With his great grandfather's medals pinned proudly on his chest who had arrived in Australia in 1900, Nehchal Singh along with his family participated in the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne.
"It was a great feeling. We cherished every moment of this ceremony. My relation to this country goes back generations, and there can be nothing that fills me with such pride," he says.
“It is important that we tell next generations how our forefathers have contributed to this nation.”
“The Sikh community’s legacy of being blessed to be born warriors and defend others is here to stay,’ said Mr Singh.
Private Desanda Singh was an immigrant South Australian farmer and skilled rider when he enlisted in the Third Light Horse Regiment and headed to Egypt.
Source: Supplied
He was one of the few Indian-born recruits recorded to have served for Australia in World War One.
The story of Desanda Singh is said to highlight an enduring trait of Australian servicemen and women - that while united in a common cause, they came from diverse multicultural and social backgrounds.
The descendants of Private Desanda Singh pay their respect at the Anzac dawn service, Melbourne. Source: Supplied
