Indian Defence Forces

It was divided into British and Indian sections. Units in the British section were all British. Only clergy were exempt.

The Indian Defence Force (IDF) was a part-time defence force established as part of the Indian Army in 1917 in order to release regular troops from garrison duties during the First World War. Like the Indian Army of the time, units in the Indian section consisted primarily of British officers and Indian other ranks. The Indians were volunteers, but many of the Europeans were conscripted, as the In  ...