Harnam Singh

By Billy Gill

We never knew much about our grandfather’s time in the British Indian Army. Everyone in the family remembered him as a quiet man — gentle, reserved, and seldom one to speak of the past. His years in service were a chapter he kept locked away.

Perhaps he had seen too much or lost too many friends. Perhaps the discipline and duty of those years had shaped the quiet dignity he carried through the rest of his life. What he didn’t tell us in words; he showed us through his actions — the way he worked and the steady patience with which he met life’s hardships.

What we do know is that he was posted in India and France, serving with The Central India Horse – a former British Indian Army cavalry regiment, officially  known as the 21st King George V’s Own Horse.

My father, Gurchand Singh Gill, served in the Royal Air Force in the 1960's, based at RAF Changi in Singapore before we were posted to RAF Chivenor and then RAF Acomb. I don’t think my grandfather’s service directly influenced his decision to join, but service and dedication seem to have quietly carried through our family’s bloodline.

As I remember then, I also think of all those who served — known and unknown, recognised and forgotten — whose courage shaped the world we live in today.

I’m proud of my grandfather who stood up and served in the Great War. But behind that pride lies a quiet sadness — for the Indian and Commonwealth soldiers who gave their all yet slipped from history’s spotlight. Their courage may have gone unrecognised, but it will never be forgotten.

Harnam Singh (middle row, centre) surrounded by his children and grandchildren in Malaysia.