From Battlefield to Database: Preserving the Forgotten Soldiers of the British Indian Army
“As a Punjabi myself, I feel proud to contribute to the community.”
— Jasmin Basra, PhD student, University of Greenwich
A Legacy of Service
During World War I, approximately 1.4 million people from the Indian subcontinent—modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—served in the British Indian Army. Following the conflict, officials meticulously recorded the names and fates of 320,000 servicemen from the Punjab state alone.
A Lost Archive, Recovered
After the 1947 partition of India, Punjab was split between India and Pakistan. The original leather-bound volumes, embossed with village names and containing handwritten records, were stored at the Lahore Museum in Pakistan.
Digitizing History
The UK Punjab Heritage Association led a multi-year project to digitize and analyze these fragile records. The goal: to make this history accessible and searchable for the descendants of those who served.
Personal Connection
During the research, Jasmin Basra discovered the names of her great-great-grandfather and his brother, both of whom fought in WW1 for the British Indian Army. Basra described the discovery as an emotional connection, providing a tangible link to her heritage for her as a second-generation British Punjabi.
“It provides a tangible link to my heritage.”
— Jasmin Basra, on finding her great-great-grandfather's record
Why This Matters
For the millions of descendants living in diaspora communities—particularly in the UK, Canada, and the US—these records offer a tangible link to a shared history that is often overlooked in Western narratives of WW1. The digitized archive ensures that the names of these 320,000 men will not be forgotten.