History — Women of World War II
The Tale Of Conflicting Regiments: Indian Women in WWII
While the Women Auxillary Corps was aiding the British army in overthrowing the Axis, there was the Rani of Jhansi Regiment trying to abolish the British rule
When we think about World War II, our thoughts are immediately reverted to the Nazis, Jews, Hitler, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I was no different. Then it struck me that even India had participated in the World War as a colony of the British.
Here are a few exceptional albeit underrated Indian women who were a part of the Women Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS), an Indian counterpart of Women Royal Naval Service (officially known as WRENS), aiding the British army in stopping the Axis (the diplomatic effort by Germany, Italy, and Japan)…
…And another all-women regiment (falling under the Indian National Army) under Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, called the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, aiming to overthrow British Rule in India.
So why do I call it conflicting?
Because the Rani of Jhansi Regiment (a part of the Indian National Army) was in cohorts with the Japanese to end the British Raj (Rule of Britain).
[This part awe-struck me because on one side they were fighting for the Allies and on the other with the Axis]
The Rani Of Jhansi Regiment
Before we see what this regiment was about, let’s look at the Indian National Army. An armed-force army, Indian National Army was formed in the year 1942 by the joint venture of Nethaji Subash Chandra Bose and the Japanese Imperial.
Initially, it was formed in Singapore to overthrow the British Rule by combat as they felt the non-violence movement by Gandhiji was not as effective.
The Rani of Jhansi regiment was announced by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in July 1943 with female NRI (Non-Resident Indian) volunteers in Singapore. The Regiment was (of course) named after Jhansi Rani with about 170 cadets initially. Later, it was extended to Rangoon and Bangkok, amassing approximately three hundred cadets by November.
“She (Jhansi Rani) is a wonderful woman, very brave, and determined. It is fortunate for us that the men (her men) are not at all like her,” wrote Cornet Combe of the 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry.
The name was to impart valor, and perseverance displayed by Rani Lakshmi Bai to every Indian woman.
Training
The women were divided into either Non-Commissioned or Sepoys (Professional Indian Infantry Women) based on their educational qualifications.
The cadets were trained in military and combat, handling weapons like hand grenades, rifles, and some were even given advanced Jungle Training. They also had route marches. The Regiment had a passing out parade (completion of the course in the military) with a troop of 500 on 30 March 1944.
Two hundred of the cadets were trained in nursing and formed the Chand Bibi Nursing Corps.
Battle Of Imphal
The Imphal campaign took place at Imphal, capital of Manipur, India. INA (Indian National Army) had planned to invade Imphal along with the Japanese troop to put an end to the Allies.
A hundred troops from Rani of Jhansi regiment were deployed to Maymyo to provide a vanguard unit to enter the Gangetic plains after the Imphal invasion, and another part formed a nursing unit at the INA hospital at the same place.
However, the siege was a disaster for INA and Japan.
While the Battle of Imphal was a triumphant one for the Allies, the Japanese Imperial suffered badly, with many soldiers dying of starvation, disease, and exhaustion from the retreat.
Though the Regiment fought bravely, the battle was a lost cause. The Rani of Jhansi regiment, after the defeat, was used for coordinating relief and providing medical support and was not used in combat.
The unit was later disabled.
Women Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS)
Established in January 1944, Women Royal Indian Naval Service was the naval wing of Women’s Auxillary Corps (WAC, India). It was inaugurated to help men “offshore”. These women became the symbol of independence for Indian women by subverting the rules of patriarchy.
Though they did not directly participate in combat, they helped in clerical and clinical jobs; decoding secret messages; maintaining equipment.
Notable WRINS
One of the most notable officers of WRINS was Second Officer Kalyani Sen. She was the first Indian servicewoman to be invited to United Kingdoms. She was invited around the year 1945, for the comparative study on training and administration in the WRNS.
“In India, there is still a big prejudice against girls and women working with men…but the women are so keen to get into the Services that they are breaking it down,” — Kalyani Sen
If you look in the image, you can see that Officer Sen had draped a saree. This is a perfect example of how women embraced modern ideologies while upholding Indian culture.
Another was the independent and headstrong Chief Petty Officer Moina Imam, who was in a Catholic school during the war. Her father was a renowned Government Official, Seyed Hafeez Imam.
Recognizing her family name, the recruiter informed her father, who didn’t know she had joined WRINS. Despite the opposition, she managed to place her foothold firmly in WRINS.
With the Japanese invasion imminent, these women fought for their nation, wading across gender inequality and the caste system.
WACs and WRINS were the first and the only units of women to participate in non-medical sectors of Indian Armed Forces until the year 1992.
One Other Notable Indian Woman In WWII
She was neither the part of WRINS nor the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, but her sacrifice was magnificent nonetheless.
Indian Spy Princess Noor Inayat Khan was a descent of Mysore King Tipu Sultan and was executed in Nazi ruled France. She was an Indian-born British spy who was a part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). She was captured by the Nazis and tortured for relaying information to the British Government.
Despite being a soft-spoken and demure woman, she refused to divulge any information related to war and was, finally, executed. Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1949, and a French Croix de Guerre with a silver star (avec étoile de vermeil).
At the time when women were expected to sire children and manage families, these women broke barriers as they stood for their ideals and nation. These women proved that nothing is impossible if we put a mind to it.
