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Exhibition at UK Palace to unveil forgotten story of Indian soldiers
Never-seen-before images and objects acquired on loan from descendants of soldiers who camped at the palace will be on display at the exhibition.
Postcard depicting Indian troops marching towards the East Front of Hampton Court Palace in 1919. / SOURCE- Historic Royal Palaces
A new exhibition at the hampton Court Palace in the UK will bring to light the forgotten story of Indian army soldiers who camped there during the early 20th century through a display of never-before-seen objects, photographs, film, and personal stories.
The soldiers, some of whom were first-time visitors to England, were invited to camp at the palace in order to participate in important events and celebrations such as the coronations of Edward VII (1902), George V (1911), and George VI (1937), as well as the 1919 First World War peace parades.
The exhibition titled 'The Indian Army at the Palace' will open on September 15 at Hampton Court Palace and will be on display until March 3, 2024. It will give a peek into the daily experiences of the soldiers camped at palace grounds, from food and rationing to entertainment, travel and religious accommodation.
For the first time, items for this exhibition are being acquired on loan from descendants of those who lived in the camps, the Historic Royal Palaces collection, and community partners. The Historical Royal Palaces collection includes an official plan from one of the camps, press cuttings depicting the soldiers' arrival at Hampton Court Station, and Indian soldiers in and around the palace grounds.
These items will be on display alongside a collection of items on loan from the South Asian community. Items selected to be displayed include a 32nd Sikh Pioneers Indian Army Officer’s tunic, medals, and photos belonging to soldiers from the 1902 and 1911 contingents, original photographs of the Gurkha regiment in the 1919 parade and newspaper articles depicting the visits.
Rav Singh, the community partner for this exhibition spoke about the importance of the stories that are about to be told through the display. “So many schools in west London visit the palace, and many young visitors have Punjabi heritage or are from the wider Indian Subcontinent – for them to see or learn of these stories centred on their ancestors I hope is a portal to inspire, gain confidence and raise aspirations.”
He added, “I hope that every visitor who views the display and reads the stories in the palace's surroundings will be able to sense the history the palace walls hold, and perhaps feel a little more gratitude and appreciation for those soldiers from India who laid the foundations within British society for the comforts and liberties we have today.”
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