Indian bravery showcased in Brighton museum

Sussex’s Brighton Museum and Art Gallery held an exhibition of photographs and letters to mark the 100th anniversary of World War I, from July 12, 2014, to March 1, 2015.

The bravery of Indian soldiers and their sacrifices were highlighted in a special section. A fascinating account of how the Royal Pavilion was converted into a military hospital for wounded soldiers was told through pictures. Between December 1914 and January 1916, this museum was used exclusively to treat Indian soldiers wounded while serving on the western front. It is estimated that over 4,000 Indian and Gurkha soldiers were treated here during that period.

Lending credence to the Indian section was a letter written by an Indian soldier to his family in Haryana from Brighton. The letter was discovered by Jody East, the Curator of Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, at the Haryana Academy of History and Culture.