Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 18

When a 97-year-old British Army Colonel who had fought in World War II lands in Amritsar on October 21 for the inauguration of the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum, he would be carrying a rare regimental association with the erstwhile British Indian Army and the present-day Indian Air Force that goes back four generations of warriors.Col Tom Conway had served with the Guides Cavalry that was raised at Peshawar in 1846 and primarily recruited Sikhs, Dogras and Pathans. It is the same regiment in which Marshal of the Air Force (MAF) Arjan Singh’s grandfather and great-grandfather had reportedly served. The 97-year-old Grand Old Man of the Air Force, the sole officer at present to hold a five-star rank, has also been invited by the Punjab Government to the inaugural function scheduled for October 23, though his presence is not yet confirmed.MAF Arjan Singh’s father retired as a Risaldar from Hodson’s Horse. His grandfather Risaldar Major Hukam Singh served with the Guides Cavalry between 1883 and 1917 while his great-grandfather, Naib Risaldar Sultana Singh, was among the first two generations of the regiment who had enlisted in 1854, according to available historical records.The Guides Cavalry’s pre-Independence campaigns included the North West Frontier Province, Second Sikh War, Indian Mutiny, Second Afghan War and the two World Wars. Col Conway’s squadron was mechanised during World War II where he served as a tank commander in the Battle of El Alamein, fought in the deserts of Egypt during the North African Campaign.Accompanying Col Conway are Hugh Mackay and Richard Hill. Mackay is a co-trustee in the Sikh Pioneer and Sikh Light Infantry (LI) Regimental Association in the United Kingdom, whose father had served in 34 Royal Sikh Pioneer Regiment (now Sikh LI). Hill is secretary of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that looks after graves and memorials of the World Wars.Col PS Bajwa (retd), Deputy Director, Defence Services Welfare, said the invitees would be treated as state guests.The war memorial will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The project coordinator, Maj Gen Raj Mehta (retd), said a team of 10 researchers have been toiling over the past two years to collect, document and compile historical facts in chronological order covering the martial history of the Greater Punjab area over the past 3,000 years that would be displayed along with artifacts and war trophies in the museum.