It is often said that those who are busy making history, seldom write it. And that holds absolutely true for Indian / Punjabi / Sikh troops who participated in WW1 and 2, because of which their personal experiences and stories have remained largely forgotten in the annals of history. Prof Peter Stanley’s recent book “Die in Battle, Do no Despair, Indians on Gallipoli” has documented some of the stories about these brave Indian troops, and for the first time revealed the story of Havildar Waryam Singh, as narrated by Sydney based Balbir Singh Banwait. 

73 year old Balbir Singh Banwait is the son of Havildar Waryam Singh, and has been living in Sydney for many years. He clearly recalls his father recounting many tales and anecdotes from the First World War, and as a special presentation to SBS Punjabi listeners, we present this oral history, a century after the Gallipoli campaign. Whilst there maybe some historical inaccuracies in this anecdotal account, but the historical value of this first-hand account cannot be underestimated.