Duty, Honour & Izzat—The Call to Flanders Fields is a poignant and powerful exhibit showcasing the pivotal but little known role of the British Indian Army in the First World War. It is now on display at the Okanagan Heritage Museum for the month of August.
Presented by the Indus Media Foundation in partnership with Simon Fraser University, this important and evocative exhibit has made its much anticipated stop in Kelowna.
The centennial of the 1914-1918 First World War is a historic opportunity for Canadians to commemorate those who lost their lives, and to inform today’s youth and diverse communities about the significance of those sacrifices. Canada has a proud Great War record and while its achievements are celebrated, the story of some veterans who fought under the same flag and side by side with Canadians has largely gone untold. These veterans belong to the Punjabi community and they played a pivotal role in the First World War.
Duty, Honour & Izzat – The Call to Flanders Fields uses displays that showcase, in fascinating detail and vivid visuals, the sacrifices made by Punjabis serving in the British Indian Army during the First World War. It examines their motivations for going to war and highlights the vital role they played fighting alongside their Canadian brothers-in-arms and other allied powers in the pursuit of victory in what came to be known as the Great War for Civilization.
For anyone interested in Indian history and culture and Canadian military history, please join Kelowna Museums for this unique exhibition on display at the Okanagan Heritage Museum for the month of August, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Don’t miss out on learning more about this proud and fascinating period in history.
Indus Media Foundation
Indus Media Foundation is a registered non-profit society based in the Lower Mainland. They seek to foster an appreciation for Punjabi culture while underpinning multiculturalism through the reconciliation of Canada’s traditional heritage and values with those of the Punjabi diaspora.
About The Kelowna Museums Society
The Kelowna Museums Society provides the public with educational exhibitions and programs that foster personal participation, stimulate curiosity, and engage the senses with the cultures, histories, and possibilities of the Okanagan region. The KMS operates the Okanagan Heritage Museum, Okanagan Military Museum, BC Orchard Industry Museum, BC Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop, and Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame, Kelowna Public Archives, Vince Bezeau Military Archives, and Ursula Surtees Conservation Lab. In addition, the KMS manages event rentals at the Laurel Packinghouse.