PhD Studentship in Funding for Three-Year PhD on the Commemoration and Non-Commemoration of Punjabi Soldiers in the First World War

In collaboration with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), the University of Greenwich seeks to recruit an outstanding researcher to investigate the commemoration and non-commemoration of Punjabi soldiers in the First World War.

The scholarship will analyse the non-commemoration of casualties recruited in colonial Punjab, from where c. 500,000 men enlisted to serve in the First World War. Scoping research suggests that thousands of Punjabi casualties may be missing from the official record of British and Commonwealth war dead. By identifying these casualties and understanding the causes of their omission, the scholarship will play an important role in helping the CWGC to address historical inequalities in commemoration

To do this, the successful candidate will explore the ‘Punjab Registers’ – a unique collection of newly digitised archival sources which record the names and service histories of c. 320,000 Punjabi recruits. The ‘Registers’ provide unparalleled insights into the rank and file who volunteered to serve on behalf of the British empire, enabling a much more complete account of their service, sacrifice and commemoration to be developed.

Additionally, the scholarship holder will contribute to, and benefit from, a major public engagement project exploring Punjab’s role in the First World War. The scholarship will provide valuable opportunities for the successful candidate to gain experience working in both academic and heritage sectors on a project of international significance.

The successful candidate will be supervised by Professor Gavin Rand (UoG) and Dr George Hay (CWGC).

Informal enquiries are encouraged; please contact [email protected] .