Oldham Honors South Asian WW2 Volunteers

0:00On April 5th, over 2.5 million folks from the British Raj stepped up as volunteers during World War II, forming the largest volunteer army, ever assembled. That forced Drew from what's now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and now a new bronze sculpture and oldm honors them with figures. Representing Gurkhas, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus in uniform, the project comes from the charity British Future, highlighting these soldiers' massive role. Their research shows less than half the UK public even knew Indian troops fought in that war, so this display aims to set the record straight. It ties into a drop-in event at Gallery Oldm, syncing with the Royal British legions forgotten army exhibit for the 80th anniversary of the war's end. One local, Sharon Chiste, shared how her family settled in Oldm back in the 1980s. Her grandfather battled in World War I and both her. Dad and adopted father, served in the second one. She hopes this sparks others to dig into their own roots and uncover family ties to the fight.

1:04Meanwhile, British Future pushes everyone to check the My Family Legacy website for South Asian history, reminding us how the old empire pulled people. From across the globe into the fray.