Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

‘Proud’ son’s salute to war hero father

by Nadeem Badshah

SATINDER PUJJI has a lifetime of stories and memories about his father, who was one of the most decorated Indian soldiers in the world wars.


Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji was among the war heroes honoured by Britain last

Sunday (11) on Armistice Day.

The RAF pilot flew combat missions and survived several crashes during the Second World

War in Britain, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Burma. The war hero, who was

awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, once saved 300 American soldiers from Japanese

troops in the Burmese jungle.

Another memorable story for Satinder, a retired finance director, was when his father, along

with a few Indian soldiers, were invited to Buckingham Palace.

He told Eastern Eye: “Dad told me King George VI invited him and the Indian soldiers for

lunch. Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth (now the Queen) were there and sat by him. They talked about India.

“Princess Margaret asked him, ‘do they wear trousers in India or a dhoti like Gandhi wore?’ He laughed – Princess Elizabeth told her to be quiet. She knew a lot about the world, Margaret’s knowledge then was limited.”

Pujji was in a group of 24 Indians who answered a newspaper advert for pilots and arrived in Britain in 1940. He trained with the RAF and was tasked with tackling bombers and fighters when Adolf Hitler ordered the bombing of London.

He died at the age of 92 in 2010. A bronze statue was unveiled of him in Gravesend, Kent, after a campaign led by Labour MP Tan Dhesi.

Satinder, who has two sisters who live in India, said his father waited until after the conflict to get married.

He said: “He was engaged to my mum at the time and didn’t want to get married till after the war. He didn’t want her to be widowed before marriage.

“One time he crash-landed in Dover and twice over the sea in France. He was the most decorated pilot. We are very proud.”

This year’s memorial events had a focus on the role that Commonwealth soldiers played

in helping Britain during world wars. An estimated 1.3 million people from south Asia risked

their lives to fight in the First World War, with more than

74,000 dying.

In the Second World War, more than 2.5 million Indian troops were fighting across the globe.

Satinder believes more Britons are aware of the role troops from abroad played.

“Before my dad used to say few people knew who was representing India in the RAF. Gradually it is increasing.

“The first time was from BBC India News that Indians living in England learned about them.

“More people are aware now that it was the single most volunteered service in England during the war. More than two million volunteered,” he said.

That awareness also remains strong in the Pujji family, who keep the collection of medals

and souvenirs that their father was awarded.

Satinder, who lives in London, said: “We have kept all of the medals and souvenirs with my

sister in Bandra [a suburb of the western Indian city of Mumbai]. She is the youngest sibling and was the closest to my dad. We are a very close-knit family.”

He added: “My daughter, who was born on Armistice Day and just turned 26, is doing a PhD in history. She has gotten more closer to my dad and learned more about partition. People ask her about her granddad.”

More For You

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK  mini heatwave

Sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth

Getty

UK to see mini heatwave as temperatures climb towards 24 °c

The UK is set for a period of warmer weather in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise significantly across parts of the country. According to the Met Office, a spell of dry and sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth, although it will fall short of the threshold for an official heatwave.

Temperatures in south-eastern and central England could reach 23°c to 24°c by Tuesday, around 10C above the seasonal average for some areas. The Met Office described this as a “very warm spell” rather than a heatwave, though the contrast with recent cooler weather will be noticeable.

Keep ReadingShow less
indian-army-reuters

Indian security force personnel stand guard at the site of the attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, April 24, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Indian and Pakistani troops exchange fire along Line of Control

INDIAN and Pakistani troops exchanged fire overnight along the Line of Control in Kashmir, officials from both sides said on Friday.

The exchange took place days after a deadly attack in the region and amid calls from the United Nations for both countries to show "maximum restraint".

Keep ReadingShow less
India declares state mourning for Pope Francis, Modi leads tributes

A sculpture by Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik in Puri, Odisha, on Monday (21)

India declares state mourning for Pope Francis, Modi leads tributes

INDIA began three days of state mourning on Tuesday (22) for the Pope, a rare honour for a foreign religious leader, as prime minister Narendra Modi joined other south Asian and world leaders in paying tributes following his death on Monday (21).

Pope Francis, the 88-year-old leader of 1.4 billion Catholics across the world, died of a stroke, causing a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, the Vatican said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minority youth face racist content online once a week, report reveals

As many as 95 per cent of respondents reported encountering violent or abusive racist content online. (Photo: iStock)

Minority youth face racist content online once a week, report reveals

MOST young people from black and minority communities in Britain encounter racist content online, a new study revealed, with more than half reporting it damages their sense of safety.

The "Youth, Race and Social Media" report published on Thursday (24) highlighted a troubling picture of online racism and its effects on young people aged 16-24.

Keep ReadingShow less