the images of trench warfare are stark - thanks to the photographic record - and will be strongly associated with WWI, despite the fact that trenches and earthworks were hardly a new invention. Regardless, the fact reamins that any mention of WWI will invoke mental images of trenches and barbwired battlefields. So a poem that starts out with that mental image will gain power from that.

Overseas in India has its own power, though not one seemingly directly related to WWI. In fact, it makes one curious as to why the change was made. So I did a little googling and found some info I had been quite ignorant of:

"Indian troops were on the Western Front by the winter of 1914 and fought at the first Battle of Ypres. By the end of 1915, they had sustained many casualties. Along with the casualties from sickness, the decision was taken to withdraw the Indian Corps from front line duty at the end of 1915.

In total, 800,000 Indian troops fought in all the theatres of the war with 1½ million volunteering to fight. They fought in most theatres of war including Gallipoli and North and East Africa. In all 47,746 were classed as killed or missing with 65,000 wounded.

The Indian Corps won 13,000 medals for gallantry including 12 Victoria Crosses. Khudadad Khan won the Corps first Victoria Cross."

British and Indian often fought together and perhaps the change was made by someone who wanted to make the work more personal from themselves. I doubt we will ever know for sure, but I'm glad it kicked me out of my comfort zone & prompted me to look somewhere I never though of before.