Absent Friends.
Remembering the Fallen on the opening of Another Year
I often hear how Britain stood alone in the early part of WW2, but the fact is we did not. The top rank of Battle of Britain pilots included Poles, Slovaks, an Indian and a South African and many other non UK citizens. Many nations, and individuals, stood with us but are rarely mentioned, especially in the traditional Remembrance Day Services. These are just 8 from that vast crowd that I happen to know about. So first let me tell you how I came to know their names.
I was looking to find a relative’s grave in Brecon cemetery, he had been well known there as he owned a brewery, so he should have had a posh plot. While I was looking for it I came across a small section separated from the rest of the cemetery by a neat hedge on all four sides with just a gap to pass through to pay your respects. As I was reading these headstones a small mob of local children who were noisily playing in the graveyard came to see what I was doing. I thought that a good telling of for disrespecting the dead was in order. I asked the nearest lad if he knew why these graves were hedged off from the others, he did not. I pointed out that they were all foreign Muslims who had died in our war for our freedom when it was of little consequence to them, and Muslims could not be buried in the Christian graveyard.
Just as I was about to change tone and give them all a right rollicking for playing in a cemetery I had a change of heart. That is EXACTLY what these lads, and so many, many more, died for. These children’s freedom. Freedom to play where and how they wanted.
So if you too want to raise a glass to someone who gave their life for your freedom who might otherwise go unremembered here are their names:-
Ali Bahadur
Driver: 783729 3 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 12 October 1941 21 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Bostan Muhammad, and Fatama Bibi, of Ardala Isman Zada, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Aurangzeb
Bellows Boy: 181367 Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 13 March 1942 18 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Muhammad Khalil, and Gulab Bano, of Rojoa, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Gul Muhammad
Driver: 172264 29 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 29 May 1942 29 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Ghulam Hussain and Rahmat Noor, of Banda Hazara, Pakistan
Muhammad Din
Driver: 65553 7 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 10 July 1942 30 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Imam Din; husband of Ashan Bi, of Mori, Gujrat, Pakistan
Muhammad Sharif
Driver: 171032 29 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 14 August 1941 28 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Majabat Ali and Karam Begam, of Kotli, Poonch, Kashmir; husband of Jumaro Begam
Meharban Ali
Naik: 29879 32 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 01 September 1941 31 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Ghulam Haidet and Chano Bibi, of Dherian, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Muhammad Sarwar
Driver: 175697 25 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 17 June 1941 26 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Rab Nawaz and Ghulam Fatima, of Khushab, Shahpur, Pakistan
Muhammad Ali
Driver: 181389 7 Mule Coy. Royal Indian Army Service Corps
Died 10 June 1942 22 years old
Country of Service India
Son of Abdulla and Phani; husband of Noor Bibi, of Satnour, Hoshiarpur, India