Sikh Faces of the First World War: Siege Survivor.
This full length portrait of Subedar Indar Singh of the 76th Punjabis was taken in August 1919 - just months before the cessation of the Great War.
On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the 76th Punjabis were dispatched to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal.
They arrived in Mesopotamia and took part in the Battle of Shaiba, where the Turkish counter-attack was repulsed.
The regiment participated in the operations in Persian Arabistan along the River Euphrates, which led to the capture of Nasiriyah and in the 6th Indian Division's advance towards Baghdad.
It fought in the Battle of Ctesiphon and then retired towards Kut al Amara, where it was besieged by the Turks with the rest of the 6th Division.
The besieged men resolutely resisted all Turkish attempts to overwhelm the defences of Kut al Amara, but the regiment suffering 171 casualties during the 150 days long siege.
After the failure of the British to relieve them, the starving garrison of Kut was forced to surrender on 29 April 1916.
The 76th Punjabis became prisoners of war and suffered terrible privations during their long captivity.
Out of the 341 officers men present with the regiment at the commencement of the siege in December 1915, 72 died during the siege, while another 101 died during the captivity.
In December 1918, 208 Kut prisoners returned to the battalion after their release from Turkish captivity.
The 1st Battalion 76th Punjabis took part in the Third Afghan War of 1919, while the 2nd Battalion served in Waziristan during 1919-20.
Join us in uncovering more stories and supporting and assisting our research as UKPHA embarks on an exciting new project 'Empire, Faith & War: The Sikhs and World War One'.
Picture Credit: CAFHR. Click here.