The Jewel in the Crown takes to the Field

 

World War One brought about the mobilisation of not only the British nation, but the call would be heard in all of her dominions and territories across the seas. One nation who answered the call was India, the jewel of the crown, who mobilised in 1914 with the Indian Army becoming a crucial bolster to the British Expeditionary Force’s lines in late 1914 and 1915. The Indians Army conduct in the First World War has, in part, has been forgotten by history, considering their sacrifice on the Western Front and other theatres. During the war an estimated 74,000 Indian troops were killed, with as many wounded, many of whom reinforced the British line in 1914 ensuring the termination of the German advance. The Indian Army were also to serve with gallantry in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia defending the Empire.

The Royal Pavilion, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, was completed in 1823 to serve as Georges IV’s coastal retreat. In 1914 under the ownership of the Brighton Corporation it was decided that the Pavilion would be transformed into a military hospital. More specifically the hospital was to be for wounded Indian troops as it was believed the oriental architecture would provide a more comfortable and homely atmosphere for the convalescing men. The Pavilion hospital accommodating around 720 beds and two operating theatres considered its patients religious and cultures needs rather attentively. To accommodate its patients the Pavilion created nine kitchens for the different religions and caste members and particular areas were designated for prayer. The Indian Army hospital closed in 1916 after the role of the Indians on the Western Front declined as they took a greater role in the Middle East theatre. In its place the Pavilion acted as a Hospital for amputees, concentrating on rehabilitation until its closure and return to the Brighton Corporation in 1920. The Royal Pavilion’s role not only demonstrates the utility of Britain’s architectural monuments during WW1 but the hospital highlights the British Army’s dedication to the care and rehabilitation of the wounded Indian troops fighting far away from their home nation.

BBC magazine, ‘Why the Indian Soldiers of WW1 were forgotten’, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33317368&gt;

Royal Pavilion, ‘WW1 and the Royal Pavilion’ <http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/ww1-and-the-royal-pavilion/&gt;