Duty, Honour and Izzat: From Golden Fields to Crimson - Punjab's Brothers in Arms in Flanders

by Steven Purewal, Claude St. Aubin (Illustratrator), Christopher Rawlins (Illustratrator)

Backing from the RCMP, community groups, universities.The book is presented as a historical scrapbookwith beautifully realised, photo-realisticartwork. Framing the history is a graphicnovel story about a teenage boy, in SurreyBC, caught up in drug gangs. He rethinks hischoices after his 95 year old great grandfathercomes to visit the family in Canada. His storiesof their past, and seeing him reunited with aCanadian soldier his great grandfather savedduring WW2 opens up a different path to livehis life.Why are certain histories covered, discussed,and inquired about, while others remainhidden? Going beyond the old tropes of colonisedhistories this book presents the Indo-Canadian community's pioneer experiencewithin the events leading to the ejection ofthe Komagata Maru from Canadian waters inJuly 1914 and the subsequent outbreak of theGreat War in August 1914. Canada has a proudGreat War record, and its achievements will becelebrated during WW1 centennial commemorations.However, the story of a longstandingPunjabi-Canadian community that fought forwestern civilisation & the British Empire, sideby side with Canadians and under the sameflag, has gone untold. Punjabi soldiers playeda pivotal role in the opening months of thewar in France & Belgium. A great book tointroduce Canadian youth to a more inclusivelook at our history.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

Published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[David Downer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was teaching a lesson in my Canadian History course on World War One on whose voices are not heard or not emphasized when lessons are taught in school or highlighted in the standard war documentaries. As we reviewed an article by Jagdeesh Mann about the Indian army in Europe and whitewashed history, one of my students got really excited when Mann mentioned this book; his family had it on their shelf at home and he brought it in. We used it as a quick reference in class and he lent it to me to read. I was aghast that so little is said about the contributions of the Indian army to the war in Europe. Typically, there are passing references, but Purewal provides a wonderful overview that gives depth but also presents the information in an engaging manner. It fills in so many gaps. It really is a required text to have on hand for quick reference and a launching point for more research.

[Gurmeet Sandhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Purewal’s book ‘Duty, Honour and Izzat’ book gives an informative, accurate and succinct account of British Indian Army, contribution of Punjabis, especially Sikhs in World War 1 & International campaigns, briefs on regiments, gallantry award winners. The book has interesting narrations on how Duty and Honour is paramount and intrinsic in our Punjabi character. Our forefathers worked hard, faced vicissitudes of life, survived demanding situations, raised families and earned the respect and admiration of the British and international community.

The book has beautiful illustrations which have been meticulously created to ensure authentic information is presented to audience in clear and concise manner. This book will introduce readers to our Sikh military heritage, tradition and the service & sacrifices of our ancestors, which has been unrecognized and forgotten by future generations. The book is like a key, which will open doors for people to explore the vast mansions of knowledge.

This is an excellent book for both adults and children and will surely create a spark of curiosity and encourage them to learn more about our rich history. The readers will feel proud of their lineage with rejuvenated motivation to learn more and inform others of our achievements. Steve has done a good job in presenting historical information in an interesting manner that will keep the reader stimulated.

I am sure that people will find a personal connection and would be able to relate to a character or incident in their life, as I was able to connect to my ancestral village, Jadla and Daulatpur. Both our villages sent 54 & 87 men respectively to the Great War. One of the soldiers who died during WW I was from 45th Rattray’s Sikh Regiment, whose details are: Sepoy Harnam SIngh of Daulatpur, Nawanshahr, Jullundur Date of Death: 27 May 1916, Iraq

[HadiDee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the role indian - specifically Sikh - soldiers played in World War 1.

I liked the mix of graphics, although the short graphic story could have been a bit more subtle and nuanced. The rest of it is a little dry; a book to be dipped into in sections rather than read cover to cover.