The National Army Museum (NAM) based in Chelsea, London, has been chosen as keeper of the lasting legacy of an Indian Army Regiment’s contribution during the First World War.
A silver salver honouring the role of the Regiment of the Deccan Horse and Scinde Horse was presented to Janice Murray, Director General at the NAM. The presentation took place at the glittering Shoulder to Shoulder dinner supported by the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail, as part of their 1914Sikhs initiative.
The silver salver was presented to the Museum by Lt Gen T S Shergill PVSM, former Colonel of the Regiment of the Deccan Horse and Scinde Horse. He was joined by Brigadier R J H Baddeley and Brigadier Charles Wright, both of whom have fathers who served with the Deccan Horse. The silver salver is inscribed with the Regiment’s numerous battle honours, badges, awards and the roll of the fallen.
The NAM was chosen as the location of the Regiment’s First World War legacy in order to represent it alongside the British Army’s own history of the conflict. Accordingly, the silver salver will now be accessioned into the NAM’s Collection, symbolising the intertwined history of the British and Indian Armies.
Talking about the presentation of the silver salver, Lt Gen T S Shergill said, “Of the 1.3 million Indian soldiers who served in the First World War, over 74,000 laid down their lives and many more were wounded. It is for this reason that my regiment felt a poignant way to represent the services of the regiment to the British Army in the Great War was to send a silver salver to its principle war museum.”
Janice Murray, Director General of the NAM, adds, “It is a true honour to accession this lasting legacy of the Regiment of the Deccan Horse and Scinde Horse into our Collection. We are delighted to be able to commemorate the great sacrifices made by the regiment, and indeed all Indian soldiers, during the First World War. The silver salver presented to me will take pride of place in our Collection.”
The Museum holds the world’s largest Collection of Indian Army insignia, which has been the basis for a host of initiatives to open up and explore these Objects further.
As part of the NAM’s Building for the Future* redevelopment project, assisted by a generous Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the Museum has been working with the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail to host a series of artefact workshops with members of the British Sikh community. In addition, the NAM has recreated the 15th Ludhiana Sikh Regiment with volunteers from the British Sikh Community, currently on tour re-enacting the regiment’s war experiences at events all over the country.