Urgent call to Preserve Untold Stories of British Asian WWII Veterans
A new initiative is urging British Asian families to document the experiences of relatives who served Britain during the Second World War, as startling data reveals a important gap in public knowledge regarding the contributions of Indian armed forces. The My Family Legacy project, supported by the Royal British Legion, aims to build a thorough online archive to raise awareness of the shared histories and sacrifices within Britain’s diverse communities.
Did you know? – Over 2.5 million people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka volunteered to fight in WWII. This was the largest volunteer army in history. Despite this, awareness of their contributions remains low.
More than 2.5 million individuals from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka volunteered to fight in the Second World War, constituting the largest volunteer army in history. despite this immense contribution, recent polling indicates a widespread lack of awareness.
Pro tip: – The My Family Legacy project seeks stories, photos, and names of WWII veterans.Contact British Future or Eastern Eye to contribute. Help preserve these vital narratives.
The project, a collaboration between the thinktank British Future and the British Asian newspaper eastern Eye, is actively soliciting stories, photographs, and even just the names of ancestors and living relatives who participated in the World Wars. According to data collected by Focaldata for British Future, approximately half of the British public remains unaware of the significant role played by Indian members of the armed forces during WWII. Awareness within the British Asian community itself is only around 60%.
Reader question: – Why is this project vital? It aims to correct historical omissions and ensure the contributions of all WWII veterans are recognized. It fosters a more inclusive remembrance.
A parliamentary memorial event hosted on November 4th by Tanmanjeet singh Dhesi MP, chair of the House of Commons defense committee, honored the late Second World War veterans Havildar maj Rajinder singh Dhatt MBE and Sgt Muhammad Hussain. Maj Dhatt was instrumental in the pivotal Battle of kohima, successfully defending against a Japanese attack on India, while Sgt Hussain, who enlisted at the age of 16, fought in the grueling Battle of Monte Cassino against Axis forces in Italy. Their stories are among the first to be featured on the My Family Legacy website.
Dhesi emphasized a moral obligation to ensure the sacrifices of Black and Asian Commonwealth members of the armed forces – including his own Sikh ancestors – are not overlooked or “airbrushed and ignored” from the historical record.
Ejaz Hussain, Sgt Hussain’s grandson, stated it is indeed “imperative” that the stories of this “greatest generation” are preserved. “The shared history, as a united people fighting for one common cause in spite of their differences, serves as the ultimate metaphor for future generations on how we must remain united as a country. Only then can we overcome any, and all challenges in an uncertain world,” he explained.
Amrit Kaur Dhatt, Maj Singh Dhatt’s granddaughter, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the historical exclusion of Commonwealth and ethnic minority soldiers. “It is so important to capture stories of Commonwealth and ethnic minority soldiers, like my grandfather’s, because they were left out of mainstream history. I fear that today’s society clearly hasn’t learned enough from history.”
Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, explained the project’s core aim: “to help people discover, document and share their family stories of courage, contribution, service and sacrifice”, demonstrating “how our traditions of remembrance can unite today’s modern, diverse Britain”.
Gail Walters, director of network engagement at the Royal British legion, added that the charity hopes to foster a more inclusive sense of remembrance, asserting that honoring Britain’s South Asian military personnel, with the assistance of their families, will provide a “fuller picture” of history and illuminate their “integral role” in the national narrative.
The My Family Legacy project represents a crucial step towards rectifying historical omissions and ensuring that the contributions of all who served are recognized and remembered for generations to come.
