Australia, India bound together by times of war

Australia and India recognise how their contemporary relationship was shaped "by our history of shared sacrifice" during world wars, Canberra's envoy here said Tuesday.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott last week laid a wreath at India Gate monument to commemorate soldiers from India and other allied nations who fought in World War I and subsequent conflicts.

"Australian and Indian soldiers fought together in both world wars in several theatres," High Commissioner Patrick Suckling said, referring to Palestine, Italy and Malaya among other places.

"Australia is very conscious of these ties which bind our two countries together," an Australian high commission statement quoted Suckling as saying.

"Australian and Indian soldiers were brothers in arms, fighting together in defence of freedom. It was appropriate that the prime minister paused to recognise this on his first official visit to India."

On behalf of the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Abbott invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of Gallipoli in 2015.

Nations with close connection to the campaign will be invited to send high level representatives to the service.

The Allies suffered a huge defeat in eastern Turkey's Gallipoli peninsula between April 1915 and January 1916, giving the Ottoman empire one of its greatest military victories.

"There were over 15,000 Indians on Gallipoli and some 1,600 lost their lives," Suckling said.

"I believe there is growing recognition of this fact within India, and an increasing desire to honour those who gave their lives in service.

"I hope Abbott's visit to India contributes to this understanding and that our two countries continue to recognise how our contemporary relationship is shaped by our history of shared sacrifice."

According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, by the end of World War I in 1918, more than one million Indian soldiers had served overseas.

Some 70,000 troops from the British Indian Empire died in World War I, and over 9,200 decorations were earned, including 11 Victoria Crosses.