Lest we forget...

its easy for an immigrant like myself to whiff past this past week's remembrance services. all this talk of casualties in world war 1 and 2 can seem a lil distant to someone who doesnt have a link to these events

alot of the people would've had grand-dad's who would've fought in the wars atleast some family member would have. then an immigrant comes in the 70's and the recovery is happening and not many people like talkin about the war...

The Commonwealth Graves Commission is an excellent resource for anyone trying to trace a long lost family member who died

so i went there and its quite a good resource - so i thought lets see if there were any asian who fought for the british in europe as opposed to the far east where the indian army was quite active.

so a brief look into their archives...

Name:	ALI, YOUSIF
Initials:	Y
Nationality:	United Kingdom
Rank:	Leading Aircraftman
Regiment/Service:	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age:	42
Date of Death:	12/05/1947
Service No:	1873001
Additional information:	Son of Mahamed Cassie Ali and Babe Ali ; Husband of Ethel Emma Ali, of Shepherd Bush London.
Casualty Type:	Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:	2A. D. 5.
Cemetery:	BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY

Name:	SINGH, MOHNA
Initials:	M
Nationality:	United Kingdom
Rank:	Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service:	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text:	106 Sqdn.
Date of Death:	30/07/1944
Service No:	1324569
Casualty Type:	Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:	Panel 3.
Cemetery:	GOLDERS GREEN CREMATORIUM

two stories which i'm sure to someone mean something. but it just goes to show it wasnt just "whites" that fought. it wasnt just the natives but also many of our forefathers and beyond who have fought alongside the British.

thankfully with the internet many people have found it easier to trace their family history to such wars and further back. sites such as the commonwealth graves commission have made it easier for people to look back to see if their predecessors were involved and what role they played. sadly alot of the WW1 records were destroyed in german bombings.

many immigrants i think are sadly ignorant to the fact that it wasnt just the "english" who died during these wars - they're just so unaware of how many asians died along side them.

From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;