The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hira Singh, by Talbot Mundy

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Title: Hira Singh
When India came to fight in Flanders

Author: Talbot Mundy

Posting Date: April 19, 2009 [EBook #4400]
Release Date: August, 2003
First Posted: January 27, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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HIRA SINGH

WHEN INDIA CAME TO FIGHT IN FLANDERS

BY TALBOT MUNDY

Author of

King--of the Khyber Rifles, The Winds of the World, etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY

J. CLEMENT COLL

PREFACE

I take leave to dedicate this book to Mr. Elmer Davis, through whose
friendly offices I was led to track down the hero of these
adventures and to find the true account of them even better than the
daily paper promised.

Had Ranjoor Singh and his men been Muhammadans their accomplishment
would have been sufficiently wonderful. For Sikhs to attempt what
they carried through, even under such splendid leadership as Ranjoor
Singh's, was to defy the very nth degree of odds. To have tried to
tell the tale otherwise than in Hira Singh's own words would have
been to varnish gold. Amid the echoes of the roar of the guns in
Flanders, the world is inclined to overlook India's share in it all
and the stout proud loyalty of Indian hearts. May this tribute to
the gallant Indian gentlemen who came to fight our battles serve to
remind its readers that they who give their best, and they who take,
are one.

T. M.

One hundred Indian troops of the
British Army have arrived at Kabul,
Afghanistan, after a four months'
march from Constantinople. The men
were captured in Flanders by the
Germans and were sent to Turkey in the
hope that, being Mohammedans, they
might join the Turks. But they
remained loyal to Great Britain and
finally escaped, heading for Afghanistan.
They now intend to join their
regimental depot in India, so it
is reported.

New York Times, July, 1915

Hira Singh

CHAPTER I

Let a man, an