British Asian families urged to share stories of ‘greatest generation’ who fought for Britain | Remembrance Day

British Asian families are being urged to record the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain for “future generations” as data reveals half the British public do not know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war.

My Family Legacy The project, supported by the Royal British Legion, is raising awareness of the issue by creating an online archive of Asian veterans’ experiences. shared histories and sacrifices from various communities across Britain.

More than 2.5 million people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka served in the second world war, the largest volunteer army in history.

My Family Legacy, a joint project of think tank British Future and British Asian newspaper Eastern Eye, asks British Asian families to share stories and images, or just the names, of their ancestors and living relatives who fought in the world wars.

A Focaldata survey for British Future showed that half the British public are unaware of this heritage, while only 60% of British Asians are aware of it.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, chairman of the House of Commons defense committee, hosted a commemoration event in the UK parliament on November 4 in memory of World War II veterans. Havildar Major Rajinder Singh Dhatt MBE among the troops who defied all odds in the critical battle Battle of Kohima repelled a Japanese attack on India; And Sergeant Mohammed HusseinAt 16, he ran away from home and fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino, a grueling campaign against the Axis forces in Italy. Veterans’ stories It is among the first additions to My Family Legacy’s site.

Dhesi said he felt a duty to ensure that the shared history shaped by the sacrifices of Black and Asian Commonwealth members of the armed forces, including his own Sikh ancestors, was “not overlooked and ignored”.

Ejaz Hussain, grandson of Sergeant Hussain, said it was “imperative” to record the stories of the “greatest generation”, adding: “Our shared history as a united people fighting for one common cause despite their differences serves as the ultimate metaphor for how we must remain together as a country for generations to come. Only then can we overcome any challenge in an uncertain world.”

Amrit Kaur Dhatt, granddaughter of Major Singh Dhatt, said: “It is so important to capture the stories of Commonwealth and ethnic minority soldiers like my grandfather’s because they have been left out of mainstream history. I fear that today’s society has clearly not learned enough from history.”

Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, said the aim of My Family Legacy was to “help people discover, document and share their families’ stories of courage, contribution, service and sacrifice” and show “how our traditions of remembrance can unite today’s modern, diverse Britain”.

Royal British Legion networking director Gail Walters said the charity wanted more families to feel included in the commemoration process and that honoring Britain’s South Asian military personnel with the help of their relatives would provide a “more comprehensive picture” of history and the “integral role” they played in the national story.