they were true to their dharma/their ethos, they fought with dignity, they fought with courage, they fought like brave lions, they fought with loyalty.

You have issues with their flag under which they fought, but for a soldier to perform his duty, his flag and the cause hardly matters.

The flag or the causer doesn't matter, that is why even on DFI, we have had a rule that none of the soldiers even of enemy country, should be shown disrespect. We respect the men who gave up an easy to life, high paying jobs, their need for self-preservation, to choose a hard life full of misery and adversity.

Why is the Great Bhishma Pitmah, the ancient old warrior who fought against Good on the side of Evil celebrated ? Why is the Great Karna, the son of the resplendent Sun himself, still lionized and young boys named after him ?

Both of them were warriors, soldiers who were wedded to their ethos, who never once deviated from their code, even thought they fought against the almighty God himself.

Going by your logic Those Gurkhas did a honorable job by following the command of their officer in the "Jalianwala Bag", they did their duty did not they? They followed the code of conduct.

Soldiers are not mindless zombies. What you are saying about the soldiers can be taught to a dog as well, and it can train/perform better under circumstances. And yes, the flag matters, because there is a huge difference between a militiaman and a soldier. A soldier's conscience is not dead, and his loyality is well defined, in this case it was towards the "British Empire". Had not these "Mir Zafars" assisted those Britishers and licked their "White Ass", India might have been free much earlier.

 

[sayareakd]

WW2 was not our war, only point of connection was INA. Our resourses and men were illegally used, but then slaves dont have anh rights.

 

[balai_c]

The only "patriotic" soldiers, who actually fought and died for their country was the INA and the mutineers of Royal Navy (naval revolt of 1946). The rest were merely fighting for the British Crown, not India.

 

[Akim]

WW2 was not our war, only point of connection was INA. Our resourses and men were illegally used, but then slaves dont have anh rights.

Indian soldiers - have large contributed to the victory over the Axis, " Berlin-Tokyo ". Wrong to assume that it was someone else's war. The fire was burning it to the whole Earth and all peoples of the world. sacrificed the sons, to stop war. And in Hitler's plans were the solution, after the final capture of the Caucasus will move to Iran and then to the Indian peninsula. The fact that Churchill was the British and sent Indian soldiers in heavy fights, of course, him does not decorate, but that that the Indian soldiers have shown themselves firmly as the ancient warriors. And after all your country has become the first in a parade of the Independence of former colonies of British Empire. So it can not be said that the victims of the Indian people in the "else's" war were useless.

 

[amitkriit]

Indian soldiers - have large contributed to the victory over the Axis, " Berlin-Tokyo ". Wrong to assume that it was someone else's war. The fire was burning it to the whole Earth and all peoples of the world. sacrificed the sons, to stop war. And in Hitler's plans were the solution, after the final capture of the Caucasus will move to Iran and then to the Indian peninsula. The fact that Churchill was the British and sent Indian soldiers in heavy fights, of course, him does not decorate, but that that the Indian soldiers have shown themselves firmly as the ancient warriors. And after all your country has become the first in a parade of the Independence of former colonies of British Empire. So it can not be said that the victims of the Indian people in the "else's" war were useless.

They could have showed their bravery and honor by fighting against the colonial force which was and is responsible for the dead and starvation of millions of people in this part of the world. Those "Indian Soldiers" fighting for the "Union Jack" showed that they could do anything for money.

Tokyo was never a part of the axis, US Japanese war was for supremacy in the Resource-rich pacific ocean. Japan did not fight this war for Hitler.

 

[Akim]

They could have showed their bravery and honor by fighting against the colonial force which was and is responsible for the dead and starvation of millions of people in this part of the world. Those "Indian Soldiers" fighting for the "Union Jack" showed that they could do anything for money.

Tokyo was never a part of the axis, US Japanese war was for supremacy in the Resource-rich pacific ocean. Japan did not fight this war for Hitler.

Maybe. But why. Indian soldiers are brave warriors. But then you did not have a weapon. And to go as Sepoys in 19 century on cannons and machine guns - this is folly, casebound with love to Motherland.
And weapon as tanks and airplanes would you could give participants of AntiHitler coalition or nazis. And then India would be free, that is the question"¦
As for Japan, you poorly history of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_Pact
Japan waged war on all Indochina and USA in war on the Pacific ocean entered last.
P.S. I'm sorry. I do not have maps in English. This is the peak of World War II (June 1941 - April 1942)