Sikhs have a long history of fighting in wars. Military service and combat have been an integral part of the Sikh faith. Sikhs not only served in the British Indian Army during WWI but also in Canadian and Australian overseas battalions. Sikhs continue to serve and fight for their nations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, to name a few. They also serve in the United Nations (UN) army.
Remembrance Day Ceremony 2017
A Sikh soldier who fought in the First World War was honored in Kitchener on Remembrance Day, 2017. Several Canadians paid tribute to the soldier in Kitchener, including the defense minister, Sardar Harjit Singh Sajjan.
Hundreds of dignitaries, veterans, cadets, and others paid tribute to Private Buckam Singh at Mount Hope Cemetery. In WWI, Buckam Singh was one of only nine Sikhs allowed to serve in the Canadian army.
Private Buckham Singh
An early Sikh pioneer in Ontario, Buckam Singh served in the First World War. He was born in a Sikh family on December 5, 1893, in Mahilpur, Punjab, India, to Badan Singh and Chandi Kaur. In March 1903, at the age of 10, Buckam Singh married Pritam Kaur of Jamsher.
As India was still under British control many Sikhs enlisted in the British Army. In 1887, some Sikh soldiers from India (Punjab) reached Britain to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The landscape of British Columbia captured their hearts as they traveled across Canada. In 1907, the 14-year-old Singh left for British Columbia after hearing about Canada.
While the Canadians did not like to give jobs to foreigners, there was a labor shortage in British Columbia when Buckam Singh immigrated. As a result of the riots in Vancouver in 1907, the Canadian government instituted racist laws requiring South Asian immigrants to move from their homeland to Canada in one continuous journey, a feat impossible for the Sikhs. New immigrants must also have $250 in savings, ten times as much as European immigrants.
At the time, wages were just cents a week, so this was quite a large amount. As a result of these discriminatory conditions, Singh moved to Ontario and began working for a farmer in Rosebank.
During wartime
As a member of the British Empire, Canada entered the First World War on August 5, 1914. The following year, Buckam Singh enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force and became one of nine Sikhs allowed to fight for Canada.
He then joined the 59th Battalion at Barriefield Camp near Kingston, Ontario. On his attestation paper, since there was no Sikh option, he just stated that he was of the Church of England religion on his attestation papers.
Due to the necessity of deploying troops to the Western Front as soon as possible, Buckam Singh received training and was shipped off aboard with 250 men. There, Buckam Singh was transferred to the 39th Reserve Battalion to await deployment to a combat battalion.
Buckam Singh joined the 20th Battalion on January 21, 1916. A shrapnel attack hit him on his head on June 2, 1916, and he was hospitalized until the end of the month. He got wounded for a second time at St. Eloi on July 24 and was sent to a hospital run by John McCrae then crossed the English Channel for recovery in Manchester. Singh was considered fit to rejoin active combat on March 11, 1917, and was sent to the Central Ontario Regimental Depot, where he waited to be sent back to France.
He was sent back to Canada in May as he contracted severe tuberculosis. After being discharged on August 1, 1918, he spent his remaining days at Freeport Military Hospital, where he passed away on August 27, 1919, at the age of 25.
His grave in Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener Ontario is the only known WWI Sikh Canadian Soldier’s military grave in Canada. He never got to see his family again and passed away in obscurity nearly a century ago. His brave narrative is now being reclaimed and remembered every year.
Defence Minister on Buckham Singh
Defense Minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet since 2015, Sardar Harjit Singh Sajjan is a retired lieutenant-colonel who was deployed overseas four times: once to Bosnia-Herzegovina and three times to Afghanistan.
For Harjit Singh Sajjan, the story of Private Buckam Singh's sacrifice is particularly poignant. Private Buckham Singh's village is close to the village from where Harjit Singh Sajjan hails.
He says that it is due to brave Sikhs like Private Buckham Singh who broke down all barriers and have given Sikhs a status that is revered and admired by all. Harjit Singh Sajjan firmly believes his position as commanding officer of the British Columbia Regiment, has been possible only due to the contributions of the former Sikh soldiers who lost their lives fighting in the fields of the war for Canada.
According to Sajjan, the strength of Canada lies in its diversity. He said "Our diversity in Canada is our strength. When you show up in uniform with that Canadian flag and you're able to understand someone else's culture, it sends a tremendous message.”
"This is not about a simple question of doing the right thing. This is an operational necessity for all of us and it will allow us, in my opinion, to help reduce conflict because you will have people that understand the cultures from around the world who are Canadians themselves," he added.
Canadian Sikh historian Sandeep Singh Brar, who assisted in organizing the ceremony said that it now serves as a tribute not only to Singh and his fellow Sikh soldiers but also to everyone who has served Canada.
Brar pointed out that Singh's tombstone has a maple leaf over his name, as do those of most other veterans of the Great War. Knowing he was Sikh a traditional cross is not carved over it. Brar noted that more than 116,000 Canadian soldiers have died in service of our country.
Medal discovery uncovers the story of Canadian Sikh war hero
Private Buckam Singh’s fascinating story of bravery, adventure, and tragedy was uncovered with the discovery of his Victory Medal. Canadian Sikh historian Sandeep Singh Brar was prompted to research its ownership when he bought a forgotten World War I medal from an online memorabilia dealer. He was surprised to find the inscription engraved on the rim. It said Pte. Singh was a member of the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion thus revealing that Sikhs had served Canada in the First World War.
Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony
The Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony, which is held at the historic site of WWI Canadian hero Private Buckam Singh's grave, the only World War I military grave of a Sikh soldier in Canada, has become an annual tradition. The Sikh community of Canada comes together to honor him for his service and to commemorate the sacrifices that Sikh military soldiers have made for Canada.
Sikhs have always shared their labor and toil with Canada. Remembrance Day recognizes the courage and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers. Their inspiring stories will be told retold and celebrated by generations of Sikh Canadians.