In view of all the hoo-ha about the BNP, I watched Question Time tonight. Jack Straw made mention of the Indian troops buried at Peronne. It turns out he has got something right. The graves are: UK 207, Australia 49, New Zealand 1, India 320.

This is the bit I don't understand. Peronne town was occupied by British troops on the 18th March, 1917, lost on the 23rd March, 1918, and regained on the 1st September, 1918. Prior to that it was in German hands throughout. Indian infantry fought well to the north in 1914/15 and were then all posted away from France, leaving just some cavalry that were little used. I'm not aware that any Indian troops took part in The Somme. How did the Indians get to Peronne, and who were they?

Any illumination much appreciated.

Indian cavalry remained until late 17/early 18, and were heavily involved in the latter stages of the Cambrai offensive; the Mhow Brigade, for example, taking part in some fierce fighting.

I suspect, also, that a lot of Indian non-combatants remained.

Possibly the burials at Peronne are Cambrai-related?

Without checking the CWGC website, I wonder if it could be a concentration cemetery for the Cambrai area?

Ron

From CWGC:

"The 34th Casualty Clearing Station was at La Chapelette in April-July 1917; the 55th for a short time in April, and the 48th in May; the Lucknow from May 1917, to March 1918; the 53rd and the 12th for short periods in September 1918. In the spring of 1918 the Germans made eleven burials in the two cemeteries; three Italian graves of this period have been removed. There are now 577, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site, 6 of which are unidentified."

The Indian graves probably date from the Lucknow CCS being there.