Colonial Troops Saving Their Masters - WW2 Special

Without the incredible support and sacrifice of troops from British and French colonies, the Allies would be having an even harder time withstanding the Axis onslaught. This episode looks at their formation and their fighting style.
Join us on Patreon: / timeghosthistory
Or join The TimeGhost Army directly at: timeghost.tv
Check out our TimeGhost History KZbin Channel: kzbin.info?s...
Follow WW2 day by day on Instagram @ww2_day_by_day - / ww2_day_by_day
Like us on Facebook: / timeghosthistory
Between 2 Wars: • Between 2 Wars
Source list: bit.ly/WW2sources
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Markus Linke and Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Markus Linke
Edited by: Miki Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Miki Cackowski, Eastory ( / eastory )
Colorizations by:
Daniel Weiss
Mikołaj Uchman
Sources:
Photo of French Saharan troops (1932), courtesy of Acln commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Archives du département du Rhône et de la métropole de Lyon
The New York Public Library - Digital Collections
USMC Archives
IWM E 11584, CBM 2264, E 6605, IND 2864, IND 2290, K 1385
Picture of Sudanese Defense Force near Kufra Oasis, courtesy of Major PJ Hurman
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound
Johannes Bornlof - Deviation In Time
Hakan Eriksson - Epic Adventure Theme 3
Phoenix Tail - At the Front
Philip Ayers - The Unexplored
Johannes Bornlof - The Inspector 4
Fabien Tell - Weapon of Choice
Reynard Seidel - Deflection
Fabien Tell - Other Sides of Glory
Philip Ayers - Please Hear Me Out
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters www.screenocean.com.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

[@WorldWarTwo]

As regular viewers will know, we try to give the most complete picture of World War Two possible by diving into the multitude of people that took part and seeing it from their unique perspective. This episode is part of that effort, looking at the colonial troops who fought on the side of their imperial administrators. In a different way, our On the Homefront series is also part of that effort, and we are happy to announce that we have just got started with it again. Check out the latest episode here where Anna looks at the changing role of the Geisha in wartime Japanese society: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYqWeoypg6hkja8 Before commenting, read our rules of engagement: community.timeghost.tv/t/rules-of-conduct/4518

[@QuizmasterLaw]

TEAR EYE YOUR damnit Indy. Either speak like American or get it right.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

How do you pronounce Tirailleur, which btw literally means shooter? Not like Indy, that's for sure!

[@peoplesrepublicofliberland5606]

Mate, The USA used Puerto Rican, Hawaiians, Filipinos etc.... in their army you guy's plan to do video on that?

[@wyvernmorgan1717]

Hey, if you want to pronounce "tirailleur" a bit better =P. Just say it as "tirayer", you don't pronounce the L =)

[@davesimms8825]

Have you thought about doing something on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the islands just south of Newfoundland and invasion by the free French after the fall of France

[@amadeusamwater]

Indian troops were active in Malaysia, Singapore, North Africa and Italy. Those fellows really got around.

[@JJJBunney001]

Most British colonial troops did, they kicked a lot of ass all over the world for a conflict that didn't really have much to do with them. Mad respect to all Colonial troops who volunteered to join a conflict they didn't have to

[@Critic224]

Care to tell this to English Defense League

[@niranjansrinivasan4042]

Well indians fought themselves both in axis and allied sides in battle for Imphal and Kohima. They were in waffen ss too.

[@dchegu]

I think u meant Malaya. As malaysia does not exist during WW2

[@dopplereffect4278]

@@niranjansrinivasan4042 True, I fell like a lot of western viewers like to romanticize this aspect if colonial history. Yes, it turned out that Nazi Germany was the scum of the Earth Genocidal regime, but this idea of colonial troops "saving their masters" is extremely demeaning to me as an Indian. Just a cursory glimpse of history will tell you that most local governments made deals with the colonials for limited independence in return for providing European countries help during the war.

[@vonsprague7913]

My Uncle Staff Sergeant Gordon Jones, Royal Engineers, British Army was a Chindit. He served alongside many African soldiers and upon returning to the UK always praised their strength and fortitude. Experiences like this and getting to know the people broke down racism and created understanding as only the ignorant could not respect what these men did for us.

[@Sandwich13455]

Racism instantly pops like a balloon as soon as a conversation is struck up,I'm not sure racism exists in the way our overlords shamelessly propagandise every hour of every day on the telly!(if you still watch that nonsense,but it's pushed in every form of media.

[@vonsprague7913]

@@Sandwich13455 I don't have a telly lol, but fb carry the agenda well too. I agree to a point and most of the agenda is to divide the poor against each other there are people of all colours that buy into it though. All it requires is ignorance.

[@guywerry6614]

My father-in-law (Canadian, eh) served in the air force in the India/Burma theatre of operations, based out of India. He was DEEPLY affected by the poverty that he saw there and HATED the wastage of food.

[@Briselance]

Von Sprague Well, when bullets fly, the skin colour of the bloke wearing the same uniform next to you matters not even a rodent's behind.

[@vonsprague7913]

@@Briselance that's true buddy only army green.

[@antsleepless]

Virgin Frenchman general: We give up 😭 An actual Chad: Vive la République et vive la France! 🇫🇷

[@theamici]

rofl

[@medyfresh1909]

True Chads

[@brotlowskyrgseg1018]

The virgin Vichy France vs the chad Chad

[@MrAizatazmi]

@@brotlowskyrgseg1018 I like it when it rhymes

[@mbathroom1]

lol

[@indianajones4321]

The Italian Army also made use of colonial troops in the North and East Africa Campaigns during WW2. Still great job WW2 team!

[@BoqPrecision]

Correct...Somali and Eritrean Ascaris were used in the occupation of Ethiopia.

[@indianajones4321]

@@BoqPrecision and Libyan Colonial troops were used in Egypt during Italy’s 1940 offensive

[@le_travie7724]

They've mentioned this before.

[@BoqPrecision]

@@indianajones4321 and on the reverse side, alot of Africa's 20th century leaders and dictators first forayed into the modern world as colonial troops for Britain...for eg Idi Amin of Uganda started off as a colonial soldier in the King's African Rifles.

[@TheMurmuringGolem]

"British and French" only discussed in this episode

[@00mongoose]

As a sudanese, its nice to hear a bit about our place in the war. I started watching with east Africa episodes, which were among the allies first real victory.

[@mayorgeneralramirez1997]

How are you doing?

[@kartikpatel6703]

It’s about time someone gives Indians and other colonial forces credit in WW2. In America, they are almost never mentioned in history class. Thank you for doing this series and all your hard work!

[@lycaonpictus9662]

The US has its own "colonial" troops as well that were heavily engaged at the front. Though the political process to establish the Philippines as an independent nation was underway prior to the Second World War, that process had been interrupted by the Japanese invasion. Many of the troops fiercely resisting the Japanese invasion during the recent weekly episodes were Filipinos. After the fall of the Philippines a great deal of these troops will escape captivity and form the nucleus of an active guerilla movement. If you follow the channel's instagram posts, you might have read about the last horse cavalry charge in US military history, when elements of the 26th Cavalry (Philippine Scouts) successfully charged and repulsed numerically superior Japanese infantry during a meeting engagement. The 26th Cavalry was composed of Filipino enlisted men and American officers. The lieutenant that commanded the charge, Edwin Ramsey, described it in his book Lieutenant Ramsey's War: From Horse Soldier to Guerrilla Commander... "I brought my arm down and yelled to my men to charge. Bent nearly prone across the horses’ necks, we flung ourselves at the Japanese advance, pistols firing full into their startled faces. A few returned our fire, but most fled in confusion, some wading back into the river, others running madly for the swamps. To them we must have seemed a vision from another century, wild-eyed horses pounding headlong; cheering, whooping men firing from the saddles.”

[@TheLocalLt]

@@lycaonpictus9662 yes and America only returned to the Philippines for a year or so before granting independence

[@adriantsui9566]

It makes sense that an American history book would focus on Americans, and other major countries second. Colonies would be reasonably last mentioned, if even at all. While they did exist and participate in the war, it's just not a major part of American history and involvement.

[@lycaonpictus9662]

@@adriantsui9566 Part of the issue as well, at least if discussing education short of anything university level, is that teachers often have to cover a ton of history in a single year. A world history class might be starting with Bronze Age civilizations and ending the fall of the Soviet Union & the end of the Cold War, or something similar. So each individual event, like the Second World War, is only going to be covered in the basics. It might get a week devoted to it before moving on to the Cold War.

[@abnerdoon4902]

@@adriantsui9566 With that logic, it makes sense why a lot of Americans would think that they singlehandedly saved the world in WW2.

[@cyberthrall]

Anyone else feel like we haven't seen the guy who rates indy's ties in these comments recently? Or is it just me

[@awrybowtie5591]

You have to scroll down but he's still here :-)

[@PMMagro]

He might be tied up somewhere?

[@exeggcutertimur6091]

Take your dang thumbs up and bugger off!

[@andypants1000]

He re-tie-erd

[@philip8498]

@@PMMagro just when i thought terrible jokes couldnt fall lower ypu hand me a fucking shovel. Take your like and never returm please

[@ericjohnson1289]

Are we going to see a special on the French Foreign Legion and its role in World War 2 in Africa?

[@QuizmasterLaw]

I'm sure at some point they will do the DBLE in Africa and they did mention the Legion at Norway.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaiTeJ-fptOaqKM

[@thebichocr7659]

Hope so

[@12pacon]

@@QuizmasterLaw A full special would be nice, there are some pretty epic story in there ...

[@QuizmasterLaw]

@@12pacon they do have a patreon page you can make requests!

[@shatterquartz]

Glad to see Indy mention Félix Eboué. His role was critical in getting the ball rolling in favor of the Free French in Africa. Coincidentally, he had been appointed as governor of Chad by Georges Mandel, whose own unsuccessful attempt to continue the struggle was mentioned at the beginning of the video. He was the first Black colonial governor and a symbol in his own right.

[@mrsupremegascon]

Well even if it wasn't the norm. African politician in France was not rare and could be seen in the French Parliament on in minister directly after the African colonisation. For example, I think that the Minister of the Colonies during WW1 were a Senegalese guy.

[@xouxoful]

Mandel and his allies seeking to continue the fight overseas were really badly treated by Vichy government : prosecuted as « traitors » and put in jail or even assassinated.

[@waardlafrance110]

The funny thing is that after the third republic, it will take decades to see people of non-European origin again in high public positions, at the same time there are also very few people of poor origin in these positions, so we can think of nepotism as a base of the problem.

[@Cybonator]

Fun Fact: Idi Amin joined the King's African Rifles

[@berniemorales9072]

He ate fellow soldiers that's why he got big...

[@belbrighton6479]

That is interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@marcushodgson6908]

You know you’ll win when Chad defies the orders of Vichy

[@mojowwwav4357]

As an aboriginal Australian we weren't allowed to serve, still some lied and got in, my great great grandfather was labourer in far north Queensland and New Guinea.

[@shyamchabra5355]

Racism still exists in the Australian Defence Forces.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Just another addition the Indian army was the largest volunteer army in world history

[@Bors9]

that's nothing compared to soviet army which mobilized almost 35 millions

[@Realkeepa-et9vo]

@@Bors9 The Red Army was drafted, the Indian Army was a volunteer force

[@gopireddevil]

@@Bors9 Wasnt volunteer. Soviets had conscription.

[@Bors9]

@@Realkeepa-et9vo i am aware of the info

[@MrNicoJac]

@@Bors9 If you're aware of the info, then why make a stupid comment? Like, not to be mean, just stating the fact. He said 'it's the biggest apple.' And then you say 'apples are smaller than pumpkins.' Well.... yeah? But he wasn't talking about pumpkins...! That's like me saying "ha, 35 million? That's nothing, the US has 330 million inhabitants today!" That's just a fucking stupid response to what you said 😂

[@benjaminhamel5280]

fun fact: in Quebec we still say ''Se tirrailler'' to mean '' to bicker/squabble''

[@jaojao1768]

Interesting! A bit like how "acting like a zouave" means acting silly in French

[@ICULooking]

heille salut salut

[@rodiguezelio2707]

As a French I have an immense respect for those people who fought for a country that not only wasn't theirs but also that mistreated them.

[@Altrantis]

France seems to have a soft spot for Chad. I wonder if it's because they were the first to join the free french.

[@augustin5611]

Respect yourself, your country and those men who fought for her, mate ! France was the country of those people. Roads, scools and hospital where built, they spoke french and where proud of it. Conquest in the early and mid XIXs was brutal but the mistreatment in Africa where never as harsh as under the Brit' or the Italian.

[@Gravelgratious]

@@augustin5611 Quit whitewashing history and accept that France has blood on its hands. You slap the victims of colonial French policy which was in all form brutal. Scholl, hospitals, roads, and graves. You are a coward for believing otherwise. France was the invader and conqueror of those places, they just beat Germany to the punch. You just want to pretend that the atrocities in Madagascar, Algeria, and Indo-China went overlooked. Which they didn't the people of those nations resisted fought and killed French troops in drove after WW2 in fierce determination to never be slaves to France again. France is also covered in shit like every other place.

[@baldviking1970]

That was how empires worked, and had always worked, for millenias. In our days of nationalism, anti-imperialism and self determination that is often difficult to understand. How people look at this will always change, I suppose, as we have had other periods in history where empires have fallen too.

[@cyberthrall]

@@augustin5611 are you french? Be honest

[@kemarisite]

Max Hastings tells the story of Private Kewku Pong, a soldier from the Gold Coast in Burma. Wounded and left for dead during a Japanese attack, he found an abandoned Bren gun and kept firing until overcome by blood loss. He was barely alive when the British recovered the position the next day, still clutching the butt of his gun. He received the Military Medal for his actions, and I'd guess that's equivalent to something like the Silver Star in US service.

[@cliffordvogle1957]

Never been close to the top before on comments. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate what you guys do. Your videos have saved me on some dark nights. Keep up the good work!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you - we're glad to be your nightlight!

[@noahswanigan9350]

^^Same. Favorite channel hands down

[@jonasmejerpedersen4847]

im sorry but, how? how can you become more happy by learning about horrible atrocities?

[@noahswanigan9350]

@@jonasmejerpedersen4847 It's perhaps the largest, densest, most intense and relevant chapter not only of modern, but human history as a whole. It's absolutely fascinating to see the extremes of what we're capable of in EVERY way, not just the worst of the worst.

[@jonasmejerpedersen4847]

@@noahswanigan9350 i know, im also interested in history, but i think it would make me more depressed to watch, the war against humanity. its something i watch, not because i really want to, but because it is mandatory, i think, to learn about the terrible events of war

[@davidpeniel7168]

My Grandfather fought in Burma. The British never paid him and when they protested they were shot at in 1948 in Accra. Riots happened and it indirectly led to our independence on the 6th of March 1957. Today. Died in 2018 and I'm still proud of him

[@gianniverschueren870]

That is one tapestry of a tie, Indy! 4/5

[@elektrotehnik94]

My man, what is with the KZbin algorithm... I had to scroll down multiple pages to find your beautiful comment!

[@josiahbarmore7990]

I always look for your tie ratings Gianni. You feel like a part of the channel with how reliable you are lol

[@gianniverschueren870]

@@josiahbarmore7990 I try my best

[@dezbiggs6363]

Yea it took me a while to find your comment to. More people gotta comment under yours to bump it up

[@gianniverschueren870]

@@dezbiggs6363 It's kind of crazy to think you all are actively looking for my comments.

[@kingofflamingos4344]

A Somalian friend of mine once told me his grandfather served in the italo Ethiopian war under Italy with colonial troops and even in North Africa until they lost it.

[@ijumaainjabulo5983]

But his thread is a bunch of white people celebtating Africans for fighting to save white people. But you guys would never want ur kids to fight to save black people. White people haven’t changed

[@factsbykidd4765]

Sucks, Ethiopians and Somalians are so divided today because of those wars and the borders drawn beforehand

[@allengreene9954]

@@factsbykidd4765. Eritreans too.

[@RemzofFrance]

My grand father, Colonel Bruge, was an "Infanterie Coloniale" officer, first a camel-mounted mehariste, then during world war two a Senegalese Tirailleurs captain. Stationed in Niger in 1942, he joined the Free French when the Allies landed in Algeria. He told me in details his war in Tunisia, Isle of Elba and finally the landings in Southern France in August 1944. I shall comment a lot when he gets in action at the end of this year!

[@tonniebaumeister]

Moroccans were 60% of the French army. Though they were not allowed to join the victory marches in Paris. Moroccans were replaced by white French and Spanish "soldiers" who perhaps could not even carry the rifle. So that is why the white Christian soldiers are registered as heroic and Moroccans would have done relatively more misdeeds. Journalists alongside the road at the fancy victory parade asked the "heroic boys". How was it at the front? Who commited the misdeeds? Off course the white lads did the heroic part and all those muslim "Untermenschen" from Africa commited the misdeeds. It is all so mean and unfair!!!

[@RemzofFrance]

@@tonniebaumeister No. inaccurate and emotional. There were four « indigenous » divisions. Algerian, Tunisian, Moroccan and Sub-Saharan Africans. The Americans asked Leclerc 2nd armoured division not to have black troops in Paris, true. In the South the Senegalese - Africans from all the French colonies were replaced by local resistants when the temperature dropped below minus 27 Celsius. All this explained in History books.

[@tonniebaumeister]

@@RemzofFrance Can you mention a site? I had many sources in which Charles de Gaulle wanted a true French corps. But it is Disgusting that the USA banned the black. Coming August (80 years) this should be mentioned in the parades.

[@Knihti1]

Félix Éboué, what a CHAD!

[@edubadia6423]

Will you do a video about Axis Colonial troops like Koreans in the Japanese Imperial Army or Lybians on Italian Army ? (Idk if Lybians were allowed on an Italian Army).

[@indianajones4321]

Italy actually did have colonial troops from Libya and Eritrea. I think that during Italy’s initial offensive into Egypt in 1940, the Libyan Colonial troops preformed better when compared to the regular Italian Army.

[@edubadia6423]

@@indianajones4321 That's good I didn't know it thx.

[@stc3145]

They really should do one on Korea

[@barryirlandi4217]

Please

[@harshsawant1416]

@@stc3145 and Manchuria!

[@perfectlyfine1675]

This episode could also be called "Indy struggling-ish with French names for half of a special episode"

[@m.a.118]

At least he tries man. A lot of other youtubers just translate or lazily butcher it. As a Quebecer, I respect when a non native try to speak a bit of French since it isn't easy.

[@sergehorion7155]

Indy did better than most in this regard. Chapeau bas, Indy!

[@martijn9568]

How many languages does the TimeGhost team speak??

[@leeboy26]

@@m.a.118 The French often say the same thing when Quebecers try to speak it, too...

[@WorldWarTwo]

@@leeboy26 between us we speak a dozen languages. Indy is native in English and speaks fully fluent Swedish, and decent Spanish. Spartacus is native bilingual in English and Swedish, and speaks accent free French since childhood, and close to accent free German.

[@haldon12]

Great video - would love to see a special on the Philippine Scouts and other Filipino units, as well as the units raised by Japan as part of her empire (the Army of Manchukuo, the Indian National Army, the Burma Independence Army and other such groups, particularly the labor corps that exposed the naked imperialism and racism behind the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere).

[@dopplereffect4278]

With a video title like that - "saving their Masters [YIKES]", I'm not sure they will cover that aspect of history. As an Indian, I would have loved to see a more nuanced take from Indy, but it is what it is.

[@tams805]

@@dopplereffect4278 It's one video and under imperial rule they pretty much were their masters (enough of the colonisers certainly thought of themselves that way). Although it should be said that many colonial soldiers were also volunteers. And the fact is, it was the Allies that had the largest empires, so had the most colonial troops. The episode was pretty long as it was. So they might make one covering the Axis colonial/conquered countries troops. Therefore it's a but rich of you to call the World War team out like that.

[@bythebeardofmatt]

This channel is so good at providing in-depth insight on interesting topics I never knew I wanted to learn more about!

[@WorldWarTwo]

We're glad you like it!

[@mightoftradition5586]

@@WorldWarTwo Sir can you do a vedio about the free indian legion? The axis army of india under Hitler and Tojo?

[@dbzfanexwarbrady]

French Chad , no matter the colour is always a Chad

[@waardlafrance110]

No, he is french guyana, you have read his biography ?

[@stevekaczynski3793]

4:13 - American soldier with US flag stitched to upper sleeve. In Operation Torch, the Americans were keen not to be taken for British troops, who were not popular with Vichy French after Mers El Kebir.

[@amienabled6665]

On the topic of africa, I've always wondered what was life like for the natives in north africa between 1940 - 1943

[@HassanHassan-fx3kw]

From what I was told (since I'm a native and what we are studying) at that point the military resistance kinda ceased and a political one was growing, still people were resisting but cooperation with the allies was further solidified by a promise of independence after the war

[@mikeoddball4478]

it sucked....of course. jesus

[@allengreene9954]

@@mikeoddball4478. No it Sucked Ass.

[@diegos1325]

2:01 The magic wire at the right of Indy moving on its own!

[@MrNicoJac]

Hahaha, that's almost creepy 😅

[@sparkieT88]

the telephone is alive !!

[@howardbrandon11]

I wonder if that was caused by the cat that appeared in their Cuban Missile Crisis series.

[@elektrotehnik94]

This is what I came here for

[@walboyfredo6025]

Sad thing that during the post war era majority of WW2 movies didn't highlight th contribution of the Colonial Troops. What was overlooked was the Caribbean Defence Force. The only time that was ever mention was in the movie "Escape to Victory" to which the Football Legend Pele played a POW from Trinidad.

[@ijumaainjabulo5983]

It isn’t sad. It just highlights that they’re racist and black people were been used to fight their wars while still hating them.

[@AunknownMan]

I would have liked to know about Dutch colonial troops since nobody ever spoke about it. Nice video as always very informing. The colonies truly helped a lot.

[@tonniebaumeister]

Moroccans were 60% of the French army. Though they were not allowed to join the victory marches in Paris. Moroccans were replaced by white French and Spanish "soldiers" who perhaps could not even carry the rifle. So that is why the white Christian soldiers are registered as heroic and Moroccans would have done relatively more misdeeds. Journalists alongside the road at the fancy victory parade asked the "heroic boys". How was it at the front? Who commited the misdeeds? Off course the white lads did the heroic part and all those muslim "Untermenschen" from Africa commited the misdeeds. It is all so mean and unfair!!!

[@ethanhatcher5533]

I really like how this is doubling as a special in early Free French operations

[@Oldworldblues227]

Another Great special, when the war intensifies in the Solomon islands later on in the year can you please give mention to the Coastwatchers?

[@TheDavephillips]

The Coastwatchers, YES! I had a book by an Ozzie bloke who was a Coastwatcher, very brave and altogether a hero. Wish I still had the book or could remember the title, it might have been just "Coastwatcher", but alas my memory is going in my old age.

[@hojoj.1974]

The Coast Watcher codenamed, "Father Goose," is a tremendous story in and of itself... (wink, wink).

[@onthatrockhewillbuildhisch1510]

@@TheDavephillips "The Coastwatchers" by Eric Feldt. Cheers!

[@TheDavephillips]

@@onthatrockhewillbuildhisch1510 Thanks mate! I'm now ordering it from Amazon. I lent the book to someone years ago and never got it back, thanks to you I can now read it again. Cheers.

[@onthatrockhewillbuildhisch1510]

@@TheDavephillips You're welcome! The Coastwatchers were true heroes among WW2' "Spies" (Along with their brave indigenous helpers). Cheers!

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

"How are colonial troops formed?" Wel, when a mummy and daddy colonial love each other very much and have a special cuddle...

[@acrispywaffleiron4014]

They be fuckin'

[@johnkirk7397]

Days of Glory is good movie about african troops in the french army in WW2.

[@waardlafrance110]

wtf the commercial translation, lol this title is horrible ... The real title has 1 double sens, the title ok only is indigenous or nativ .... The title summarizes the 2 films

[@nevermindmeijustinjectedaw9988]

2 and a half million?! holy cow! smells like we need a few more extra episodes on the indian army

[@sufianansari4923]

Thanks Mr Nidell - amazing video

[@Heka41]

Great content as always, Indy is always on point

[@MarcBRUNET-un4sh]

Indy, excellent accent français ! Bravo pour l’effort!

[@noobster4779]

The allied armies were propably the most diveres international armies in history under a national flag and the german military the most diverse "european" fighting force since the middle ages under a national flag. Really puts "world war" into its deserved perspective.

[@dragonstormdipro1013]

Tell that to dice

[@jamesmackenzie1536]

Most diverse European army would still have to go with the British or Soviet, almost as many non-Russian Slavs (including poles) served in the Red Army and all of the Free Dutch, Free Polish, Free Greek etc in Britain’s Army

[@unicat2190]

What about the Austrian Army in WW1? They were pretty ethnically diverse

[@kalle911]

@@jamesmackenzie1536 today there are about 190 different ethnicities in Russia, no doubt most of them would have been recruited. Although probably not as ethnic units, with some exceptions. They did away with ethnic units completely in 1950s.

[@robertjarman3703]

It is also interesting to me how the Axis powers used people as well, like the foreign volunteers who despite not actually being citizens of the Deutsches Reich, many people joined the SS and the Wehrmacht, Metropolitan France would have its own corps of volunteers for Germany too. Italy had Ethiopian and Libyan soldiers of course, some Albanians, and the two divided up Jugoslavs against each other for their own ends basically creating a Jugoslav civil war with the ultrafascist and possibly more evil than the Nazis, the Ustace, seizing power with the backing of the Axis. Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia all had their own troops as well fighting, especially against the Soviet Union. Spain and Portugal were neutral but some people volunteered from there. Japan had a collaborationist government in Manchukuo and tried to raise an army in Indonesia, and had Thailand and Indochina somewhat on their side and claimed that they were anti Western imperialism and were creating a co-prosperity sphere (which suspiciously was disproportionately run by Japanese people). It's a world including so many more people than us today remember.

[@AbedaArtist]

My grand dad was in ww2 west Africa Burma proud of him he was a strong man my mom named me after him (Ibrahim) love this video !

[@naveenraj2008eee]

Hi indy and team.. Wonderfull episode and you had done so much work in getting old footage.. Thanks to you we can see it.. Enjoyed.. Awaiting for saturday week by week video..🙏👍😊

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Naveen, we appreciate the support!

[@not_shadow62]

Hope this channel will talk about the Filipino forces, or maybe the South East Asian forces during WW2 and their roles during the war. Possibly, it may include the military, militias, revolutionary groups, or any force that fought during the war.

[@lycaonpictus9662]

Hopefully the resistance movement gets its own special when appropriate, later in the war. It tends to be overlooked in most popular histories but was one of the largest and most successful resistance movements of the war. By the time the Philippines were liberated around 260,000 people were serving in various resistance groups and guerillas had effectively denied Japan control of all but 12 of the nation's 48 provinces.

[@alexamerling79]

Colonial troops helping to defeat the supposed "Master race."

[@alexamerling79]

@Co-Bruh right?!

[@Game_Hero]

@Co-Bruh humans helping other humans

[@Game_Hero]

@Co-Bruh they're human beings whatever you like it or not. Dehumanize how you want, you only justify ethnic supremacist groups speeches doing that.

[@basedkaiser5352]

@Co-Bruh My, my it seems you and the nazis have a lot in common. They didn’t consider other races to be human beings too.

[@Kyle-gw6qp]

@Co-Bruh Saying that Nazis were not human is stupid and dangerous. The Nazis were very much human, that's what makes them terrifying. They were people, just like you and me, and yet they are capable of such brutality. To deny that they were human is dangerous because it paves the way for thinking that it can never happen again. We must remember that they were people because then we understand that other people can do the same.

[@iamnolegend483]

Fantastic. I learned a great deal today. Thank you all.

[@earlyriser8998]

excellent summary of a complex topic

[@DMS-pq8]

Please do a special on the American 442 Infantry regiment which was composed mostly of Japanese Americans and became the most decorated unit in the American army in the war

[@waardlafrance110]

Ha yes and navajo in add \^^/

[@garthrogers2269]

This is why those of us in the Commonwealth tend to snigger a little whenever the "Britain stood alone" line is trotted out. We know it technically meant the entire Empire, but you wouldn't necessarily get that impression from how it is usually depicted in mass media or certain sectors of the current British population.

[@ijumaainjabulo5983]

And the entire empire had no business fighting for the people who enslaved colonized and continued to colonized them after war was won.

[@garthrogers2269]

@@ijumaainjabulo5983 true, but it did. And that lack of recognition is just salt in the wounds.

[@jeffsyndrome4812]

​@@garthrogers2269 As an Englishman, I recognise and honour all who helped us in the fight against fascism. Where would my country be without them? I apologise for the many ignorant people within the UK who cannot see past their own egos, but I feel comfortable saying that recognition for colonial troops is becoming at least slightly more widespread, and I hope it does nothing but speed up, because it is very deserved.

[@HistoryHustle]

Another great piece of work.

[@lukasahl4964]

This exactly what I wanted to see. Thanks a lot

[@ecto_boy]

Let’s go this show is the best

[@442dudeathefront]

I hope you guys do something on the Axis colonial troops. Like the Taiwanese and Koreans in the Japanese Army.

[@mjonesmel]

Just wanted to give a shout-out for having the correct Canadian Red Ensign flag in use during WW 2 in the background, with green (rather than red) maple leaves on the coat of arms. That's the kind of care and attention to detail that makes this series great!

[@silaschipman7870]

Fantastic Episode! Thanks Timeghost Team!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Silas, we really appreciate the support!

[@awsometotheextreme]

My great grandad was a Chindit so I’m really hoping you’ll do an episode on them!

[@TheLocalLt]

The machinations in French Morocco alone were a whirlwind: at one point after being defeated by the Americans, while they were host to allied troops, they still were officially under the possession of Petain’s French State as opposed to De Gaulle’s Fighting French Government. Later the two governments were merged and the French State colonies in North Africa which were now fighting alongside the allies officially switched their allegiance to the new combined French Liberation Government, with De Gaulle now in overall command.

[@tonniebaumeister]

Moroccans were 60% of the French army. Though they were not allowed to join the victory marches in Paris. Moroccans were replaced by white French and Spanish "soldiers" who perhaps could not even carry the rifle. So that is why the white Christian soldiers are registered as heroic and Moroccans would have done relatively more misdeeds. Journalists alongside the road at the fancy victory parade asked the "heroic boys". How was it at the front? Who commited the misdeeds? Off course the white lads did the heroic part and all those muslim "Untermenschen" from Africa commited the misdeeds. It is all so mean and unfair!!!

[@artgatherer3477]

Another great video! Keep the good work going!

[@amrannoordin1644]

Very, very interesting. Thank you.

[@WorldWarTwo]

You're welcome!

[@d1a9m9i1lare]

I can't speak for any other colony of Britain, but I know that the conscription of colonial soldiers in Nigeria wasn't volunteers. My grandpa's older brothers had to be hidden from the govt. The chieftains has you mentioned, in some cases were given a choice to give her majesty, boys for the war or forfeit their own sons.

[@BoqPrecision]

In East Africa, Kings African Rifles were a prestigious organization and you were set as a local if you were recruited. Ofcourse nationalist would consider you traitorous since they knew you would be employed to suppress them after the war was over (for eg 1950s Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya).

[@akshittripathi5403]

I hope this aspect is mentioned. Not just this, the British Empire had to make a lot of concessions to force India into the war. The opposition to the war and the chaos caused by the jailing of many Indian leaders would go on to play a big role in Independence (and the accompanying Partition) in 1947.

[@bazingaeffect4155]

Get to finally hear more about Rhodesia. Can't wait to hear more

[@militarywargaming7840]

An excellent overview often overlooked

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks @MILITARY WARGAMING

[@deddbebbb5196]

Styling it with a well tied tie and a well delivered script. Two finger gun thumbs up! Loving the content. Pronunciation issues aside on some of the French, well tried and close enough. As Spartacus has mentioned, a case of law of diminishing return (time btter spent elsewhere if it is passable).

[@the82spartans62]

The Camel is long range non-mechanized game changer.

[@miketacos9034]

Such a Chad move to reject Vichy’s legitimacy.

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

Always great content

[@CivilWarWeekByWeek]

Great video

[@Bownback]

My grandfather served in the British Indian Army during WW2 stationed in Malaya. His stories were just wow. And what he said was right, Britain would have collapsed if it wasn't the colonies fighting for their empire

[@alexguymon7117]

Could you cover troops from the Philippines and the Japanese puppets in Manchukuo, Korea, and Mengjiang?

[@UnintentionalSubmarine]

Yeah, was a little surprised to not see any US colonial troops mentioned.

[@genghiskhan5701]

​@@UnintentionalSubmarine Filipino troops on the other hand already had their own "country" per se and were fighting to defend their own land rather than for some faraway island in Europe.

[@benwilson6145]

Was their any volanteers from Liberia?

[@matanbaruch7728]

Excellt video, objective and fact based... simply the best.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks!

[@cobbler9113]

I am always humbled by and grateful for the service of colonial troops who fought for Britain and others who supported the war effort in various other ways. They more than earned their independence after the war which most got without having to fight for it afterwards and the fact we still maintain at least good relations with most former colonies is something I'm quite proud of. I remember reading in a book by Max Hastings (I'm almost certain it was Nemesis but it could also have been All Hell Let Loose) where a captured Gurkha in a Japanese POW camp offered to write an essay about the British. The Japanese were thrilled with this and gave him some paper and a pen/pencil. He proceeded to write in block capitals "THE BRITISH ARE THE FINEST RACE IN THE WORLD AND ALWAYS WILL BE". I know the Gurkhas were and are insanely brave but that took some guts. On a slightly personal note, my grandfather told me a story of when they went on manoeuvres with the Gurkhas during his national service after the war. The Gurkhas had to find all the members of his detachment in a sort of military version of hide and seek. By the time they had finished, the Gurkhas had caught everyone apart from the detachment commander who proudly stood up and shouted "Ha, you didn't find me". As he stepped forward, he fell over because a Gurkha had tied his bootlaces together... Whenever I hear about some bureaucratic screw up by the Home Office that results in a former serving Gurkha either nearly getting deported or actually getting deported, it fills me with rage and many others. They deserve nothing short of our utmost respect.

[@dopplereffect4278]

I'm glad that you feel we "earned" our freedom by spilling our blood in your wars.

[@cobbler9113]

@@dopplereffect4278 Couple if issues with that. Firstly, what would you rather have me say? That they didn’t deserve independence? Look up pretty much every Empire in history. They used their minorities and subjugated people’s in times of war to fight, often for said Empire’s expansion. Whatever the faults of the British and French Empires in this case and God knows there were plenty, this was no such war. Do you honestly believe Germany, Italy or Japan would have been any better?

[@penultimateh766]

Apparently Indian units in Europe suffered cruelly in the winter cold. They just weren't brought up in sub-freezing temperatures and their effectiveness was sometimes hampered.

[@lukeskywalker3329]

Monte Cassino .

[@vikramadityahindu8591]

We aren't used to cold climate.

[@aftershanman5928]

My great grandfather fought in the Indian army in Africa and in Burma

[@barryirlandi4217]

Amazing episode

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks!

[@brokenbridge6316]

What a fun n informative video. Nice job.

[@mcmax571]

How about a special on the American Volunteer Group a.k.a. The Flying Tigers, the only true mercenaries of World War 2.

[@gunman47]

Good video as usual here. Is there any chance in future that the team might cover the Far East branch of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), *Force 136* (originally named India Mission)? There were actually a number of indigenous agents in this area that tend to get left out of history compared to its more well known European branches.

[@WorldWarTwo]

As will see next week we have a new video format which will probably look at exactly this kind of thing - stay tuned.

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!

[@WorldWarTwo]

We love you too, Oliver!

[@oliversherman2414]

@@WorldWarTwo aw thanks 👍

[@ghoward359]

Respect to these brave soldiers and thank you.

[@douglasfur3808]

FYI. I noticed the machine gun shown in one still was an early model Bren. No glory to me, I had recently watched a video on their development on the KZbin channel Forgotten Weapons, which might be a resource for you.

[@augu345]

We fought for the British,for the Germans and also for the Japanese, just for freedom ,money and supplies were drained from India for the cause while the millions here were dying from starvation, every drop of blood we sacrificed for the war, while our own people were butchered back home is such a hipocracy

[@user-vy4xe3kp4e]

Amazing vid as always

[@jaojao1768]

Really interesting topic!

[@WorldWarTwo]

We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@j.m.f5451]

This is pretty interesting stuff, breaking down what the command structure for colonial forces was actually like. That colonial conscripts could be serving underneath another native to their lands all the way up to Captain for the French forces? Not fairly common knowledge. I also wonder if Sparty had to help Indy with the high volume of large French words in this episode.

[@joshua18035]

Hiya team, any episodes planned on Irish volunteers from the free state into the allies and a overall view on Irish neutrality?

[@WorldWarTwo]

Hi Josh. An episode on Irish neutrality in WW2 may appear just before we do our TimeGhost series on The Troubles, keep your eyes peeled!

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson. It was truly a world at war.

[@scalisque5403]

Are y’all going to do a weapon series like y’all did for Ww1? Would love to see it

[@MandalorV7]

I also find it interesting how much Australia played a role in the British war effort, seeing how they once had been a prison colony for the Empire.

[@saint4life09]

It really isn't that big of a deal as part of the development of Australia. Australia became a settler colony and the vast majority of Australians came from those settlers and constant migration from the UK.

[@stevenwills4660]

I've heard that before pearl harbor the US actually recognised and had relations with the Vichy government, why would they do this and what were Vichy foreign relations like?

[@harshsawant1416]

I think most countries recognised Vichy as the legitimate regime. Because they recognised the German armistice so Vichy was technically a by product of it and for months the free french didn't really own any land to recognise them. Vichy France also was initially somewhat neutral so not recognising them would just push them to the axis (which ultimately happened).

[@TheDirtysouthfan]

The Free French were still rebels at the time, and Vichy France's servitude towards the Nazi's wasn't set it stone yet. Southern France was still under French control, Vichy France moreover was still the French government. It was the continuation of the French government, not Free France. The aim of the allies who recognized it as the legitimate government was to incentivize it to turn against the Germans and not completely submit, maybe not immediately but sometime in the future. Kind of like how the Bulgarians were German allies until the Soviets showed up at their doorstep, where they switched sides. It's a bit of a anachronism since most post war histories try to paint the Vichy French as nothing more than illegitimate German puppets and the Free French as the legitimate ones, but that was ultimately the case.

[@naoyanaraharjo4693]

@@TheDirtysouthfan well, Bulgaria had a coup. Much like Romania. Saying they switched sides is a bad simplified way of saying it

[@scruffscruffeton986]

Canada diplomatically recognized Vichy France till 1942.

[@brucetucker4847]

IIRC the French colonies in the Caribbean were all Vichy as of 12/7/1941, so the US would have a vital security interest in maintaining decent relations with those colonial governments. The colonies gradually went over to Free France over the next two years. And of course without the Vichy government of Martinique we might never have gotten the wonderful on-screen chemistry of Bogart and Bacall! "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve?"

[@ingramjd]

nice one.

[@garethfairclough8715]

Oh hell yes. I absolutely agree. We wouldn't have been able to do it without the peoples of the colonies. It's a damned shame that we haven't heard anywhere near as much about them as we should. Perhaps there's a series of vids in this? Talking about notable actions the colonials were involved in, outstanding units or individuals, even? I have no doubt there are many among them who deserve praise and the spotlight for their actions. A fascinating vid, folks. Well done and thank you for bringing them to light!

[@breakaleg10]

One could say they learned how to fight wars on their own by watching the second world war up close, also learning what it means to be free

[@houssemsghari8070]

I think maybe you should change the word "masters" to overlords or something like that to avoid any problems in the future

[@penjing3]

thank you. it is always very interesting. By the way your French is pretty good , do not worry about this. A French Canadian follower.

[@Michael_x7]

Looks like Chad is named Chad for a reason

[@Altrantis]

@@sheldoniusRex Them easily beating Lybia is incredible.

[@AyoubBerrahel]

I've been blanking out the word "Goumiet" as a word I didn't understand but it clicked in my head, Goumiet and later Harkis are words synonymous with "Traitor" here in Algeria and the Maghreb in general as far as I know. The more popular word is "Harki" or "Movement" describing Algerian people who fought with the French army against independance between 1954-1962. Another word used for them is "Goumier" or "National" describing people who were conscripted to the french army during the early 20th century when in 1909 and 1912 the laws of military conscription were introduced to French colonies. During the independance war thought, those two words merged as they were used for any Algerian conscripted in the French military or otherwise and not fighting for independance, so it became our own term for a "Benedict Arnold" per say.

[@rodafowa1279]

IDK where you're getting Goumiet from. Indy says Goumier, and even shows two pictures as he's talking. One is of a man on horseback with the caption, "A Goumier calvaryman, June 1915," the other is a man looking off into the distance with the caption, "A Moroccan Goumier in Italy, 1944."

[@belbrighton6479]

The British and Commonwealth War Graves organisation have just passed a review with recommendations to honour and pay our respects to all of the fallen after acknowledging their lack of efforts for our colonial troops. Yay. Here in Brighton we have the Chattri war memorial for those south Asian men who lost their lives in the First World War. A moving place to visit, located on the site where soldiers were cremated in the South Downs National Park. Keep up the great work!!

[@fordafrempong6638]

I am really grateful

[@WorldWarTwo]

👍

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

When are we going to see an episode on how Indy selects his beautiful clothes. Does he go shopping, does he receive them as gifts or something unique, like they're made by Indy himself 🤔

[@CarrotConsumer]

Astrid selects and presumably acquires the outfits.

[@MrNicoJac]

This has been discussed already in a Q&A or something. As Ealdy already explained. They did a few episodes where they explained the set and such. I think it's brought up there.