On 31 October 1914 Sepoy Khudadad Khan, aged 25, found himself thousands of miles from his village in what is now Pakistan, fighting on the frontline in the battle of Ypres. He had volunteered for the British Indian Army and his regiment, the 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis, had been sent to Belgium to reinforce the embattled British troops.
As the German troops advanced in numbers and artillery shells exploded around him, Khan’s unit continued to man their machine-gun emplacement, holding back the advancing enemy as around them their comrades fell. Eventually just two gun emplacements were left holding the line and when the second was destroyed by artillery, Khan’s own position was also taken. His five colleagues were killed and he was badly wounded. But they had held back the enemy just long enough for British and Indian reinforcements to arrive, preventing a breakthrough.
Khudadad Khan became the first Indian soldier, and first Muslim, to be awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery – the medal pinned on his chest by King George V when he visited the troops in France the following year. He was just one of 1.5 million soldiers from the Indian subcontinent – what is now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – who served alongside British and other Commonwealth troops in the First World War. When the call came again 25 years later, a further 2.5 million South Asian soldiers – the biggest volunteer army in history – signed up to fight for Britain against Hitler’s Nazis.
Anniversaries and stories like these should serve as a reminder each November, as we prepare to mark Remembrance Sunday, of the long history of shared contribution that unites people from different backgrounds in Britain today. Descendents of those South Asian soldiers are now the neighbours, colleagues and classmates of those descended from the British soldiers they fought beside. Yet many of these stories – even those of the most decorated like Khudadad Khan – remain little-known. Research by Focaldata for British Future found that only 52% of the public are aware that Indian soldiers fought in the Second World War.
A project by the Royal British Legion and British Future, Forgotten Army, now aims to bring this history to light. Artist Mahtab Hussain, born in Glasgow from a Pakistani background, has created a bronze sculpture depicting five South Asian soldiers which is touring the UK to raise awareness. He was inspired by his own family history – his grandfather served in WW2, fighting in Burma. “As time went on, my dad spoke about my grandfather’s service in Burma. I really wanted to find a way to tell that story,” he says.
A project called My Family Legacy from British Future runs alongside the sculpture tour, engaging local communities and inviting South Asian families to share their own family stories of service in the world wars. By sharing these stories it hopes to provide a link between this shared history and people living in Britain today.
The sculpture tour is currently in Scotland, having already visited Liverpool, Oldham, Leicester and the Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Next week, in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday, a group of local South Asian elders will visit the Poppy Factory in Scotland to see the sculpture, watch remembrance poppies being made and learn a little more about our shared history. The bronze figures will then be hosted at a Sikh temple in Glasgow before heading to Inverness and Stirling – and then on to further locations in England and Wales.
Britain’s long history is complex and contested, the story of Empire linking through to our modern, multi-ethnic society. How we commemorate it can be a flashpoint for ‘culture war’ clashes. But it’s important that we all understand the history that we share and how it helps explain the make-up of the Britain we live in together today. History can unite as well as divide.
