Almost two out of every ten servicemen and women who fought in the First World War were volunteers from India, Africa and the Caribbean. In the Second World War, this figure rose to three out of every ten.

These young men and women joined for many reasons - to help Britain in the hour of need, but also for adventure and to see the world. In fact, in the Second World War nearly 3 million men from the Indian sub-continent became the largest volunteer army in history. Without them there is little doubt the war would have gone on much longer, and perhaps had a different outcome.