#3738 Sowar Husain Muhammad
36TH JACOB’S HORSE
Indian troops made a huge contribution to Britain’s war effort. During the course of the war, more than 140,000 men would make the journey to the Western Front alone. Led largely by officers of European descent, Indians had begun arriving in France as early as September 1914 and were involved heavily in the first battle for Ypres a few weeks later. During that battle, Khudadad Khan became the first Indian-born soldier and the first Muslim awarded the Victoria Cross. A native of modern-day Pakistan, he had continued to man his machine gun despite the death of his comrades, enabling reinforcements to arrive. In 1915 Indian soldiers made up a large percentage of the attacking force at Neuve Chapelle, as well as fighting at Festubert and Loos before most were redeployed east in December.
Indian cavalry on the Somme in 1916. (Authors’ collection)
Swathes of cavalrymen and labourers remained on the Western Front, and serving amongst them with Jacob’s Horse was a young man named Husain Muhammad, son of Faiz, from Mohib Banda, a small village to the north-east of Peshawar on the Kabul River. In March 1916, Husain and his compatriots had been sent to the Somme. In line with British cavalry units, as the battle began in July Husain joined trench working parties. At the end of August, Jacob’s Horse sent a large party of officers and men for a week of assisting with tunnelling work. At the same time another 150 men were riding off to the Forêt de Lucheux to work seven-hour labour-intensive shifts every day.
It was hoped that the cavalry’s moment would come during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in mid-September. After a few days’ training, Husain and the rest of his battalion began concentrating with the rest of the cavalry in the area hoping to exploit any breakthrough in the enemy line. On 15th September they remained at Dernancourt awaiting orders, with instructions to be ready to move at an hour’s notice. When no such orders came, Husain and the rest of the Indian cavalrymen were allowed to stand down. With the resumption of the offensive planned for 25th September, Husain and elements of Jacob’s Horse were employed to carry up tools and explosives to Mametz. Officers reconnoitred the cavalry tracks up to the front line, which had been made by the dismounted men ready for their hoped-for advance. On 23rd September the preliminary bombardment began to pave the way for the infantry assault to come. Jacob’s Horse was in billets at Dernancourt, but still providing assistance nearby. During the course of the day Husain was killed by enemy fire after nearly two years in Europe. His body, if recovered, was never identified. Of the troops from countries throughout Britain’s Empire, none lost more men than India. The Neuve Chapelle Memorial commemorates Husain Muhammad and 4,656 of his fellow Indian soldiers who fell on the Western Front during the Great War and have no known grave.