Students document hidden stories of black and Asian WW2 contributions

Students at two secondary schools in England are uncovering the hidden family stories of black and Asian WW2 contributions as part of the ‘Remember Together’ project.

Students at Falinge Park High School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and Eden Girls’ School Waltham Forest, in East London, have appealed to local people to come forward with their family stories of relatives who served in the second World War.

They are interviewing the descendants of these WW2 veterans and documenting their stories on the school websites, a statement said.

Short films of the projects will be released on social media this week. A community event at the London school on the eve of Armistice Day will premiere their film to the local community. During the event students will talk about their experience of the project, alongside speakers from the Armed Forces Muslim Association and campaigners We Too Built Britain.

The project aims to address the lack of public awareness of black and Asian contributions to WW2.

Over 2.5 million soldiers from pre-partition India – what is now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – served alongside servicemen and women from Africa, the Caribbean and other commonwealth nations.

Amin Janjua from Rochdale, interviewed for the project about his father Fazal Karim, said: “I’m glad you’ve given me the chance to show to the world that our people, my dad, they fought for their lives, for Britain. They’re the Pride of Britain, those commonwealth soldiers.”

Teacher Vacas Ahmed, who led the project at Falinge Park High School in Rochdale, said: “The project brought history to life for our students. It shows how our past shaped the diverse community that they live in today. Soldiers of all creeds and colours, from across the Commonwealth, served together in the world wars. We should remember them together today.”

According to Maimunatu, a student at Eden Girls School, lots of people still don’t know about the millions of soldiers from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean who fought for Britain.

"I’d like other people to know that our great-grandfathers served alongside theirs. It means remembrance is something for all of us," she said.

Ahsan, a student at Falinge Park High School, said, “Everyone is more connected to WW2 than we thought. Now I know that it wasn’t just white British people, it was all of us.”

The schools partnered with British Future – a charity working for a confident, fair and inclusive Britain. Last year, the charity coordinated a joint letter signed by politicians of all parties and voices from different faiths, civil society and the military, urging that “all who served are fully recognised through better education, commemoration and documentation of our shared history.”

Steve Ballinger, communications director of British Future, said: “We hear a lot about how commemorating our history is difficult and divisive. But it can also bring people together – especially when we think about the history that is shared by people from different backgrounds.

“Remember Together aims to make our national tradition of Remembrance feel relevant and inclusive to everybody in Britain today. We’d like to see it rolled out in schools across the country.”

Dr Avaes Mohammad, teacher at Eden Girls School, said: “Until we did this project, some students didn’t know that they had a great grandparent who fought in the war. It’s made them think about their history, and why we pause to remember it each November. And I think it’s made them think differently about their identity too.”

Adil Javed from Rochdale, speaking about his grandfather Muhammad Sadiq Malik Qadri, who fought in Burma in WW2, said: “I just feel really proud. I’ve got a real sense of belonging, a real sense of identity, because of him – I’ve got a great sense that I belong in this country because I know I’ve got a right to be here – my grandfather fought in a war.”

Shaukat Hussain from East London, speaking about his father who served in North Africa and Italy, said: “I grew up in this country and it was always that refrain of ‘You’re not English, you don’t belong here’. Well, my father fought for this country – how can I not belong here?”

For more details-www.remembertogether.uk