This month marks 75 years since victory over Fascism in Europe. The streets of Britain were lined with Union Jacks and social distancing street parties to celebrate that hard-won victory all those years ago. Whilst we may have defeated Fascism, we didn’t defeat stupid.
Naz Shah is an MP for Bradford West, one of the most beautiful towns in the North of England with jaw-dropping local scenery. Born to Pakistani parents, she was elected in 2015 after taking the seat off George Galloway. In 2018, she was appointed as Shadow Minister of State for Women and Equalities, hell yes!
On VE Day, Shah put up a tweet to honor the ethnic Pakistanis and Indians who fought for Britain in WW2, which they did in great numbers. However, some either got their paperwork mixed up or just fancied what the other side was up to and ended up joining the bloody Wehrmacht!
The Indian Legion was a military unit raised during WW2, which intended to serve as a liberation force for British-ruled India, it was made up of Indian POWs and ex-pats in Europe. These volunteers for sure picked the wrong side when they found themselves in the grim retreat across France in 1944. After the war, most of them were captured and sent back to India to face charges of treason.
Here is the tweet Shah put out:
‘’A day to remember those who sacrificed, inspired, and brought peace to the world by standing united against the ills of this world. Their contributions to this nation will never be forgotten. #VEDay’’
Unfortunately, Shah doesn’t have as keen an eye for German uniforms as we do and ended up posting a picture of the Indian Freikorps fighting alongside the Wehrmacht. Either that or she just thought that the Wehrmacht needed some love too. Anyway, the original tweet mysteriously vanished in the night. But luckily, there are screenshots to ensure historical accuracy in the future!
