The latest article from “Beyond the World War II We Know,” a series from The Times that documents lesser-known stories from the war, recounts the sacrifices of colonial forces, particularly British-backed Indian troops who fought not only the Axis powers, but also their compatriots. They fought in every theater of World War II, from North Africa to Europe and as far east as Hong Kong. And they formed the largest volunteer force in history. The colonial forces that dotted the battle maps of World War II were crucial for the Allies to fill out their ranks and keep up their momentum. “I always say, Britain didn’t fight the Second World War, the British Empire did,” said Yasmin Khan, a historian at Oxford University and author of “The Raj at War.”

Source: The North Africa Journal September 01, 2020 09:00 UTC