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:''For other periods see Indian Army (1895–1947)'' The Indian Army began the war, in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.〔Sumner, p.25〕 By the end of the war it had become the largest volunteer army in history, rising to over 2.5 million men in August 1945.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Commonwealth War Graves Commission Report on India 2007–2008 )〕 Serving in divisions of infantry, armour and a fledgling airborne force, they fought on three continents in Africa, Europe and Asia.〔 The Indian Army fought in Ethiopia against the Italian Army, in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia against both the Italian and German Army, and, after the Italian surrender, against the German Army in Italy. However, the bulk of the Indian Army was committed to fighting the Japanese Army, first during the British defeats in Malaya and the retreat from Burma to the Indian border; later, after resting and refitting for the victorious advance back into Burma, as part of the largest British Empire army ever formed. These campaigns cost the lives of over 36,000 Indian servicemen, while another 34,354 were wounded, and 67,340 became prisoners of war.〔Sumner, p.23〕 Their valour was recognised with the award of some 4,000 decorations, and 38 members of the Indian Army were awarded the Victoria Cross or the George Cross. Field-Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from 1942 asserted that the British "couldn't have come through both wars (War I and II ) if they hadn't had the Indian Army."〔http://www.cwgc.org/foreverindia/context/indian-army-in-2nd-world-war.php〕〔http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/article1433642.ece?service=print〕 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also paid tribute to "The unsurpassed bravery of Indian soldiers and officers."〔 ==Background== In 1939 the Indian Army was an experienced force, having fought in the Third Afghan War and two major campaigns in Waziristan, during 1919–1920 and 1936–1939 and in smaller disputes on the North West Frontier since the First World War. There was no shortage of manpower to call upon, but the army did suffer from a shortage of skilled technical personnel. The conversion of the cavalry force into a mechanized tank force had only just begun and was hampered by the inability to supply adequate numbers of tanks and armoured vehicles. In 1939, British officials had no plan for expansion and training of Indian forces, which comprised about 130,000 men (In addition there were 44,000 men in British units in India in 1939.). Their mission was internal security and defense against a possible Russian threat through Afghanistan. As the war progressed, the size and role of the Indian Army expanded dramatically, and troops were sent to battle fronts as soon as possible. The most serious problem was lack of equipment.〔Kaushik Roy, "Expansion And Deployment of the Indian Army during World War II: 1939-45,"''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Autumn 2010, Vol. 88 Issue 355, pp 248-268〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Indian Army during World War II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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