German trench under attack by British and Sikh forces at Ypres.

£3,000 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

The original artwork for a dramatic scene of trench warfare at Ypres, reproduced as a lithograph in the third volume of Illustrierte Geschichte des Weltkrieges 1914/15 (Illustrated History of the World War 1914–15) published by Union Deutsche Verlagsgefellfchaft in Stuttgart, 1922. The action shows German soldiers defending a trench position from an aggressive assault by Allied troops, prominently featuring Sikh soldiers from one of the several Indian Army battalions who saw action at the front. On 26 September 1914 the first troops of the Lahore Division of the Indian Corps arrived on French soil to a heroes’ welcome. Three all-Sikh battalions – 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, 47th Sikhs and 34th Pioneers – were among the 30,000-strong vanguard of infantry and cavalry that landed at Marseilles to the unexpectedly enthusiastic reception. Hailed as the saviours of France, the British were equally relieved at their arrival to support the relatively small British Expeditionary Force. Despite their exuberant welcome the months ahead would be extremely challenging. Unused to modern industrial warfare of the kind that was about to be unleashed, and wearing uniforms better suited to tropical climates, India’s men were far from prepared for what awaited them. The first of those Indian troops to arrive in France were sent north by rail to reinforce the depleted and overstretched British and French forces, which were dug into trenches stretching for over 450 miles from the Belgian coast to Switze

• Binding: Hardcover

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