The National Memorial Arboretum
Exploring some of the memorials with South Asian connections at the year-round centre for Remembrance.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
Manta Singh joined the Indian Army from school in 1907. Promoted to Subedar, the equivalent of captain, he served in the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs alongside an English officer, Lieutenant George Henderson.
In August 1914 Singh and his friend Henderson, like thousands of others, were sent to France. On March 10th 1915, they joined the first major British offensive of the war at Neuve-Chapelle. The night before Henderson told Singh that they would come through together. A force of 40,000 Britons and Indians captured the village but were beaten back. In three days’ fighting there were more than 11,000 casualties, including 4,200 Indians. Henderson who had been injured was hauled by Singh into a wheelbarrow, he found but in the process of rescuing Henderson under fire, Singh was shot.
Days later while Henderson was recovering in hospital, he was informed Singh had died after his wound had become gangrenous. Singh’s body was cremated on the South Downs and his ashes scattered in the sea.
George Henderson never forgot Manta Singh. After the war he returned to India to make sure Singh’s son Assa was being cared for. He encouraged Assa to join the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs like his father. Assa, who rose to Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, became friends with Henderson’s son Robert. They served together in the Eighth Army, fighting German forces in North Africa during the Second World War. After the war Robert helped Assa move to Britain.
Today the third generation are friends. Singh’s grandson Jaimal and Henderson’s grandson Ian visit Brighton each year to lay a wreath at the Chattri Monument. The memorial to Indian soldiers is 500ft up on Patcham Down at the spot where Singh and 52 other Indians were cremated.
Image: 3rd generation: Jaimal Singh and Ian Henderson at the Chattri Monument, Brighton. Source: BBC news
Exploring some of the memorials with South Asian connections at the year-round centre for Remembrance.
An aviation enthusiast’s special mission to honour a Second World War agent in occupied France.
The Indian Army Memorial Room stands as a tribute to the rich history and enduring spirit of the Indian soldiers of the British Indian Army.
The story behind the tribute to commemorate the service of Sikh members of the Armed Forces.
The first of the Trust’s projects is the South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM), which first took place in 2020 and runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August each year.
SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities.
It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
