UK Punjab Heritage Association

[UK Punjab Heritage Association @UKPHA]

The Punjab Registers of World War One Punjabi soldiers records continue to provide real evidence of families wartime history. Look out for more news later this year https://t.co/FS2OaQQga6

[UK Punjab Heritage Association @UKPHA]

The Punjab Registers of World War One Punjabi soldiers records continue to provide real evidence of families wartime history. Look out for more news later this year https://t.co/FS2OaQQga6

[Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP @TanDhesi]

So many brave #Punjabi soldiers made incredible #sacrifices fighting in the First World War.

Grateful to @UKPHA, @CWGC, University of Greenwich and @PoppyLegion for going through The #Punjab Registers to connect people like me with the extraordinary #courage of their ancestors.

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

"His wife gets Rs 50/- pension. She also got Rs 300/- as a reward".

As with all wars, a solem reminder that it was the ordinary Punjabi wife/mother/sister who bore the true burden of war when over 74,000 Indians died during the #WW1 and over 89,000 in #WW2.

#InternationalWomensDay
#InternationalWomensDay2026
#India
#IWD2026
#CommonwealthDay2026

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Proud to represent the UK Punjab Heritage Association @UKPHA on #Commonwealth Day at the Memorial Gates.

This represents all Punjabis who fought in the Indian Army in both World Wars.

[Harbakhsh Grewal @HarbakhshGrewal]

Sorry to hear the news of the passing of a good friend, prolific author & lecturer Major Gordon Corrigan. View his talk at @UKPHA expo on the Indian Army on the Western Front: https://t.co/JsgIzYpqLE.

https://t.co/ydUvggAxyW

#History #Military #WW1 #Sikh #Empire

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Great to see a #Sikh soldier as King Charles III & President Trump @realDonaldTrump review the guard of honour formed of 3 regiments of the Household Division:- the @ColdstreamGds, @GrenadierGds & @scots_guards during the ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle.

Historically, Sikhs & other #Indian soldiers have formed part of Coronation Contingents or State visits since the early 20th century, as exemplified in the Indian Army exhibition at @HRP_palaces.

Today, they proudly serve in the @BritishArmy, adding another chapter to our shared military history.

[Royal British Legion @PoppyLegion]

Each year the Chattri Memorial in Brighton hosts people of different faiths from across the UK to commemorate the contributions of the Indian Army who served in WWI. We are proud to support the service ensuring the sacrifices of those from the Commonwealth are never forgotten.

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

I will lay a wreath at the Chattri Memorial on the Patcham Downs to honour the sacrifice of the 23rd, 32nd, 34th Sikh Pioneers of the Indian Army during WW1.

[Ant Metcalfe @ametcalfe42]

I'm on site early for the annual #Chattri #memorial event on South Downs above @BrightonHoveCC . If you haven't visited, it's well worth it #wewillrememberthem it's a fascinating & such important monument @PoppyLegion

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Havildar-Major Rajinder Singh Dhatt M.B.E. (1921-2025).

A life of service and duty ends after 103 years. The last of the war-time generation whose immeasurable contribution to humanity will never be forgotten.

A physical training instructor in the Royal Indian Army Service Corps (R.I.A.S.C), he would see action in #Kohima & #Imphal and then in #Burma.

Rajinder was a founding member of the Undivided Indian Ex-servicemen Association.
He will be remembered for raising awareness of the contribution and sacrifice of the 2.5 million-strong undivided #IndianArmy during the #SecondWorldWar.

Havildar-Major Rajinder Singh Dhatt M.B.E. was the last Sikh WW2 veteran in the UK and I often met him & his family at the Chattri Memorial service in Brighton where be shared stories from #WW2.

Sincere condolences to the Dhatt family.

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Folk roots singer-songwriter @sohsteve Steve Knightley's grandfather, 4150 Colour Sergeant Thomas Knightley served in the 1st bn. Dorsetshire regt and fought in the Tirah Campaign in October 1897, including in a VC action at the Battle of Dargai - a month after the Battle of Saragarhi where 21 #Sikhs fought against the same tribesmen.
He was also involved in the preparation for the Coronation of King George V in 1911.
#sharedhistory.

After an honourable discharge in 1912, Sgt Knightley re-enlisted with the Devonshire regt in 1914, who later had a #Sikh Machine Gun platoon attached in the interwar period.

A few years ago, Steve was reunited with his grandfather's Indian General Service Medal, with clasps for Tirah 1897-98 and Punjab Frontier. See link below @Dorsetecho

Thanks @johnnykalsi founder of @Dholfoundation for the introduction at @HRP_palaces!

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Ghee Bowman's legacy would be to tell the barely untold story of the largest documented PoW escape in #WW2 history.

500 #Indian prisoners of war escaped from a Nazi camp in Epinal, France and made a dash for Switzerland, a gripping narrative told in Ghee Bowman's 'The Great Epinal Escape'.

I met Ghee in October 2024 and he made a compelling case for this daring story to be made into a film.

Unfortunately, Ghee has not lived to see this happen.

As we mark #VEDay80, this untold story is symptomatic of the absence of the contribution that the undivided Indian Army made to bring #VictoryinEurope which is barely mentioned on film or TV.

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

It's not everyday that this happens!

Best-selling author @philmcraig. captivated the audience at a truly remarkable book event at Hampton Court Palace @HRP_palaces exploring the dynamics between the 'Indian Army' & the main actors in the 'Indian National Army' in his latest book #1945TheReckoning.

Sitting in the audience was #WW2 veteran Capt Yavar Abbas who at the age of 105 eloquently shared with the audience the dilemma that whilst he sympathised with the INA, he commissioned in the 2/11th #Sikh Regt and later served under General Thimayya and personally knew Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck.

This dichotomy was not uncommon and sheds a light on the nuanced political atmosphere that is sometimes overlooked.

Thank you to all those who came to support @aLHSikhs !

@RamblingSingh @TomOleary72

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

#WW2 didn't end on #VEDay - that took another 3 long months.

This is the moment Redbridge Councillor @SunnyBrarUK discovered which regiment & rank his GGF served in - at a chance meeting Vaisakhi event in Parliament last month!

Jemadar Nand Singh, served in the 1/16th Punjab regt and fought in #Burma during WW2.

#WW1 Punjab registers @UKPHA show that Nand Singh enlisted as a Sepoy in the 30th Punjabis - 1 of 27 men from village Subhana in Jalandhar, (Punjab) & saw extensive action in German East Africa.

By 1941, he was appointed Jemadar (Acting Subadar) in the 1/16th Punjab Regt in the Burma, a campaign that saw more VC's awarded than any other WW2 campaign, such was the harsh fighting.

Pleased to be able to share this on such a poignant day.

#VEDay80 #VEDay2025 #veday80thanniversary #VictoryDay #VictoryInEurope #VJDay

[Malaya_Singapore 🇬🇧🇳🇱 @MalayaSingapore]

@TejpalRalmill @robert_lyman @UKPHA @amanmadra @HarbakhshGrewal @TanDhesi @_JasvirSingh @adgpi @USIofIndia @NAM_London @Jas_Athwal @PreetKGillMP Very brave men indeed.
I will be talking about the Sikh soldiers who fought in the #MalayanCampaign with a mention of the Malaysian Sikh Veterans’ Association in my #BookFriday tomorrow.
Stay tuned, it will be a special episode 🙏

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

During #WW2, #Sikhs fought in the hills of Italy, deserts of Africa, the skies of Europe and jungles of Burma to defend our freedom and shared values.

2.5 million #Indian soldiers from the undivided Indian Army contributed to #VictoryInEurope - the largest volunteer army the world has seen.

11th Sikh regt were part of the 4th Indian Division, which earned distinction for its role in the Western Desert Campaign. Together with the 5th Indian Division they were instrumental as part of the 8th Army in North Africa and later Italy.

Sqd Ldr Mahinder Singh Pujji D.F.C. was a distinguished R.A.F fighter pilot who had an almost unique distinction in flying in European, North Africa and Burma theatres.

Their courage and selflessness won a victory over tyranny and evil.

#VEDay80 #VEDay2025 #veday80thanniversary #VictoryDay #VictoryInEurope

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Last night I witnessed a stunning display of poppys at @TowerOfLondon
which was a metaphor for the damage the #Tower of London @HRP_palaces sustained during the bombing during #WW2.

It's important to remember the sacrifices made by all of those who came before us.

#TowerPoppies #TowerOfLondon #TowerBlitz #Tower #VEDay80 #VEDay2025 #veday80thanniversary

[Harbakhsh Grewal @HarbakhshGrewal]

Undivided India provided the world’s largest ever volunteer army during the Second World War. This should be a fascinating talk. #LestWeForgetIndia #WW2 #LestWeForget #VEDay

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

Volunteers @Jag_Kang, @jaspritsingh and Gurmeet Singh Kler from 'A little History of the Sikhs' @aLHSikhs were very proud to contribute to this magnificent display at the @TowerOfLondon.

#VEDay #VEDay80 #veday2025 #WW2

[Tej Pal Singh Ralmill @TejpalRalmill]

#AnzacDay2025 #ANZAC #ANZACs
#ANZACSpirit #Sikhs
2255 Private Sarn (Saran) Singh, 43rd Bn., #Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force, killed-in-action in France in 1917. #Firstworldwar

Originally from Jandiala, Jalandhar, #Punjab, #India.

@RamblingSingh @MagpieMetalcore @HaveeSnowball