The Partisan Brigade "Stella Rossa" and an Indian soldier who undertook this harrowing journey did so as part of a covert war of liberation and their story deserves and needs to be told
A fascinating unit history which will interest all Great War history specialists, as well as cavalry and Indian enthusiasts. This till today remains one of the legendary exploits of the regiment and is celebrated as an act of great courage against heavy odds.
Though we enjoy our freedom we tend to overlook the enormous cost that was paid to secure that freedom. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our soldiers past and present who have paid the price with their lives.
Many acts of bravery were conducted by the officers' men in the Battle of Gallipoli which is worth sharing. But this one is incomparable.
Their devotion to duty and their splendid loyalty to their orders and to their leaders make a record their nation should look upon with pride for many generations.
“Go to war not for the sake of goods or gold, not for your homeland or for honor, nor to seek the death of your enemies, but to strengthen your character, to strengthen it in power and will, in habits, custom and earnestness. That is why I want to go to war.”
"Anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present. Whoever refuses to remember the inhumanity is prone to risks of new infection"
Living with his family in Kuala Lumpur, and under the guise of a number of civilian occupations, Gurchan Singh began his resistance movement.
The Sikh appearance and presence was effective, in the opinion of the British, in intimidating the Chinese secret Societies and deterring criminal activities. The Sikhs were recruited by the British for police services, traffic duties, the riot squad and the mounted section.
The Sikh Soldier since times immemorial has been in the forefront of all wars to fight against the forces of evil. During the Second World War, the Sikhs in Italy played a predominant role in the battles fought, what is collectively known in military history as the Italian Campaign.