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Paul Sarrut, British and Indian Troops in Northern France: War Sketches by Paul Sarrut 1914-1915, Arras: H Delepine, 1914-15

60 (of 70) loose plates with tinted lithographs mounted on thick brown sheets, some sheets having 2 or 3 pictures mounted; loose as issued in publisher's portfolio cloth with ribbon
19 x 12 x 0.75 in (48.3 x 30.5 x 2 cm)

A note, signed in manuscript by the artist, on the title page explains that this is Copy No. 211 of 250. Signed by Paul Sarrut.

This portfolio is a compilation of sketches and drawings that depict the experiences of British and Indian troops during the early years of World War I.

Paul Sarrut (1882-1969) who had access to some of the Indian camps at the Western Front between 1914-15 through drawings in India ink or in graphite, wash or watercolour, showcases scenes from the front lines, including soldiers in trenches, artillery positions, and soldiers in rest camps. He produced a number of intimate sketches of sepoys, often in places undocumented by camera, such as the inside of camps and billets. The sketches depict the harsh conditions that soldiers faced, including mud and rain, and the equipment and weapons used during the war. It also illustrates the violence of the fighting by representing a landscape sometimes devastated, like the cities located on the front and the back-front, victims of numerous bombings.

The artist does a real job as an ethnologist: he attaches importance to the treatment of the headdresses, uniforms and equipment that Indian soldiers wore, details that helped to identify the origins of each of them.

With great delicacy, he also depicts scenes of rest in the back of the forehead and reveals the Indian customs. Remarkable iconographic sources, these drawings reveal the organization of the cantonments as well as the care and the training before the combat in the trenches.

The 15th Ludhiana Sikhs were an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army that served from 1846 until 1922. At this period, they took part in various conflicts, including the Battles of Ahmed Khel, Kadahar, Tofrek, and Sakin, the Chitral Expedition, the Tirah Campaign, and World War I. During the First World War (1914-1918), they served on the Western Front in France as part of the 8th (Jullundur) Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division, and in Egypt as part of the Western Border Force during the Mesopotamia Campaign.

They were transferred to Egypt in late 1915 to fight against the Senussi, a Muslim tribal faction commanded by Sayed Ahmed. The Western Border Force was made up of an infantry brigade made up of partially trained battalions from the 2/7th and 2/8th Middlesex, the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, the 6th Royal Scots, and a cavalry brigade made up of three British Yeomanry regiments. On December 11, 1915, the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs were assigned the first expedition against the Senussi, when they were entrusted with breaking the enemy's ranks near Duwwar Hussein.

The 15th Sikhs were crucial to the Western Frontier force. Their achievements were outstanding, and they were awarded the title 'Egypt 1915-17.' Following World War I, the Indian government restructured the army, converting it from single battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments. The 15th Ludhiana Sikhs became the 2nd Battalion/2nd Sikh Regiment. Ultimately, following India's independence in 1947, the regiment was assigned to the newly formed Indian Army.

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