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A Forgotten Hero β Pvt. Buckam Singh
Over 65,000 Sikh soldiers fought in WWI and over 300,000 in the WWII.
Pvt. Buckam Singh (Bukkan Singh on his gravestone) has the only military grave of a Sikh soldier in Canada from the World Wars.
A Forgotten Hero β Pvt. Buckam Singh
Over 65,000 Sikh soldiers fought in WWI and over 300,000 in the WWII.
Pvt. Buckam Singh (Bukkan Singh on his gravestone) has the only military grave of a Sikh soldier in Canada from the World Wars.
Wounded twice on the battlefields of France in WWI, Canadian soldier Pvt. Buckam Singh was one of only 9 Sikh soldiers allowed to serve with Canadian Forces in WWI. Buckam Singh was born on December 5, 1893 at Mahilpur in the Hoshiarpur District of Punjab.
The first Sikhs to visit Canada were soldiers who had been invited to attend the the celebrations of Queen Victoriaβs Diamond Jubilee in London in 1887. Buckam Singh is one of the earliest documented Sikhs known to have been living in Ontario.
After spending nearly two years in Toronto, Buckam Singh worked on the farm of W.H. Moore at Rosebank Ontario. He would spend six months here before deciding to join the military and begin the next chapter of his life.
Leaving the farm of W. H. Moore at Rosebank Ontario in April 1915, Buckam Singh at age 22 made his way to the town of Smith Falls, Ontario to enlist with the 59th Infantry Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Buckam Singhβs name on the Attestation Paper is recorded as Buk Am Singh. He is listed as 5'-7 in height, with swarthy complexion. Buckam Singh was part of the first contingent that shipped out from the port of Montreal aboard the troop ship S.S. Scandinavian 2 on August 27, 1915
With the heavy enemy activity evident from the regimental diary, among one of the combat casualties was Buckam Singh who on June 2, 1916 was hit in the head with shrapnel which his medical report lists as a gunshot wound to the head. After recovery, he joined the war a 2nd time.
Less than three weeks after rejoining the 20th Battalion Buckam Singh was wounded in combat for a second time. On July 20th, 1916 at St. Eloi he was seriously wounded by a bullet which entered his left knee shattering his leg below the joint.
On July 23, 1916 Buckam Singh was sent from Lt. Colonel John McCraeβs hospital to England to recover from his injuries. He made the voyage across the English Channel aboard the Belgian Hospital Ship Jan Breydel where he contracted Tuberclosis (TB).
He had served a total of 3 years and 100 days on active service. A medical report indicated that he weighed only 127 lbs, had a bulge over his right lung and that his voice was weak and his breath sounded faint with fluid present. He died on Aug 27, 1919.
With the discovery of his war medal and military grave the Sikh community has reclaimed a forgotten son and Canada has reclaimed the story of a hero. This #RemembranceDay , do wear a poppy pin to remember these #Sikh veterans who lost their lives in war and tell their stories.
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