The jewel in the crown of Britain’s empire, second only to China as the largest and most populous landmass in Asia, became a huge supplier of textiles and equipment to the Allies. It manufactured 1 million blankets for the British Army—the wool clip of 60 million sheep—together with 41 million items of military uniform, 2 million parachutes and 16 million pairs of boots. It was a source of fury to Churchill that India’s sterling balances—the debt owed by Britain to the subcontinent in payment for goods supplied—soared on the strength of this output. “Winston burbled away endlessly,” wrote
...more
