The Indian Army at the Palace

Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill shares the stories of some of the Indian Army soldiers encamped at Hampton Court Palace in the early 20th century.

During the first half of the 20th century, soldiers from the Indian Army camped in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace on a number of occasions. They were invited to join the coronation celebrations of Edward VII (1902), George V (1911) and George VI (1937), as well as the First World War peace parades in 1919. For some, this would have been their first visit to England.

In 1919, almost 1,800 Indian Army officers, soldiers and civilian workers stayed in a camp specially created to house them during their stay. At the time, this was one of the largest gatherings of people from India and South Asia ever assembled in Britain.

About the speaker

Tejpal Singh Ralmill

Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill was one of the community curators on The Indian Army at the Palace, an exhibition which explores the forgotten story of Indian Army soldiers who camped at Hampton Court Palace in the early 20th century. His great-grandfather, Subedar-Major Bawa Singh, served with the 23rd Sikh Pioneers during the First World War.

Dr Ralmill is also part of a team from the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA) digitising First World War recruitment records from pre-partition Punjab.