Let Us Be Reminded!

Ishtiaq Ahmed 

Bradford: Across the United Kingdom, national and local governments, together with cathedrals, churches, Mosques, Gurdawaras and Temples and scores of community organisations, are holding commemorative events to honour those who sacrificed their lives during the two World Wars.

These solemn occasions remind us not only of the British soldiers who fought and died but also of the immense and often under-acknowledged contribution made by the nations of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth’s role in both World Wars was vital to the success of the Allied forces across Europe, Africa, and Asia. These countries provided not only soldiers and auxiliary personnel, but also crucial financial support, raw materials, and munitions, often at great human and economic cost.

During the First World War, around three million soldiers and auxiliaries came from Commonwealth nations. India contributed the largest contingent with 1,440,437 personnel, followed by Canada (628,964), Australia (412,953), and South Africa (136,070), among others.

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These men fought in some of the most brutal campaigns in history, from the trenches of the Western Front to the deserts of the Middle East.

The Second World War saw an even greater mobilisation. Approximately 15 million soldiers and auxiliaries served, many again from Commonwealth nations.

India suffered the highest number of fatalities, around 87,000, followed by Canada (42,000), Australia (39,000), and other nations such as New Zealand and South Africa, which also endured heavy losses.

Canada provided over $4 billion in financial aid, alongside vast quantities of munitions and supplies produced across Canada, India, and Australia, resources that were essential to sustaining the Allied war effort.

According to the National Muslim War Memorial Trust, an estimated 5.5 million Muslims fought on the Allied side across both World Wars, with approximately 1.6 million killed in action.

During the Second World War alone, nearly 1.5 million Muslim soldiers lost their lives while serving in various Allied armies, including the British Indian Army and the Free French forces.

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The British Indian Army was the largest volunteer force in the world, expanding to 2.5 million personnel by 1945. Of these, more than 600,000 were Muslims who served between 1939 and 1945.

Additionally, around 250,000 North African Muslims fought within the Free French forces. Their courage and sacrifice were instrumental in the liberation of Britain, Europe and America.

It is no exaggeration to say that Britain, Europe, and the United States could not have prevailed in the two World Wars without the immense contribution of the Commonwealth nations.

Yet, this truth is too often overlooked, particularly by far-right politicians and nationalist movements who deny or diminish the role played by non-European peoples.

Britain’s wartime strength was built on the sacrifices of those from across its former empire, Indians, Africans, Caribbeans, Australians, Canadians, and others, many of whom fought under the Union Jack in the hope of a better, freer world.

Among them were hundreds of thousands of Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus, whose loyalty and bravery stand as enduring testaments to shared humanity in the face of tyranny.

No debt of gratitude can fully repay what these men and women gave. As we commemorate their service, let us ensure their stories, and their sacrifices, are never forgotten.

The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.