The founder and director of the UK’s first memorial to Sikhs who served during the World Wars has been recognised for his voluntary work in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025.
Capt. Jagjeet (Jay) Singh-Sohal VR has been appointed an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for Services to Commemoration of Commonwealth Soldiers who served Great Britain. The prestigious UK honour is awarded for significant contributions or achievements.
The 42-year-old Army Reservist has led Sikh commemoration events for more than a decade, serves as a trustee of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation and advises a number of other military charities. Responding to the news, Jay said: “I am humbled and elated to be appointed an OBE.
“It has been the honour of my life to commemorate those from across the Commonwealth who fought during the World Wars, so that their memory lives on forevermore. The valour of the Sikhs in particular inspired me to join the Army Reserve, to deploy on operations and fight for my country; and create the national WW1 Sikh Memorial.
“My hope is that young people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds like mine are inspired by those who serve, to take a stand for the freedoms we cherish today.” Jay founded the WW1 Sikh Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in 2015, to ensure that the bravery and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers was remembered at that place of national significance.
The memorial was the first of its kind and led to other community monuments being raised all over England. For the past decade, Jay led Sikh community remembrance at the site in Staffordshire as well as helped develop other localised Sikh community monuments.
He further created and delivered educational programmes and events for people from diverse backgrounds to discover more about the Sikh contribution during the Frontier Wars, World Wars and continued service in modern Britain. Based on his commendable efforts within the Indian community, in 2017 Jay was invited to join the board of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s charitable foundation.
He has since worked diligently and with dedication in that voluntary role, guiding the organisations communications, outreach and educational programmes to ensure that all Commonwealth service personnel who served and died are commemorated. Earlier this year, Jay represented the foundation at the unveiling of a new memorial to African Labourers in Cape Town, South Africa and during a special VE80 concert at Coventry Cathedral.
