Research project corrects century-old omission, restoring the legacy of Indian troops who died during the First World War
More than a century after the end of the First World War, nearly 10,000 Indian soldiers whose deaths had never been officially recorded have finally been recognised in the United Kingdom, marking a significant step towards correcting a long-standing historical omission.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has added 9,909 Indian servicemen to its official casualty records following the completion of the Punjab Registers Project, a five-year research initiative undertaken with the UK Punjab Heritage Association and the University of Greenwich. The project relied on rare historical records to identify soldiers from pre-Partition India who served in the British Indian Army but were excluded from formal commemoration for decades due to administrative and colonial-era oversights.
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The newly recognised soldiers fought in various theatres of the First World War and made significant contributions to the Allied war effort
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However, many of their names were absent from official records, leaving their sacrifice unacknowledged for more than 100 years
Claire Horton, Director General of the CWGC, said the organisation remains committed to ensuring that every Commonwealth serviceman and woman who died in military service receives the recognition they deserve. She described the project as an important milestone in addressing historical injustice and preserving the memory of those who had been overlooked.
The recognition has been welcomed by historians and community organisations, who say it highlights the crucial role played by Indian troops during the war. More than 1.3 million soldiers from undivided India served overseas during the conflict, with tens of thousands losing their lives in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Researchers involved in the project said the updated records will ensure the soldiers are remembered in perpetuity through the CWGC’s global system of war graves and memorials. The initiative is also expected to encourage further research into the contributions of colonial troops whose service has often remained underrepresented in mainstream histories of the First World War.
