|
SWARAN SINGH
(Village Surapur, Via Banga, Jullundhar India)
For many, many
years Swaran Singh was the only turbaned ex-solider who would
proudly march along the Otahuhu streets on ANZAC Day parade.
However, he passed away unexpectedly almost five years ago.
Swaran Singh’s
story begins when his father Jassa Singh arrived in New Zealand
in 1918 from Fiji. He later brought over his son Swaran Singh
in 1938, they were here only for ten months before World War II
broke out. Jassa Singh decided to return to India because there
was a real threat of the passage to India being cut off. Swaran
Singh wanted to stay on and join the New Zealand Armed Forces
but because his English was not good and because he refused to
remove his turban, shave and cut his hair he also decided to
return.
On his return
to India he enlisted in British Indian Army. After his training
in India he was sent to Waziristan near Afghanistan, where he
fought against the Pathans many times. His regiment (2nd Punjab Regiment), was then sent to Burma. His battalion was
camped near Rangoon where they were attacked by the Japanese,
who eventually surrendered. After the surrender the battalion
was sent to Indonesia.
They were the
first to be attacked in the Battle of Suravaya. The Suravayans
killed 1300 soliders from the 23rd Battalion. The
bodies were dumped in the canal and all communication sources
for the Indian Army were destroyed. But the Suravayans attacked
again, Swaran Singh was wounded in the attack but was the lucky
one because the bullet narrowly missed his heart and the other
soldiers were able to apply first aid quickly. He was taken to
a Singapore Hospital but because the wound was not healing he
was then transferred to a military hospital in Bangalore and
after recovery he returned to his family in India. He was
discharged from the army in 1946 once the British forces began
to demobilize. He returned to New Zealand in 1949 and died here
June 2004.
|
