“Indian soldiers were the bravest of the brave. It was an honour to command them,” says Major Tom Conway (retd), 98, one of the last surviving British officers who had commanded Indian soldiers. “I volunteered to join the Indian Army in Egypt. I had read Rudyard Kipling and I was also impressed from the tales of valour of the Indian soldiers,” he says. In the 18th century, most of the soldiers in the Army used to be from the Southern parts,” he says.

Source: Hindustan Times October 24, 2016 05:26 UTC