'Unprecedented' outpouring of grief for late Muslim WWII veteran from Windsor

Tributes have poured in for a late Windsor centenarian, believed to be one of the last Muslim Second World War veterans in the UK.

Sergeant Mohammad Hussain died on June 20, and his grandson, Ejaz Hussain, told the Express that the response to his death has been ‘unprecedented’ and ‘beyond our imagination’.

“Growing up with him was a real lesson in humanity and humanitarianism,” he added.

“He had superlative kindness for absolutely everyone – it didn’t matter your faith or your background – he’d treat absolutely everyone with absolute love.”

Born in the Rawalpindi district in modern-day Pakistan on May 12 1925, Sgt Hussain was an ‘adventurous’ teenager who ran away from home to join the volunteer British Indian Army in 1941.

He was keen to follow in the military footsteps of his elder brother Fazal, captured in Burma as a Japanese prisoner during the Second World War.

Sgt Hussain specialised as a gunner and wireless communications officer in Lucknow and Ferozpur for 18 months before being enlisted in the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Own (DCO) Lancers, Reconnaissance Regiment, in the 8th British Indian Army.

After joining the Italian Campaign in September 1943, he fought in several pivotal battles in the Allies’ campaign to liberate southern Europe, including Monte Cassino and single-handedly captured three Nazi soldiers.

Following the partition of India in 1947, Sgt. Hussain transitioned to the 12th Cavalry in the Pakistan Army and was honourably discharged in 1958 after breaking his neck in an army accident.

Upon arrival in the UK in November 1960, and with limited mobility, Sgt Hussain worked as a security officer for engineering giant GKN Ltd in the West Midlands for over twenty years.

“He was a treasure trove of knowledge and history, and a poet as well,” said Ejaz.

“He could recall things from the 1940s, 1950s – he was like a genealogist, he could put family history together – it was incredible.”

Sgt Hussain married Anjum Begum in 1946 and never remarried after she passed away in 1996.

They had three children, 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter born in January this year.

His great-granddaughter Mariam, 16, told the Express: "Our great-grandfather was a proud soldier and an even better man.

“You could see the strength and discipline in the way he lived.

“He looked after all of us in his quiet way. It’s hard to believe he’s gone, but we’ll always remember him and everything he stood for.”

Sgt Hussain wanted to better the lives of veterans and widows, especially in Pakistan, and assisted over 300 families to secure pensions and benefits.

He also remained an advocate for military remembrance, educating young people about the sacrifices by Commonwealth soldiers in both World Wars and encouraging ethnic minorities to join the British military.

Sgt Hussain worked with the National Muslim War Memorial Trust and the World Wars Muslim Memorial Trust to build a war memorial for the millions of Muslim soldiers who fought with the Allies.

He was also chairman of the Ex-Indian Army Servicemen’s Association in Berkshire for more than a decade, incorporating India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and advocating for ‘collectivism’ and ‘unity’.

Ejaz said, ‘It’s been the honour of a lifetime’ to live with his grandfather in Windsor since 1997, and they continue to receive condolence messages from all over the world, which have been ‘heartwarming’.

“It is a testament to the way our grandfather was as a man in that a lot of what he did, he did privately,” said Ejaz.

”Expansive in terms of the reach he had, but also the depth of feeling he expressed to others.

“He was always funny, encouraging and with a sparkle in his eye.

“He always made you feel special. Always giving you all his time – makes you feel as though you’re the only person in the world.”