Thousands of Indian WW1 soldiers to be remembered in perpetuity after historical injustice
"To see these soldiers finally receive the recognition they deserve is genuinely moving.
"It doesn't change what they did, but it does ensure their sacrifice is remembered as part of our shared military history."
The British Army's Major Daljinder Singh Virdee, a driving force behind Sikh recognition in defence, expressed how he felt to BFBS Forces News after the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) announced the largest single addition to its casualty records since the Second World War that will help create a more inclusive narrative of the First World War.
The names of 9,909 Indian Army servicemen that were missing from the CWGC's records have been added, correcting a past historical omission that meant they were never formally commemorated.
Of this news, Maj Virdee, the founder of the Defence Sikh Network and a trustee of the Sikh Military Foundation, said: "It means a great deal to me personally.
"As a serving Sikh soldier, I'm conscious that I wear the same cap badge, uphold many of the same values and continue a tradition of service built by generations before me."
For the past five years, the CWGC, the UK Punjab Heritage Association and the University of Greenwich have digitised and analysed a rare collection of documents held at Lahore Museum in Pakistan, that contain the names and service details of about 320,000 Punjabi recruits.
Righting a wrong
During the First World War, more than 1.4 million men from the Indian Army served on all major battlefronts.
One in six soldiers fighting for the British came from pre-partition India, with half a million from the Punjab – including Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and Christian servicemen.
Yet, as CWGC's official historian Dr George Hay discovered, 9,909 Indian Army servicemen had their ultimate sacrifice written out of history because of rulings made at the time by the British Indian Government.
It was decided that the men would not receive war graves because they had died in non-operational zones within India during the First World War and therefore, their names were never reported to the Commission.
The importance of honouring the past
Maj Virdee hopes the CWGC announcement gives the military Sikh community a "real sense of pride".
At a time when the world is so divided, recognition, he says, really matters.
"Not because it changes what these men did," Maj Virdee says, "but because it ensures their sacrifice is remembered and their place in history is secure.
He added: "I also hope it inspires younger generations to learn more about their heritage and reminds us all that Britain's military story has always been one built by people from across the Commonwealth, serving together."
Claire Horton, Director General of the CWGC, said: "The Punjab Registers project is a landmark moment in [the CWGC's] mission.
"The recovery of every one of these 9,909 names helps restore missing chapters in family and world histories.
"It stands as a constant, timeless reminder that commemoration is not only about the past – it is about personal identity, family legacy and recognising the human cost of war."
Unearthing the forgotten names
A CWGC-funded PhD student at the University of Greenwich, George Williams and 19 volunteers from around the world, many with personal ties to the Registers, examined 15,935 deaths and compared them with 74,000 existing CWGC Indian Army records.
Their enormous effort was supported by computer-assisted analysis, and each stage was reviewed by the CWGC and Indian Army specialists.
Gavin Rand, Professor of History at the University of Greenwich said: "This project has not only helped to redress an historical injustice, it has also enabled families and communities in Britain and across the world to connect with and better understand their shared history and heritage."
We will remember them
Maj Virdee says the Sikh Military Foundation – a charity that preserves and promotes Sikh military heritage – is honoured to support the Punjab Registers Project because, he says, thousands of Sikh soldiers have gone unrecognised for far too long.
However, he said: "This recognition is an important milestone, but it's also a reminder that there are still many stories waiting to be uncovered."
The CWGC is working with governments and nations to seek their views on a physical memorial to honour these soldiers.
Potential descendants and members of the public can explore the new additions to the records via the CWGC website.
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