British Asian families are being encouraged to record and share the experiences of relatives who fought for Britain, as research shows many in the UK are unaware that large numbers of South Asian soldiers served in the second world war. The My Family Legacy project, supported by the Royal British Legion, is creating an online archive of Asian veterans’ stories to highlight the shared histories and sacrifices of Britain’s diverse communities.
Around 2.5 million volunteers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka served during the second world war — the largest volunteer army in history. My Family Legacy, a joint initiative by thinktank British Future and the British Asian newspaper Eastern Eye, invites families to submit names, photos and memories of ancestors and living relatives who fought in the world wars.
Polling by Focaldata for British Future found half of the British public did not know Indian service personnel had served in the second world war; only about 60% of British Asians were aware. To mark this history, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, chair of the House of Commons defence committee, hosted a parliamentary memorial event on 4 November honouring two late second world war veterans now featured on the My Family Legacy site: Havildar Maj Rajinder Singh Dhatt MBE, who fought in the crucial Battle of Kohima that helped repel a Japanese invasion of India; and Sgt Muhammad Hussain, who ran away from home at 16 to join the army and fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.
Dhesi said he felt it was his duty to ensure the sacrifices of Black and Asian Commonwealth service members, including his own Sikh ancestors, were not “airbrushed and ignored.” Sgt Hussain’s grandson, Ejaz Hussain, called it “imperative” to record the “greatest generation,” saying their united fight despite differences offers a model for future unity. Amrit Kaur Dhatt, granddaughter of Maj Singh Dhatt, stressed the importance of documenting Commonwealth and ethnic minority soldiers whose stories have often been left out of mainstream history.
Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, said My Family Legacy aims “to help people discover, document and share their family stories of courage, contribution, service and sacrifice,” demonstrating how remembrance can unite modern Britain. Gail Walters, director of network engagement at the Royal British Legion, added that including south Asian service personnel with the help of their families will give a “fuller picture” of history and the integral role they played in the national story.
