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

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 don’t know that Indian members of the armed forces served in the second world war. The My Family Legacy project, backed by the Royal British Legion, is building an online archive of Asian veterans’ experiences to raise awareness of the shared histories and sacrifices of Britain’s diverse communities. 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 by the thinktank British Future and Eastern Eye, the British Asian newspaper – is asking British Asian families to share stories and pictures, or just the names, of ancestors and living relatives who fought in world wars. Focaldata polling conducted for British Future showed half the British public were unaware of this legacy, with only about 60% of British Asians aware of it. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, the chair of the House of Commons defence committee, hosted a UK parliamentary memorial event on 4 November in honour of the late second world war veterans Havildar Maj Rajinder Singh Dhatt MBE, who was among troops who defied all odds in the crucial Battle of Kohima which repelled a Japanese attack on India; and Sgt Muhammad Hussain, who ran away from home at 16 to join up and fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino, the bitter campaign against Axis forces in Italy. The veterans’ stories are among the first to be added to My Family Legacy’s site. Dhesi said he felt a duty to ensure that the shared history embodied by the sacrifices of Black and Asian Commonwealth members of the armed forces, including his own Sikh ancestors, was not “airbrushed and ignored”. Ejaz Hussain, Sgt Hussain’s grandson, said it was “imperative” that stories of the “greatest generation” were recorded, adding: “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.” Amrit Kaur Dhatt, Maj Singh Dhatt’s granddaughter, said: “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, the director of British Future, said the aim of My Family Legacy was “to help people discover, document and share their family stories of courage, contribution, service and sacrifice”, showing “how our traditions of remembrance can unite today’s modern, diverse Britain”. Gail Walters, director of network engagement at Royal British Legion, said the charity wanted more families to feel included in remembrance and that honouring Britain’s south Asian military personnel, with their relatives’ help, would provide a “fuller picture” of history and the “integral role” they played in the national story.