A People's History

 

A People's History

A century ago Sikhs fought in the Great War alongside their Indian and British counterparts. But their experiences have remained hidden - until now. With your help our Citizen Historian programme has brought to light moving stories from within the Sikh community. These are your stories, and our collective history, which we are sharing now with the world.

The first of our now fortnightly newsletters looks at one such incredible account. We hope you enjoy it and share it with others and also ask them to sign up directly so we can spread word of a people's history of WW1.

Jawala Singh: Mud, Blood and Leeches

Sepoy Jawala Singh of the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs was born in the village of Boparai Kalan in Jalandhar District, East Punjab. Like thousands of other Sepoys sent to the Western Front, he endured the everyday horrors of combat. His son, Citizen Historian Davinder Singh Boparai, remembered his father recalling the rain-filled trenches, blood-sucking leeches, severe food shortages and surviving a bullet to the chest. You can read the full story here.

The Greatest Resource on the Sikhs & WW1

Take a look around www.empirefaithwar.com and you'll find a host of illuminating and educational resources including more incredible stories families have shared with us about their ancestors, Spoken History interviews with men like the first Sikh fighter pilot, education packs for schools, rare archive and specially commissioned new films, as well as recordings of our illustrated talks series by international experts from our summer 2014 exhibition and so much more.

And don't forget to keep up to date with our regular updates and your chance to join in the conversation on Facebook & Twitter.

Till next time

The EFW Team
The Sikhs of World War One: With Your Help They Will Be Remembered.

Picture Credits:

1. Engraving of Sikh trench raiders on the Western Front published in The Times, 9 August 1915. (UKPHA Archive)
2. Sepoy Jawala Singh of the 15th Sikhs. (Courtesy: Davinder Singh Boparai)
3. Detail from a French postcard showing men of the 15th Sikhs marching through the streets of Marseilles in 1914. One of them holds a tricolor. (Courtesy: Toor Collection)