CWGC Adds 9,909 Indian Army Soldiers to War Records

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has added 9,909 British Indian Army servicemen who died during the First World War to its official casualty database. This represents the largest single addition to the records since the Second World War and corrects a century-old omission driven by British Indian Government rulings and imperial prejudices. These rulings historically denied war grave status to soldiers who died in non-operational zones within India or from injuries and illness, including the 1918-19 influenza pandemic.

The recovery was achieved through the Punjab Registers project, a five-year collaboration between the CWGC, the UK Punjab Heritage Association, and the University of Greenwich. Researchers and volunteers digitized and analyzed records of approximately 320,000 Punjabi recruits held at the Lahore Museum in Pakistan. The newly recognized soldiers include Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, with approximately 40% being Muslim and 25% each being Sikh and Hindu.

This effort is part of the CWGC's Non-Commemoration Programme, launched in 2021 to redress Euro-centric views and correct historical inequalities. Following the update, the commission is now consulting with Commonwealth governments to determine how to provide meaningful physical commemoration for these individuals.