Punjab Registers: Sharing the Stories for Evermore

An evening of discussion and remembrance shines a light on the Punjab Registers, a landmark heritage initiative uncovering the stories of hundreds of thousands of Punjabi soldiers who served in the British Army during the World Wars.

During the First World War, one in six soldiers serving in British forces came from India, with around 500,000 recruited from the province of Punjab. Yet the contributions and sacrifices of many of these individuals have remained largely absent from public memory. Through a collaboration between the United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Association and the University of Greenwich, a unique archive of historical records has now been acquired and digitised, making it possible to identify many of these soldiers for the first time.

The Punjab Registers contain the names and service histories of approximately 320,000 Punjabi recruits, creating an invaluable resource for researchers, historians and families seeking to better understand their heritage. The project enables people of Punjabi origin in the UK to trace wartime connections, uncover family histories and gain a deeper appreciation of the role their ancestors played in shaping British and global history.

The event will explore the significance of the archive, the process of preserving and digitising the records, and the importance of ensuring these stories are recognised and remembered for future generations.