King Charles honours 2nd World War Sikh army veteran with MBE

Born in 1921 in pre-partition India, Dhatt joined the British Army when the Second World War broke out. The British-Indian army veteran was honoured for his services to the South Asian Community in the UK.

Britain’s King Charles III honoured 103-year-old Havildar Major Rajindar Singh Dhatt with MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) at Windsor Castle.

Former soldier Havildar Major Rajindar Dhatt poses with his medal after being made an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) at an Investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, west of London. (AFP)

The British-Indian army veteran was honoured for his services to the South Asian Community in the UK.

Born in 1921 in pre-partition India, Dhatt joined the British Army when the Second World War broke out.

Enlisting himself in the army, Dhatt rose to the rank of havildar major and saw action in the Northeast. He fought against the advancing Japanese army in Kohima as per a post on X (formerly Twitter) by The Royal Family account.

“Rajindar quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to Havildar Major (Sergeant Major) in 1943. He was deployed to the Far East campaign, where he fought in Kohima, northeast India, supporting the Allied Forces in breaking through Japanese defenses. After the war, Rajindar returned to India before relocating with his family to Hounslow in 1963. There, he co-founded the ‘Undivided Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association’, to help unite British-Indian veterans,” the post further added.