Evening star., 1942-10-18
Native Indian Troops
Rapidly Becoming
Expert Parachutists
Men Of Warrior Races
Adapt Selves Eagerly to
Modern Arms, Toetics
BY DOUGLAS WILKIE,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
North American Neyspaper Alliance

diers from remote villages which had
never seen an airplane and who
before enlisting in the army had
never handled anything more COM
plicated than crude wooden plow,
rapidly are becoming some of the
worlds toughest and most resource
full paratroops.
I have just visited an Indian Army
paratroop brigade. I have seen
them practicing drops from various
types Of aircraft, learning to handle
all types of automatic weapons and
other equipment which is part of
the dangerous trade Of parachute
shock troops.
India's warrior races are adapting
themselves to the most modern and
intricate tactics of three -dimensional
warfare In an amazing manner. This
is confirmed by British and Aus
tralian troops, who learned in Africa
to recognize the Indians as we'll
disciplined, cheerful comrades, un-
surpassed marksmen with rife and
anti-tank gun, and deadly with the
bayonet.
Special Significance Seen.
Paratroops no longer are noy-
city in Europe, but they are signif-
can't here not merely because they
are the Indian Armys latest baby,
but because they confirm India S
vast potential even in the most mod
ern forms of scientific warfare. Also,
because they are decisively dispell-
Ing the lingering misconceptions
regarding racial "inferiority" and
because, more than any other Indian
Army formation, these paratroopers,
by dlnt of their internal organiza-
tlon, are proving that so-called re-
Hglous barriers vanish overnight
When men belonging to a dozen
olflerent races and creeds get down
to fighting for common aim.
The brigade 1 visited comprises
one battalion of Ghukas, one
British and one Indian. This par
tition is not segregation but it is
the easiest Way of overcoming
language difficulties. The Indian
battalion includes Punjabis, Mah-
rattas, Dogras, that's and Pathans.
Hindus and Moslems bunk. eat and
The brigade trains as a single
unit and it is ready to 90 into
action on a uniform ration basis.
When Indians, GhurkaS and British
TommleS drop behind enemy lines
In potential war theaters ranging
from Burma to occupied Europe.
there will be no time for fnicky
feelings.
The entire brigade was enlisted
IN India. The British battalion
alone includes men from At different
units. Thirtyhve battalions are
represented among the Indians.
Among the troopers are chunky
tousel-haired Yorkshiremen, 6-foot
Ghurkas and jaunty, muscular Hin
dus.
When volunteers first were called
the Indian Army could have supplied
enough men for hundreds of such
brtgades. The volunteer rate prob
ably was the highest in the world
When the Ghurka regiments pa
raded and would-be parachutists
were invited to advance the tradi-
tional one pace, the entire battalion
stepped forward. Recruiting off,
GERS had real headache in trying
to weed out the volunteers despite
most rigorous physical and intelli-
gence tests.
BY the time probationers survive
ordeals like swimming so yards with
a tommy gun and full equipment
and learn to master the telegraph
code, celestial navigation and bush
lore, they have become tough re-
sourceful bunch. Only two proba-
TONERS failed to survive the first
test jump and they were so air
sick they did not know What they
were doing. This is probably the
lowest refusal" rate ever recorded
In paratroop formation.
What ATTRACTS the Indians, who
have seldom seen an airplane and
have never flown, is not the extra
pay, because many non-coms took
temporary reduction in rank
when they transferred Some of the
Ghurkas from the more remote
Himalayan foothills imagined they
were being trained as pilots and
they were temporarily chagrined
when they merely were asked to
Jump. The most typical comment
among the Ghurkas is: II joined
because it is more fun" The In
dams say: "It is more interesting
than foot slogeing or just moving
in trucks" The British Tommies
say: 'It seemed the quickest way
of getting at the enemy
The main crouch of both the
Ghurkas and Indians is that their
relatives will not believe them when
they return to their home villages
on leave. Even the village elders
who have seen planes are skeptical
about parachutes. Most of the
villagers imagine the parachute
yarn is a tall story concealing a
military secret.
Plausible Explanation.
Il just tell my wife we were
selected to kill twice as many OF
the enemy as any one else" one
Ghurka told me with a confidential
grin. She's satisfied he added.
The Indians share three main
meals daily instead of the two GUS
tomary in the Indian Army and
their meat ration is bigger. The
men are encouraged to mix good
proportion cf wheat With rice in
their diet. The aim is a well-bal-
anced fare, approximating the type
which might be procured when
paratroops are obliged to live of
the country" Units often are sent
out into surrounding areas with in
structions to obtain food and trans
portation as they would If they were
In enemy territory. They are trained
to stalk and shoot deer, wild pigs
and rabbits.
The entire brigade with its planes
Is shunted about to all parts OF
India to accord them maximum ex-
perience in all types Of terrain and
climate. When a recruit satisfac-
torily has completed the requisite
number Of training jumps emitting
r I'm to wear the coveted white para