Tura, Mehhalaya: In 1917, when the world was in the midst of war, a thousand Garo tribesmen were recruited to the 69th Garo Labour Corps and despatched to France to help the Allied forces in construction, transportation, and salvage. Thursday marked the 97th anniversary of their return.
Historian Milton Sangma, who researched the Garo Labour Corps states, “The soldiers displayed courage and bravery during the World War I and got international recognition. The recruits won acclaim of the Allied commanders in France”.
During April 1917, in response to the Deputy Commissioner’s call for enlistment in the Labour Corps, 1000 men were recruited from various places across Garo Hills. This corps was to be the 69th Garo Labour Company.
The men were stationed in Tura for almost four months due to delay in receiving orders. During this period many of the recruits suffered from various diseases. By the time the Corps left Tura for France in August 1917, only about 500 of them were declared fit to move to France. Some of these recruits died en route the long 5000 kilometre journey across the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and according to some records, only 456 of them reached France
In October 1917, the Garos were stationed at Puisieux. A week later they were doing salvage work at Bucquoy. In November 1917, they moved to La Chapelette and on to Brusle.
At the end of the war, on May 25, 1918, the men of the Garo Labour Corps were sent home via the port of to Marseilles. Of the 456 who left the Garo hills, 120 men returned to Tura on July 16, 1918.
As they were officially released at Gauhati, some of them got down there, some at Goalpara district stations and some at Garobadha while only 120 men actually arrived at Tura.
A total of 58 men died. One died while the recruits were still camping at Tura, one at Garden Reach, Calcutta, one on boarding the ship at Alexandria and 55 men in France. The names of these men find a place in the Cenotaph that was erected in Lower Bapupara in Tura to commemorate the Corps. The day of their return from France – 16th July, is solemnly observed every year as the Garo Labour Corps Day in remembrance.
The Garo labourers were a part of the war effort for almost two years. Their main work was to load and unload logs and wooden planks and dig trenches and build barricades.
Their heroism was commemorated at a memorial function held at Lower Babupara locality, where the cenotaph built in the memory of the brave Garo soldiers stands tall. The 96th Garo Labour Corps Day was observed with a gun salute, followed by the laying of wreaths and singing of patriotic songs.
Altogether 74,123 persons recruited by the Indian Corps died in World War I and 91,464 during World War II. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a list of all the Indians who died during the wars. Most were from the Northeast and enlisted in the Indian Labour Corps.
-Prepared by intern Tanushree from Media reports
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A rare piece of information. Garo tribes in the war effort. There may be other tribes also involved. Maybe we can read about them as well? Keep up the good work. I would like to read some articles on music and films…as well.