**New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI)** The 1947 Partition did more than just divide a nation; it marked the end of the British-led Indian Army as it was split between India and Pakistan. This split posed several administrative challenges and emotional upheaval for many soldiers who had to switch allegiances.
Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, the esteemed British officer who was the undivided Indian Army's Commander-in-Chief during Partition, was at the helm of this complex division process.
As the clock struck midnight on August 14-15, 1947, India emerged as an independent nation, casting away colonial rule after a protracted struggle. In his iconic 'Tryst with Destiny' speech, the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru encapsulated this historic moment, declaring, "the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance."
However, the achievement of independence was accompanied by painful memories of mass migration and bloodshed, as the hurriedly executed Partition unfolded.
This event led to the disintegration of the British Empire in India and marked the end of the British Indian Army, which had evolved from the East India Company forces.
Archival documents from the UK-based National Army Museum (NAM) reveal that the "last Indian Army order" before its formal division was issued on August 14, 1947.
"Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, overseeing the army's division between India and Pakistan, and Major General Reginald Savory, endorsed the text of the final order from the Adjutant General's Office," states a caption for the image of this significant order on NAM's website. This last order served as the "administrative epitaph for the largest volunteer army in history," the caption adds.
The legacy of Field Marshal Auchinleck, affectionately known as 'Auk,' remains alive in India, with a Sainik Aramgah (soldier's resting house) at Old Delhi station named in his honor.
Beyond the Army, both the Air Force and the Navy were divided between independent India and the nascent Pakistan.
Approximately 2,60,000 men, mainly Hindus and Sikhs, became part of India's forces, while about 1,40,000 men, primarily Muslims, joined Pakistan. The renowned Brigade of Gurkhas, recruited from Nepal, was split between India and Britain.
Several British officers extended their services to facilitate the transition. General McGregor Macdonald Robert Lockhart led the Indian Army as its commander-in-chief from August 15 to December 31, 1947, while General Frank Messervy was the inaugural chief of the newly established Pakistan Army.
Individual units were also divided. The 19th Lancers in Pakistan exchanged their Jat and Sikh troops for Muslims from Skinner's Horse in India, according to the museum.
For many of these soldiers, leaving their homeland not only meant a change in national and military allegiance but also profound emotional distress.
Historical records indicate that numerous troops were reluctant to cross the new borders.
Military historian and retired IAF officer Sqn Ldr T S Chhina shared that a defense committee meeting in April 1947 "considered and agreed in principle" the need to prioritize planning for the armed forces' division.
Chhina, who is associated with the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies at the United Service Institution of India, explained that the British Indian Army recruited troops based on the 'class-company system,' which grouped men by community, unlike the Air Force and Navy with their technical focus.
Despite several senior Muslim officers choosing to remain in India, like Brigadier Mohammad Usman, who was lauded as 'Naushera Ka Sher' (Lion of Naushera) for his valor in the 1947-48 India-Pakistan war, many soldiers found they had no choice but to leave.
In some instances, Indian side troops did not wish to migrate, making the transition painful and emotional.
Furthermore, the "very short time" allocated for the armed forces' division compounded the challenges, Chhina remarked.
This partition was considered a "great tragedy" for the country, especially since the Indian Army had established a formidable global reputation, with significant victories against German and Japanese forces during World War II.
Post-independence, the withdrawal of British Army regiments from the subcontinent proceeded gradually. The final British unit, the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's), departed from Bombay on February 28, 1948.
Francis Robert Roy Bucher served as the Indian Army's commander-in-chief from December 31, 1947, to January 15, 1949.
On January 15, 1949, General K M Cariappa (later Field Marshal) took over as the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Army. This date is celebrated as Army Day. The position was later renamed the chief of the army staff. PTI KND ARI.
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