A national leader in the commemoration of Commonwealth soldiers has received an OBE from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at an investiture ceremony at St James’ Palace, held on Friday 5th December 2025.
Captain Jay Singh-Sohal, founder of the UK’s first memorial to Sikhs who served during the World Wars and a trustee of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, was recognised for Services to Commonwealth Commemoration. The 42-year-old from Royal Sutton Coldfield has also served as an Army Reservist for the past 16 years and attended the ceremony in uniform to be admitted as an Officer into the Order of the British Empire. It follows more than a decade of volunteering, leading and advising charities and government initiatives that ensure that those from diverse backgrounds from across the Commonwealth who served Great Britain are also remembered.
Following the investiture ceremony, Jay said: “Being recognised in this way is an immense honour, a once-in-a-lifetime moment that I am proud to have shared with my wife and children with a visit to St James’ Palace.
“It’s humbling because it’s such a rare occurrence for someone of my socio-economic background to receive such an accolade, and for something so prestigious. So, my hope is it inspires more people from diverse backgrounds to serve our country, whether in uniform or by volunteering with charities.” 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. Based on this leadership, Jay joined the board of the Commonwealth War Graves Commissions charitable foundation in 2017. He has since supported them with communications, engagement and outreach to ensure that the story of the Commonwealth contribution reaches the widest possible audience. It’s an historic contribution that Jay feels forms an important part of the reasons why Indian migrants, such as his own grandparents, came to the UK.
Jay further adds a personal reflection and dedication to them: “My grandparents were very much on my mind today.
“They came to a Britain in the 1960s still rebuilding after the Second World War and to a community in industrial Birmingham that needed them. They were humble, hard-working people with strong faith-based values who earned an honest living whilst remembering God and giving what they could to help others, in accordance with the Sikh tradition of seva or selfless service. Their example instilled strong Sikh values in me, which has made me who I am today. I take pride in remembering them and dedicating this award to their memory, to Sardar Maha Singh and Mohinder Kaur Sohal”.
Capt. Jagjeet (Jay) Singh-Sohal VR was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List 2025, for Services to Commemoration of Commonwealth Soldiers who served Great Britain. 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. He was born and raised in Handsworth, Birmingham and now lives in Royal Sutton Coldfield, having previously worked as a trained television journalist and filmmaker.
In 2009, Jay joined the Army Reserve with the Intelligence Corps and has been an active reservist ever since. He has deployed on Operations against ISIS and mobilised during COVID as part of the military assistance to civil authorities. For his longstanding service he received the VRSM (Voluntary Reserve Service Medal).
A strategic communications and engagement expert, Jay is a director at M&C Saatchi World Services where he also leads in engagements with the wider military community as Armed Forces Champion. The WW1 Sikh Memorial was the first of its kind - a statue commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers during the conflict. The Sikh contribution is remarkable, as despite being only 1% of the Indian population at the time, they constituted 20% of the Indian Army under the British and were represented in over a third of the regiments at the time.
For their heroism, Sikhs received 29% of all Indian Orders of Merit awarded during the war and 24% of all Indian Distinguished Service Medals. The “WW1 Sikh Memorial” was dedicated in 2015 by Major General Patrick Sanders CBE DSO and Bhai Sahib Dr Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia at a ceremony which fused religious traditions from the Sikh faith with British military pomp and custom.
