Indian Army List

[Redroger]

I have recently used the WW1 1918 Indian Army List held at the British Librarty, and am both puzzled and intrigued by it. There is the usual Army List structure, similar to that used in the compilation of the Army List; however, there is a second structure for each unit composed solely (so far as I could see) of men with Indian names, and listed under ranks which again seem purely Indian in content. What was the status of these officers viz a viz that of the European Officers in the Indian Army? Could they order British named officers or vice versa?

[Lime tree]

They were Viceroy's Commissioned Officers. An Indian Army unit - like a battalion - had very few British Officers. The Commanding Officer and the company commanders, the adjutant and a platoon commander per company would have been British; the remaining officers would be Indian. They held ranks, in the infantry, such as Subedhar (the senior Indian Officer in the battalion and the CO's Indian adviser and jemadar, normally platoon commanders. The cavalry had different titles.

[Redroger]

Thanks for that, at least the fog has cleared somewhat. Did they give orders to or take orders from British Officers? The man I was researching was a 2nd Lieutenant, ex British Army, the numbers shown of British ranks in the Indian Army list did not seem like very few officers to me.

[Lime tree]

They were subordinate to the British officers. The numbers of British officers may seem high but the Indian Army - not sure which period you're investigating - had rather more battalions per regiment than the British Army. Moreover, some officers would have been employed on the staff and others would have been on long leave back in UK.  The Royal Ghurka Rifles which has two battalions in the current British Army has a smilar system to that I described in my first reply. Nowadays, some Ghurkas are commissioned as British officers, through Sandhurst and others are from the ranks and called Queen's Commissioned Officers. The chap you are researching may have been a quartermaster if he was an ex-British soldier. I am not an expert but have some knowledge through an interest in military history and having served in the British Army for 30 odd years or so.

[Redroger]

I have relatives who were involved in the mutiny, and intend to research them when I have concluded assisting another rootschatter in  finding a relative who disappeared after WW1.