Indian Service Personnel
Photograph of Jagt Singh, taken for his Certificate of Registration under the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act. 1920. 5th May 1921.
Archives NZ: R7817714. No known copyright restrictions.
We have idenitified ten New Zealand personnel of Indian descent on Online Cenotaph serving in both the New Zealand Army and Air Force in both the First and Second World Wars.
Service personnel include Jagt Singh also known as Soldier Singh who served with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles during the First World War. Though they were often willing to serve, the Indian community in New Zealand were excluded from service in the First World War for the most part. As British subjects, Indian immigrants living in New Zealand were balloted for service, however, when they tried to enlist they were usually turned away. They could be rejected on grounds of being medically unfit, and later ‘commissariat difficulties’ were used as a reason to put them on early discharge or indefinite leave.
If you know of any other personnel who have Indian whakapapa please get in contact.
Results
Photo | Force | Wars | Service # | |
97182 |  | Grant | Anthony Vincent | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 19457 | | |
C7294 |  | Hughes | Ernest Herbert | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 26/1000 | | |
113507 |  | Jaram | Norman Narsay | Army | Jayforce, 1945-1948, Korean War, 1950-1953 | 811896, 203671 | | |
97181 |  | Khan | Jamal | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 19482 | | |
C10587 |  | May | Richard S. | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 9/1336 | | |
C29722 |  | Mewa | Alick | Air Force | World War II, 1939-1945 | NZ414320, 414320 | | |
C10631 |  | Mehra | Ratan Chand | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 26/123 | | |
97180 |  | Rashid | Joe Abdul | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 19481 | | |
201133 |  | Singh | Dula Gurdit | Army | Korean War, 1950-1953 | 35405 | | |
224666 |  | Singh | Esive | Air Force | World War II, 1939-1945 | | | |
C55327 |  | Singh | Jagt | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 11/1011, 13/1011a | | |
97177 |  | Singh | Sham | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 16/1553 | | |
201132 |  | Singh | Sonny | Army | Korean War, 1950-1953 | 204610 | | |
97178 |  | Singh | Weer | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | N/N | | |
C81872 |  | Soman | Robert Ramchurn | Army | World War I, 1914-1918 | 34742 | | |
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.