Forgotten Punjabi WWI soldiers to be commemorated by CWGC
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is adding nearly 10,000 forgotten Punjabi soldiers from World War I to its records, ensuring they are properly commemorated.
The Full Story
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The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is adding nearly 10,000 forgotten Punjabi soldiers from World War I to its official records, ensuring they are properly commemorated for the first time. The names of British Indian Army servicemen had been missing from official casualty lists for more than a century, but were recently discovered in archives in Pakistan.
During World War I, 1.4 million people from the subcontinent (now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) fought for Britain in the British Indian Army. A painstaking re-examination of registers held in the Lahore Museum in Pakistan revealed the names of nearly 10,000 soldiers whose deaths had not previously been officially recognised. Officials had visited every town and village in the state of Punjab more than 100 years ago, recording the names of those who went to war and their fate.
Researchers are now trying to track down descendants of these soldiers, many of whom live in the UK. One descendant, Sunny, was shown the entry of his great-grandfather, Kherso Singh, in the registers for the first time. The entry reads: "Kherso Singh, son of Seva Singh, regiment number 23." Sunny said: "The circle has closed, I feel much more complete. When I share this information with family and extended family, they also have a sense of pride."
Volunteers have been cross-referencing hundreds of thousands of names. One volunteer, Jasmine, unexpectedly came across one of her own ancestors. She said: "Being second-generation British Punjabi, there is almost a disconnect from Punjab as well as not being fully connected to British history, but I think this is a tangible link to all of it. I feel really proud that I can do this part for the community."
The CWGC will now officially add those nearly 10,000 new names to its lists. There is also consideration of what a physical memorial might look like to commemorate the thousands of new names whose sacrifice was hidden in the archives for so long. Around 20 Indian soldiers are already buried at a military cemetery in Surrey. The CWGC said: "We know that there are communities within the UK who feel marginalised by remembrance and commemoration and I guess what I'm saying as part of all of this is they needn't feel like that."
On screen
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Key Claims
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Channel Perspectives
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This channel gave a very brief, factual summary of the story as part of a news roundup. It did not include any human interest elements, interviews, or details about the archive discovery. The tone was neutral and concise, treating the story as a straightforward announcement.
- “Thousands of forgotten Punjabi soldiers who fought World War I are being recognised for the first time.”
- “Almost 10,000 names of British Indian Army servicemen are being added to the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission casualty records.”
This channel provided a detailed, human-interest focused report. It included interviews with a descendant (Sunny) and a volunteer (Jasmine), explained the archive discovery in Pakistan, and discussed the broader effort to acknowledge the contribution of colonial troops. The tone was respectful and emotional, highlighting the personal impact of the recognition.
- “The circle has closed, I feel much more complete. When I share this information, we're out with family and extended family, they also have a sense of pride.”
- “We can clearly see the Kherso Singh of Seva Singh and the date is written over it.”
- “The work of volunteers like Jasmine means the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will now officially add those near 10,000 new names of war dead to their lists.”
Broadcast Timeline
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