THIS MONTH IN HISTORYHIDDEN HISTORIES
HIDDEN HISTORIES
DAVID OLUSOGA explores lesser-known stories from our pastIn 1916, brothers who had fought
on opposing sides were reunitedEven now, a century after the conflict
ended, the role that soldiers from the
Indian subcontinent played in the First
World War remains largely forgotten.
This was underlined recently when actor Laurence Fox
referred clumsily to the “oddness of the casting” when
director Sam Mendes showed a Sikh soldier in 1917.
Search more carefully though, and you’ll find many
overlooked stories, including that of Mir Dast and Mir
Mast, brothers from the Tirah province of what is now
Pakistan. Sunni Muslims of the Afridi tribe from near the
Afghan border, the brothers were not technically empire
subjects, yet both joined the British Indian Army.
In 1914, Mir Dast was dispatched to the western front
and the 57th Rifles. In April 1915, he fought in the second
battle of Ypres, where Germany unleashed a new terror
weapon: chlorine gas. After surviving the initial attack
and leading a counter-attack, Mir Dast later ventured back
into no man’s land and rescued eight wounded officers,
both British and Indian. Wounded himself, he was
evacuated to Britain and a military hospital established
for Indian troops at Brighton Pavilion. There, in August
1915, King George V awarded him the Victoria Cross.
The war record of his brother, Mir Mast, was also
characterised by acts of heroism and a willingness to take
risks – yet that is where comparisons end. His regiment
arrived in France in October 1914. By March 1915, he was
at the front as part of the force preparing for the battle of
Neuve Chapelle, the first British offensive on the westernfront. But days before the attack, he led 20 Indian troops
into no man’s land and over the German lines, where they
surrendered. Yet Mir Mast did not simply desert: he went
on to play an active and dramatic role in Germany’s war
effort, joining a German-Turkish mission to Afghanistan.
This took him on an epic five-month journey overland to
Kabul, where he made attempts to persuade the Emir of
Afghanistan to reject British influence and invade British
India. For his service to Germany, Mir Mast was awarded
two medals, the Orders of the Crown and the Red Eagle.
In November 1915, the elder brother, Mir Dast, had
arrived in Bombay with his Victoria Cross and received a
hero’s welcome, but suffering from the effects of chlorine
gas he returned to Tirah to convalesce, doing so in the
house of his brother. When Germany’s efforts to persuade
the Emir to rise up against Britain failed, Mir Mast also
made the journey back to Tirah. In July 1916, the two
brothers who had fought on opposing sides were reunited.
Mir Mast was not only unrepentant about having
deserted on the western front, but he attempted to recruit
other Afridi men to join Germany and Turkey in the
fight against the British. This caused such consternation
among the elders that they burned down Mir Mast’s
house. Mir Dast returned to his regiment and lived until
1945, though he never fully recovered from his gassing.
Mir Mast died in 1919 of the Spanish flu.
In 2011, this remarkable family once again made the
headlines when Mir Dast’s grandson, Dr Shakil Afridi,
was arrested in Pakistan. He had allegedly helped the
CIA to establish a fake vaccination programme in the city
of Abbottabad. It was this programme that eventually led
US forces to locate the secret facility in
which Osama bin Laden was hiding. For
allegedly working with the Americans,
Afridi was convicted of treason and
sentenced to 33 years in prison. In 2012,
bills were introduced into the US House
of Representatives calling for Afridi to
receive the US Congressional Gold
Medal. If it were ever awarded, the fam-
ily could add it to the Victoria Cross
and Order of the Red Eagle given to
Mir Dast and Mir Mast.David Olusoga is
professor of public
history at the
University of
Manchester, and
the presenter of
several BBC
documentariesGETTYIMAGES
MORE FROM USRoyal visit
Mir Dast (foreground, left) stands to
attention as King George V (facing
away) inspects troops from the Indian
subcontinent at Brighton PavilionRead more about British empire troops at
historyextra.com/first-world-warTHIS MONTH IN HISTORY
HIDDEN HISTORIES
HIDDEN HISTORIES
DAVID OLUSOGA explores lesser-known stories from our pastIn 1916,brothers who had foughton opposing sides were reunitedEvennow,a centuryaftertheconflict
ended,therolethatsoldiersfromthe
IndiansubcontinentplayedintheFirst
WorldWarremainslargelyforgotten.
ThiswasunderlinedrecentlywhenactorLaurenceFox
referredclumsilytothe“oddnessofthecasting”when
directorSamMendesshoweda Sikhsoldierin 1917.
Searchmorecarefullythough,andyou’llfindmany
overlookedstories,includingthatofMirDastandMir
Mast,brothersfromtheTirahprovinceofwhatis now
Pakistan.SunniMuslimsoftheAfriditribefromnearthe
Afghanborder,thebrotherswerenottechnicallyempire
subjects,yetbothjoinedtheBritishIndianArmy.
In1914,MirDastwasdispatchedtothewesternfront
andthe57thRifles.InApril1915,hefoughtinthesecond
battleofYpres,whereGermanyunleasheda newterror
weapon:chlorinegas.Aftersurvivingtheinitialattack
andleadinga counter-attack,MirDastlaterventuredback
intonoman’slandandrescuedeightwoundedofficers,
bothBritishandIndian.Woundedhimself,hewas
evacuatedtoBritainanda militaryhospitalestablished
forIndiantroopsatBrightonPavilion.There,inAugust
1915,KingGeorgeV awardedhimtheVictoriaCross.
Thewarrecordofhisbrother,MirMast,wasalso
characterisedbyactsofheroismanda willingnesstotake
risks– yetthatis wherecomparisonsend.Hisregiment
arrivedinFranceinOctober1914.ByMarch1915,hewas
atthefrontaspartoftheforcepreparingforthebattleof
Neuve Chapelle, the first British offensive on the westernfront.Butdaysbeforetheattack,heled 20 Indiantroops
intonoman’slandandovertheGermanlines,wherethey
surrendered.YetMirMastdidnotsimplydesert:hewent
ontoplayanactiveanddramaticroleinGermany’swar
effort,joininga German-TurkishmissiontoAfghanistan.
Thistookhimonanepicfive-monthjourneyoverlandto
Kabul,wherehemadeattemptstopersuadetheEmirof
AfghanistantorejectBritishinfluenceandinvadeBritish
India.ForhisservicetoGermany,MirMastwasawarded
twomedals,theOrdersoftheCrownandtheRedEagle.
InNovember1915,theelderbrother,MirDast,had
arrivedinBombaywithhisVictoriaCrossandreceiveda
hero’swelcome,butsufferingfromtheeffectsofchlorine
gashereturnedtoTirahtoconvalesce,doingsointhe
houseofhisbrother.WhenGermany’seffortstopersuade
theEmirtoriseupagainstBritainfailed,MirMastalso
madethejourneybacktoTirah.InJuly1916,thetwo
brotherswhohadfoughtonopposingsideswerereunited.
MirMastwasnotonlyunrepentantabouthaving
desertedonthewesternfront,butheattemptedtorecruit
otherAfridimentojoinGermanyandTurkeyinthe
fightagainsttheBritish.Thiscausedsuchconsternation
amongtheeldersthattheyburneddownMirMast’s
house.MirDastreturnedtohisregimentandliveduntil
1945,thoughheneverfullyrecoveredfromhis gassing.
MirMastdiedin 1919 oftheSpanishflu.
In2011,thisremarkablefamilyonceagainmadethe
headlineswhenMirDast’sgrandson,DrShakilAfridi,
wasarrestedinPakistan.Hehadallegedlyhelpedthe
CIAtoestablisha fakevaccinationprogrammeinthecity
of Abbottabad.It wasthisprogrammethateventuallyled
U forcestolocatethesecretfacilityin
ichOsamabinLadenwashiding.For
gedlyworkingwiththeAmericans,
ridiwasconvictedoftreasonand
tencedto 33 yearsinprison.In2012,
ls wereintroducedintotheUSHouse
RepresentativescallingforAfridito
eivetheUSCongressionalGold
dal.If it wereeverawarded,thefam-
couldaddit totheVictoriaCross
OrderoftheRedEaglegiven to
r Dast and Mir Mast.DavidOlusogais
professorofpublic
historyatthe
Universityof
Manchester,and
thepresenterof
severalBBC
documentariesGETTYIMAGESMORE FROM USRoyalvisit
MirDast(foreground,left)standsto
attentionasKingGeorgeV (facing
away)inspectstroopsfromtheIndian
subcontinent at Brighton PavilionReadmoreaboutBritishempiretroopsat
historyextra.com/first-world-war