Mahomed Gama (1895 – 1965).
He was born in old Mirpur, in the erstwhile princely state of Jammu & Kashmir.
He served in the Mercantile Marine with the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. He served on the SS Medina, which transported King George V for his Dehli Durbar Coronation to India.
Mahomed Gama, had war service as a fireman in the First World War on the SS Khiva from 1917 to 1918. The SS Khiva transported American troops from New York to various ports in the UK including: London, Plymouth and Liverpool. He was a recipient of the Mercantile Marine War Medal and the British War Medal (also known as the General Service Medal).
The scholarly giant on the South Asian presence in the UK, Dr Rozina Visram in her book ‘Asians in Britain 400 Years of History’ wrote 50,000 ‘lascar’ لشکر seafarers served Great Britain in the First World War.
The exhibition ‘Unsung Heroes of World War I’ featured historical artifacts, photos and news clippings on the Asian (Indian, Nepalese Bangladeshi – the Indian subcontinent, along with Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesian soldiers in WW1, as well as other moments in South Asian history.
As the saying goes, “Like mother, like daughter.” In the case of creative talents, this couldn’t be more true. The influence of a mother’s creativity can leave a lasting impact on her children, shaping their own artistic endeavours and passions. In this journal I explore the profound impact my mother’s creative legacy has influenced me and how Sohavi was truly born. Roots to routes explores my late mothers life journey from birth in Kenya to India as a teenager and eventually returning to Kenya in her 20’s , to marry my father Sardar Tirlochan Singh Dhamu, to emigrate to London from Nairobi in October 1973 and live out the rest of her life. Despite experiencing loss and trauma, she endured difficulties n her younger years and made the best of her life in my fathers trusting hand, he led her to a new life in London.
As an update from my last article, I can say that the past year has been both adventurous and fulfilling. I’ve faced a mix of opportunities
South Asian Heritage Month dates changed to "July" from 2026 — Learn more here →
