The 57th Wilde's Rifles at Wytschaete

The British Army of the late 19th century was not an impressive force by Continental standards.  Otto von Bismarck famously said that if the British ever landed in Europe he would simply ask the Belgian police to arrest them.  

The shortcomings of the Army were made more evident in the Boer War which lead to significant reforms.  By 1914 the British had a professional, all volunteer force....but half of it was on duty in various colonial postings.

The outbreak of war in August 1914 called home all available troops including some colonial regiments with fabled histories.

Here is a photo of Indian troops from the 57th "Wilde's Rifles" in Wytschaete, October 1914.  

And the same spot in 2018.

Wilde's Rifles were originally called the 4th Punjab Infantry Regiment, part of the Punjab Irregular Force.  They got their new name in recognition of valiant service during the Indian Mutiny, honoring their commander at that time Sir Alfred Thomas Wilde.

Their experiences in Wytschaete were not happy ones.  Their casualties were a staggering 50%.  They were eventually driven out of the village by repeated German assaults.  After further costly engagements they were subsequently taken out of the line and sent to East Africa to help round up German colonial troops fighting a prolonged guerrilla campaign.

The odd thing about archaeology of relatively recent events is that you get information sources such as the first photo.  I think it is fair to say it was taken when the Wilde Rifles first went into the line at Wytschaete...neither the buildings nor the expressions of the men appear to have been subjected to serious combat at this point. 

The spot where these photos were taken is perhaps a quarter mile from the Hill 80 dig site.  So it is possible that artifacts of Indian origin could turn up, although given the short time the Indians were there, and the constant pounding of four long years of combat, it would have to be regarded as a low probability.