Who founded the Natal Indian Ambulance Corps?
Mahatma Gandhi created the Natal Indian Ambulance Corps for use by the British as stretcher bearers during the Second Boer War. The expenses of the corps were met by the local Indian community in Natal.
Questions about Indian Ambulance Corps
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many people served in the Indian Ambulance Corps during the Boer War?
The corps consisted of 300 free Indians and 800 indentured labourers, totalling 1,100 members. It served alongside the Natal Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which was made up of roughly 1,100 local white men.
What battle did Gandhi and the Indian Ambulance Corps serve at during the Boer War?
Gandhi and the corps served at the Battle of Spion Kop on the 23rd and the 24th of January, where the Indians moved into the front line. They also transported wounded soldiers at the Battle of Colenso on the 15th of December.
What medals did Gandhi receive for his work in the Boer War?
Gandhi was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind and other medals by the British for his service in the Boer War. He later returned these medals following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.
Why did Gandhi return his Boer War medals?
Gandhi gave up the Kaiser-i-Hind and other British medals he had received for his Boer War service after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. That massacre, in which British troops fired on an unarmed crowd in Amritsar, prompted him to relinquish the decorations.
Where is Gandhi's Queen's South Africa Medal from the Indian Ambulance Corps held?
Gandhi's Queen's South Africa Medal is held by the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. Thirty-four Indian leaders from the corps were awarded this medal following the relief of Ladysmith at the end of February 1900.