Honour for Sikh soldier
Honour for Sikh soldier
A soldier based at Colerne has spoken of his pride after becoming the first Sikh to be given the job of guarding the Queen.
Signaller Simranjit Singh, who serves with 21 Signal Regiment, said the experience of parading in front of hundreds of tourists at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle had been "brilliant".
The 26-year-old soldier, known as 'Sim' to his mates, is married to his Jagtinder and joined the army in 2006 after working as an NHS helpdesk operator.
Originally from Coventry, he now works in the headquarters motor transport department looking after vehicles and radio equipment.
He and his colleagues in 21 Signals ended up in front of Buckingham Palace after the normal guards from the Household Division were busy on operational duties. When that happens, other regiments step in - and when 21 Signals did so, Sim happened to be the first Sikh to guard the royals, if only for a few weeks.
"Being in London and parading in front of hundreds of people has been brilliant," he said.
"My family and friends are very proud of me being in the army and have been down to watch the ceremony. It's been hard work but definitely worth it," he added.
Signaller Singh spent most of May guarding the Queen and will perform the duty for the last time tomorrow.
Soon after Signaller Sim's first stint in the ceremonial position, another Sikh soldier followed suit.
Lance Corporal Sarvjit Singh, 28, from 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, was born in India in 1981 but came to England in 2000 and joined the corps four years later.
His regiment has been guarding the Queen this month and will do so again during August.
"My experience being a Sikh on the Queen's Guard is beyond words. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I feel privileged to have this honour," he said, adding that when he learned his unit would be taking part in public duties this summer, he immediately volunteered. His brother Ardash is also serving in the regiment.
As a Sikh, Signaller Singh is exempt from wearing the traditional forage cap of his regiment, but does have the Royal Signals Corps badge on the front of his turban. The headdress, long hair and beards are considered a mandatory religious uniform for all Sikhs – keeping uncut hair is required according to the Rehat Maryada, the Sikh instruction for living.
Sikhs have long served in the British Army, particularly during colonial times. Perhaps the most famous Sikh to have served king and country was Lt Col Chanan Singh Dhillon, who fought in the British Indian Army and was taken prisoner by the Nazis in 1943.
He was held in prisoner of war camps in Italy, France and Germany and escaped many times, before being liberated by the Americans in 1944.
After the war, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the new Indian Army and on retirement became a tireless campaigner for full recognition of the sacrifice and courage of soldiers from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the Caribbean, who fought for the Commonwealth in World War II.
