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Old 29-03-2008, 10:43 AM   #1 (permalink)
Kyt
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Question Indians in Canadian Army

A question for our Canadian members (well they have to earn their keep ):

Were there any Indians in the Canadian armed forces during WW2? I know there was a sizeable Sikh population in Canada from before WW1 and I wondered whether there are any records of them or other Indians joining up in either WW1 or WW2 (though I know that the position of immigrants before, during and just after WW1 was rather complicated and so they may not have been eligible to join-up)?

I've read a passing reference to the fact that 200 Japanese joined up during WW1 and 50/60 were killed.
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Old 29-03-2008, 12:47 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Kyt, Give me some common Indian names and i'll check on this for you. If you want to PM them to me thats fine as well.

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The Sunderland is from 422 RCAF Squadron whom my dear Father in law served at Pembroke in Wales.

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Old 29-03-2008, 01:06 PM   #3 (permalink)
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I don't have any names as such but for Sikhs, the most common surname was/is Singh.
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Old 29-03-2008, 02:25 PM   #4 (permalink)
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This seems as though it could be a son of a mixed marriage?

Name: SINGH, JAMES
Initials: J
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment/Service: Regina Rifle Regiment, R.C.I.C.
Age: 23
Date of Death: 12/10/1944
Service No: L/28261
Additional information:
Son of Besua and Jennie Singh, of Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IX. G. 7. Cemetery:
ADEGEM CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY
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-------------------------------------------------------
My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html

"You were given the choice between war and dishonor.
You chose dishonor and you will have war."

(Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.)

What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm
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Old 29-03-2008, 02:37 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Eight (8) Singh's attested in the Great War:

Singh List

Name Date of Birth Rank Regimental number(s) Reference
1. SINGH, BUKAM 05/12/1893 454819 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 44
2. SINGH, HARI 06/06/1882 139181 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 45
3. SINGH, HERMAN 04/07/1888 827025 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 46
4. SINGH, JOHN 13/12/1880 721760 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 47
5. SINGH, LASHMAN 15/01/1885 219222 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 48
6. SINGH, RAM 03/12/1888 4080094 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 49
7. SINGH, SEWA 07/06/1890 2074282 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 50
8. SINGH, WARYAM 23/01/1883 410622 RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 8947 - 51

That matches Marc Leroux's program list, so that was the total. Any more names?
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Old 29-03-2008, 02:43 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Thank you Spidge, just found a picture of the grave. It is very possible that he was of mixed parentage because most of the early Indian immigrants were single males, many of whom would have settled down with canadian women:

The Adegem Canadian War Cemetery: J. Singh

Thank you Richard. Other possible names (of course just the tip of the iceberg):

Lal,
Mohan,
Patel
Ram
Dutt
Ghosh
Khan
Menon
etc etc etc
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Old 29-03-2008, 10:33 PM   #7 (permalink)
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There are another two for your list for the great war.

LOAL SINGH, who died on October 24, 1918, Service Number: 219222, Unit: Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment), ARRAS ROAD CEMETERY
Pas de Calais,France.

BUKKAN SINGH, who died on August 27, 1919, Service Number: 454819
, Unit: Canadian Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment), Cemetery:
KITCHENER (MOUNT HOPE) CEMETERY
Ontario,Canada

Also i have one listed for 1954 and in 1944. Let me know if you want the details.

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The Sunderland is from 422 RCAF Squadron whom my dear Father in law served at Pembroke in Wales.

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Old 29-03-2008, 10:36 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Thank Sniper. And yes, the additional names would be great.

I would love to find some references to Indians in the Canadian armed forces but all I seem to find is about recent recruitment.
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Old 30-03-2008, 03:31 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Any of the names you want searched from WWI records, let me know and it is a done deal. Sorry, we can't do WWII in Canada yet, unless you are a relative and the person is deceased - and only then with PROOF in all aspects.
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Old 30-03-2008, 09:29 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Kyt,

Here are the two others you asked for.

Rifleman
JAMES SINGH
who died on October 12, 1944. Service Number: 28261. Unit: Regina Rifle Regiment. Cemetery:
ADEGEM CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY
Belgium

Flying Officer
GERMAL SINGH
who died on October 3, 1954. Service Number: 55055. Date of Enlistment: January 25, 1951
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Son of Giana and D'Hante Singh of Vancouver, BC. Husband of Irene D. Singh. Father of Isabel R. Singh. Brother of Darvio, Gerival, Sadu, Gaily, Mindow, Chindow Singh.
Cemetery:
COTE DES NEIGES OUEST (BARON DE HIRSCH) CEM.
Quebec,Canada

Hope this helps you in your research.

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Lest we forget

The Sunderland is from 422 RCAF Squadron whom my dear Father in law served at Pembroke in Wales.

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