Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a great pleasure to join with the Governor of South Australia, many other dignitaries and the Sikh community on Friday to recognise the centenary of the death of Private Saran Singh.

Private Saran Singh was one of 19 Sikhs who actually enlisted as Anzacs in the First World War. This was quite a unique situation, because the Australian Imperial Force was restricted to enlistment by Europeans. But 19 Sikhs did enlist and Private Saran Singh was the only one we know of who was killed in combat.

He enlisted at the age of 33 on 15 May 1916 in Adelaide and was finally placed in the 43rd Infantry Battalion. He saw action in December 1916 and in May and June in 1917, in France and in Belgium. Unfortunately, he was killed in action on 10 June 1917. This is one of those stories about the Centenary of Anzac that we are learning and need to recognise.

I would like to commend the Australian Sikh Heritage Association for bringing his story to us so that we can recognise the important role that our Anzacs played right across this country, and the sacrifice they made for our country. (Time expired)