The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has officially added 9,909 Indian soldiers, who were previously unrecorded, to its UK records. This decision follows extensive research utilising rare historical documents. These soldiers, originating from pre-Partition India, had initially not received formal recognition due to historical oversights. The CWGC’s commitment includes ensuring that every individual who served is duly remembered.

Collaboration Through the Punjab Registers Project

This initiative is a result of a five-year collaboration involving the CWGC, the UK Punjab Heritage Association, and the University of Greenwich, termed the Punjab Registers project. The commission has expressed that this endeavour is vital in honouring the sacrifices made during the First World War. Claire Horton, Director General of the CWGC, described the project as a significant milestone, highlighting that each name recovered aids in restoring forgotten family and global narratives.

As part of this project, researchers digitised and meticulously examined documents held at the Lahore Museum. These documents contained the names and service details of about 320,000 Punjabi recruits. A team, including a CWGC-funded PhD student from the University of Greenwich and numerous international volunteers, worked diligently to verify the names against the existing records. Their analysis revealed that 9,909 recorded casualties had been absent from the CWGC’s previous listings.

According to Dr George Hay, the CWGC’s official historian, most of these unrecorded soldiers had unfortunately died in non-combat areas of India, and regulatory decisions at the time prevented their recognition. The CWGC has now rectified this historic oversight.

Impact on Families and Communities

This project has provided closure to many families. Dr Inder Singh Palahey, a Leicester-based dentist, expressed his profound emotions upon learning about his great-grandfather Kesar Singh’s military history. He noted that discovering the facts surrounding his great-grandfather’s sacrifice has held great significance for his family, highlighting the importance of remembering their history.

Manjinder Nagra, the first British Sikh woman to represent Team England in rugby, echoed similar sentiments regarding her great-grandfather, Jagat Singh. Nagra attended the annual Chattri Memorial Service in Brighton, where she received the news of his official recognition. This acknowledgment, she stated, allowed her family to finally honour his contributions after over a century.

During the First World War, from July 1914 to November 1918, over 1.4 million men from the British Indian Army fought across major battlefronts, contributing significantly to the war effort. One in six soldiers who served the British were from India, with half a million originating from Punjab. The CWGC has recognised that their contributions were often overlooked in historical narratives, revealing that some soldiers previously registered as war casualties had never been appropriately commemorated.

Wider Efforts for Historical Commemoration

This initiative is part of the CWGC’s broader Non-Commemoration Programme, launched in 2021, which aims to rectify historical injustices regarding commemoration. Thus far, the programme has identified over 20,000 additional names for remembrance, with the latest addition of 9,909 representing a pivotal move to correct historical omissions from the First World War records. Historian Amandeep Madra has stressed the importance of recognising these soldiers and restoring their place in history.

Gavin Rand, a professor at the University of Greenwich, remarked on the project’s contribution to rectifying past injustices in commemoration. This effort not only benefits individuals and families but strengthens ties among the broader community, fostering an understanding of shared history and heritage.

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