War might have brought destruction to the world but it also brought harmony to different races who were all fighting against a common enemy. SHARONNE LEWI reports

An exhibition honouring the role of ethnic minorities in the armed forces took off at the RAF Museum Hendon this week.

Called 'We Were There', it runs until August 27 at the Grahame Park Way site, focusing mainly on RAF servicemen and women from Africa, India, Asia and the West Indies.

With Ministry of Defence chiefs trying to attract more recruits from ethnic minorities, it is hoped the exhibition will promote their lasting contributions to world peace.

Thousands of Commonwealth and Empire troops served among the Allied forces during the two World Wars but their efforts are sometimes glossed over today.

The new photographic exhibition is aimed at setting the record straight and promoting greater equality within the armed forces serving their country today.

Former squadron leader Mohinder Pujji, 82, a Sikh, was among members of the Indian and West Indian Ex-servicemen Association at its opening on Thursday last week.

He is one of two surviving Hurricane pilots out of ten Royal Indian Air Force pilots who fought in the crucial Battle of Britain in 1941.

He was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

"This exhibition was excellent and long overdue," said Mr Pujji, who now lives in Essex.

"I never encountered any racism during the war. I was treated so well by English pilots, I have no words to describe it.

"During the war there was no prejudice, only love and affection, as we were all the same," he said.

However, the picture changed after the war which had brought a unique closeness between colleagues of different ethnic backgrounds he admitted.

Seeing pictures of former comrades as well as places he had visited proved an emotional experience for Mr Pujji, who also served in the Middle East and Burma.

"The general public at large think today that black people are illiterate and uneducated and nobody today knows about what happened in the war," he said.

"Let us hope this helps change things."

The 'We Were There' exhibition runs at the RAF Museum Hendon, in Grahame Park Way, Colindale, until August 27.

Entry costs £7 for adults, but is free to children and senior citizens.

Call 020 8205 2266 if you would like additional information.

August 8, 2001 17:57