Britain used Indian troops as guinea pigs to test effects of poison gas on humans in 1930s and 1940s

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Indian soldiers serving under the British Raj were used as guinea pigs to test the effects of poison gases on humans by scientists from the world's oldest chemical warfare research installation here in the UK, according to newly-released archival documents.

The Indian soldiers suffered severe burns from the gas as part of the trials, which started in the early 1930s and lasted almost through to Indian independence.

The trials were part of a study by British scientists to ascertain if the poison gas inflicted greater damage on coloured skins than on white Caucasians. The scientists had been posted to the Indian sub-continent to develop poison gases to use against the Japanese.

Several-hundred Indians were part of the trials, according to documents released by the UK's National Archives. It is unclear if the Indians were told about the potentially serious medical implications of the trials before they were sent into the gas chambers by the scientists from Porton Down, the UK's chemical warfare research laboratory.

...

Many of the Indians, who were sent into the gas chambers wearing no more than "drill shorts and open-necked khaki cotton shirts" to gauge the effect of mustard gas on the eyes, also had to be hospitalised after the experiment.

The revelation is seen to be a shocking afterword to the lengthy accounts of British colonial behaviour in India.

But ... the British authorities are unwilling to entertain claims for compensation from the affected Indian soldiers or their heirs and successors ...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/UK_used...how/2330051.cms

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Indian soldiers serving under the British Raj were used as guinea pigs to test the effects of poison gases on humans by scientists from the world's oldest chemical warfare research installation here in the UK, according to newly-released archival documents.

The Indian soldiers suffered severe burns from the gas as part of the trials, which started in the early 1930s and lasted almost through to Indian independence.

The trials were part of a study by British scientists to ascertain if the poison gas inflicted greater damage on coloured skins than on white Caucasians. The scientists had been posted to the Indian sub-continent to develop poison gases to use against the Japanese.

Several-hundred Indians were part of the trials, according to documents released by the UK's National Archives. It is unclear if the Indians were told about the potentially serious medical implications of the trials before they were sent into the gas chambers by the scientists from Porton Down, the UK's chemical warfare research laboratory.

...

Many of the Indians, who were sent into the gas chambers wearing no more than "drill shorts and open-necked khaki cotton shirts" to gauge the effect of mustard gas on the eyes, also had to be hospitalised after the experiment.

The revelation is seen to be a shocking afterword to the lengthy accounts of British colonial behaviour in India.

But ... the British authorities are unwilling to entertain claims for compensation from the affected Indian soldiers or their heirs and successors ...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/UK_used...how/2330051.cms

To be honest its not all that 'shocking' - the MOD was doing this to British Servicemen in the UK at Porton Down before and after the 1930s. Some compensation was awarded (out of court), but as far as I'm aware there has been no 'official' recognition of any abuses. The fact that they would award compensation out of court says quite clearly that they don't want to establish a precedent that could cost them a ton of money if people came forward en-masse. I guess doing the right thing is less important than preserving a culture of secrecy.

[Jason-Sasha 1]

Dirty little secrets...