10th anniversary of the UK's first WW1 Sikh Memorial to be marked at Staffordshire's National Memorial Arboretum

The WW1 Sikh Memorial, at the 150-acre free-to-enter garden and woodland site, sits alongside more than 420 other tributes to the service and sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces, Emergency Services and civilian services.

A special community gathering will take place at the memorial, a regular occurrence on the first Sunday of November ahead of Armistice Day. The event, on Sunday, November 3,2024, will include eulogies about the bravery and valour of Sikhs who served during the wars, around 124,245 Sikhs fought during the Great War.

The monuments creator and chairman Capt. Jay Singh-Sohal VR said: “When we set out to create the memorial, we underestimated just how significant this would be for the Sikh community at large.

"Since our creation a decade ago, we’re inspired more memorials to be created up and down the country as our community seeks to educate others about the bravery and valour of Sikhs in the past and the continued contribution of our vibrant community today.

"Sikhs are distinct because of our turban-identity, and so memorials commemorating Sikh service also help create awareness of our faith-based principles.

"I hope, as we mark our 10th anniversary, that we continue to inspire others to be selfless and serve our country, in uniform or otherwise.”

The memorial was the first of its kind - a statue commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers during the conflict. The Sikh contribution is remarkable, as despite being only 1 per cent of the Indian population at the time, they constituted 20 per cent of the Indian Army under the British and were represented in over a third of the regiments at the time.

For their heroism, Sikhs received 29 per cent of all Indian Orders of Merit awarded during the war and 24 per cent of all Indian Distinguished Service Medals.

The memorial was uniquely funded through a grassroots campaign by the “WW1 Sikh Memorial Fund” on the Kickstarter website and more than 200 people from across different faiths and backgrounds contributed from £1 to £1,000 to fund the memorial that was installed at the Arboretum, the Nation’s year-round place to remember.

Mark Ellis, National Memorial Arboretum Lead, said “Since its installation and dedication, the WW1 Sikh Memorial has proved incredibly valuable, increasing awareness of the contributions of Sikh Armed Forces personnel and helping us pass the baton of Remembrance to the next generation.

“Our inspirational living landscape, home to a diverse collection of more than 420 memorials, is a dedicated Remembrance space, freely open to all, where everyone can remember in their own way.”

The “WW1 Sikh Memorial” was dedicated in 2015 by Major General Patrick Sanders CBE DSO, Bhai Sahib Dr Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia and business tycoon Peter Singh Virdee at a ceremony which fused religious traditions from the Sikh faith with British military pomp and custom.