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{{TOC right}}The Indian '''Auxiliary or volunteer regiments''' were originally local civilian volunteer corps tasked with local security.  In 1917 , the '''Indian Defence Force''' (IDF), a part-time group, was formed to undertake garrison duties in India to release professional soldiers for fighting duties. Although the Indian Section was voluntary, the British Section was compulsory service . This was introducedthe cause of dissatisfaction among many British persons. When the corps became  The IDF was replaced by the '''Auxiliary Force, India ''' (AFI) in 1920 . This saw volunteer service was resumedresume, however there was a minimum term of service. The AFI officers and men could be mobilised in the event of war.

===Indian volunteer force===The [[Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry]] was a volunteer force raised in July 1857 after the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny and disbanded in 1859.  After the [[Indian Mutiny]] local volunteer infantry forces began to be set up. Cavalry corps started in the 1860s and the first volunteer artillery brigade was constituted in 1879. [[Railways|Railway]] companies also formed infantry corps from their staff beginning in 1869, more on which can be found in the [[Railway Regiments]] article. The volunteer corps were open to Europeans and [[Anglo Indians|Eurasians]] and (with the exception of an adjutant and others such as sergeant instructors) consisted mainly of volunteers. However, in railway employment, it was virtually compulsory for all employees, both European and Eurasian, to enlist in the Railway Volunteer Regiments. For men who were employed by the Army (non-volunteers), it may be possible to find them in the army records. Usually these men may be found on the [[Unattached List]].  Officers of the Indian Volunteer Corps from [[Military periodicals online#New Army List|Military periodicals online-New Army List]] [British Army]{|cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"||||[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21914grea#page/618/mode/2up October-December 1913]|- |[http://archive.org/stream/armylistapr1914grea#page/1474/mode/2up January- March 1914]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjul1914grea#page/1474/mode/2up April-June 1914]||[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21915grea#page/638/mode/2up October-December 1914]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistapr1915grea#page/1676/mode/2up January-March 1915]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjul1915grea#page/1784/mode/2up April-June 1915]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31915grea#page/250/mode/2up July-September 1915]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21916grea#page/828/mode/2up October-December 1915]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31916grea#page/378/mode/2up January-March 1916]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31916grea#page/330/mode/2up April-June 1916]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31916grea#page/472/mode/2up July-September 1916]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol31917grea#page/396/mode/2up October-December 1916]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31917grea#page/454/mode/2up January-March 1917]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31917grea#page/434/mode/2up April-June 1917] |[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31917grea#page/520/mode/2up July-September 1917]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanpart121919grea#page/1294/mode/2up October-December 1917] |-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31918grea#page/574/mode/2up January-March 1918]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31918grea#page/578/mode/2up April-June 1918]|<nowiki>*</nowiki>|<nowiki>*</nowiki>|}<nowiki>*</nowiki>Lists of Officers of the Indian Defence Force were published in the ''Indian Army Lists''. See [[Indian Army List online]] ==Indian Defence Force==During the [[First World War]] compulsory service was deemed necessary and the Indian Defence Force Act was passed in 1917. The volunteer corps became units of the IDF and were redesignated. European British men between the ages of 18 and 41 were subject to compulsory service within India. Some corps allowed Indians to join as volunteers. The IDF corps performed local security duties during the war and were not sent to the front. Some officers were transferred to regular [[Indian Army]] units. However, a few units were formed comprising volunteers who wanted to fight the war. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170302195115/http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the-great-war/great-war-on-land/other-war-theatres/1072-indian-volunteers-in-the-great-war-east-african-campaign.html "Indian Volunteers in the Great War East African Campaign"] by Harry Fecitt, now an archived webpage, gives details of The North-Western Railway Volunteers, the Calcutta Volunteer Battery and the Indian Volunteer Maxim Gun Company in East Africa, although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission classifies them as East African Protectorate units in its records. Elsewhere, there is a brief mention of the Nagpur Volunteer Machine Gun Company in German East Africa.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.105072/page/n16/mode/1up Page 4] ''Supplement To The Quarterly Civil List For The Central Provinces And Berar Up to 1st Jan 1938''. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the entry for E H Milner, Public Works Department. Archive.org</ref>, however this appears to be the Indian Volunteer Maxim Gun Company, whose membership included some from the Nagpur Volunteer Rifles.<ref>bushfighter. [https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/92267-graves-of-the-indian-volunteer-maxim-gun-company-in-kenya/ Graves of the Indian Volunteer Maxim Gun Company in Kenya] ''Great War Forum'' 16 February , 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2021.</ref> At least one member of the North Western Railway Volunteers also served in Mesopotamia,<ref>Wilton-Davies, Colin [https://web.archive.org/web/20200205041034/https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india.rootsweb.com/thread/12907264/ Railway Regiments] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 18 January 2000, archived.</ref> but it is possible this may have been an individual appointment for an existing member of the Volunteers.

The volunteer corps were open to Europeans and 'Eurasians' and, with [[Volunteer Artillery Battery]] in which the exception majority of an adjutantthe men came from Burma, consisted entirely served in Mesopotamia, and was captured at the fall of volunteersKut.

===The Anglo Indian Defence Force===During , including the Anglo Indian Battery, was raised by the Anglo-Indian Association and served in Mesopotamia. Refer [[First World War#Anglo-Indians|First World War - Anglo-Indians]] compulsory service was deemed necessary and the Indian Defence Force Act was passed in 1917. The volunteer corps became units of the IDF and were redesignated. European British men between the ages of 18 and 41 were subject to compulsory service. Some corps allowed Indians to join as volunteers.

The IDF corps performed local security duties during the war and were not sent to the front. Some officers were transferred to regular [[Indian Army]] units. After the War the IDF as an official organization was disbanded.

===Auxiliary Force India===

*[[2nd Punjab (Simla) Volunteer Rifle Corps]]

Corps redesignated as numbered battalions on the 1st April 1917 on formation of the IDFIndian Defence Force:

*[[2nd Nagpur Rifles]]*[[3rd Punjab Rifles]] *[[4th Simla Rifles]]