WWI & WWII Veteran Major-General Sir Heerajee Jehangir Manockjee Cursetjee DSO Indian Army Medical Corps (1885-1964) – National Army Museum, London

WWI & WWII Veteran Major-General Sir Heerajee Jehangir Manockjee Cursetjee DSO Indian Army Medical Corps (1885-1964) – National Army Museum, London
Tomorrow, Sunday 11th November 2018, is the Centenary of the Armistice of the First World War. Across our country and the Commonwealth we will be remembering all those who served, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the King Emperor and Great Britain.
Our patron Lord Karan F Bilimoria CBE DL and myself will have the honour in representing the ZTFE and the Zoroastrian community at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, Whitehall.
Our Hon Secretary Rohinton F Munshi and our Trustee Rusi K Dalal will have the honour in representing the ZTFE and the Zoroastrians of Harrow at the Harrow Council Service of Remembrance at the War Memorial, Harrow Town Hall.
At 11am during the two minutes silence, we will be remembering all our Zoroastrian volunteers who served during WWI, WWII, Korea, Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the King Emperor and Great Britain.
One such Zoroastrian volunteer who served the King Emperor and Great Britain during WWI and WWII was Captain Heerajee Jehangir Manockjee Cursetjee DSO. Heerajee was the great grandson of Seth Cursetjee Manockjee Shroff, whose statue stands today between the two flyovers in Byculla, Mumbai, popularly known as “Khada Parsi”.
Captain Heerajee Jehangir Manockjee Cursetjee, served as a medical officer with the 14th King George’s Own Ferozepore Sikhs, one of the oldest regiments in the Indian Army today. For his bravery Captain Heerajee J M Cursetjee was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). This British military decoration recognised ‘meritorious and distinguished service’ by officers.
During the Second World War, Heerajee J M Cursetjee was promoted to major-general, becoming one of the first Indians to achieve general officer rank in the British Indian Army.
Major General Heerajee Jehangir Manockjee Cursetjee’s medals are exhibited at the National Army Museum (NAM), Chelsea, London.
I am thankful to Jasdeep Singh, the curator at NAM, and his colleagues for the write up on Major General Heerajee Jehangir Manockjee Cursetjee, which is attached and pasted below. http://ww1.nam.ac.uk/stories/captain-heerajee-cursetjee/
Kindly note:
ZTFE being the oldest Asian voluntary faith based organisation in the UK, will be participating in ‘A Nation’s Thank You’ including the bell ringing which will be rung in places of worship across the UK, thus echoing the actions of British citizens 100 years ago. Our resident priest at the Zoroastrian Centre, Ervad Yazad T Bhadha will perform the Thanksgiving Maachi ceremony at 12.30 pm GMT marking the Centenary of the First World War Armistice. All are welcome to join the Zoroastrian Children’s Educational Fun Club in witnessing the Thanksgiving Maachi ceremony.
Prior to the Thanksgiving Maachi ceremony, Ervad Yazad will recite the Stum-no kardo when he will invoke the names of the Zoroastrians dead of WWI and WWII. Their names are inscribed on the Zoroastrian War Memorial, Kharaghat Parsi Colony, Mumbai.
At 3pm, our Lord Karan F Bilimoria CBE DL, Hon Secretary Rohinton F Munshi, Resident priest at the Zoroastrian Centre, Ervad Yazad T Bhadha and myself will be representing the ZTFE and the Zoroastrian community at, ‘A Service of Thanksgiving and Prayer for Peace to mark the Centenary of the Armistice signalling the end of World War I’ at Southwark Cathedral.
At 6pm, I will be representing the ZTFE and the Zoroastrian community at, ‘The National Service of Thanksgiving to commemorate the centenary of the World War I Armistice’ at Westminster Abbey.
Kindly inform those who are not accessible to the internet or email.
Yours sincerely
Malcolm M DebooPresidentMalcolm M DebooPresidentZoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (Incorporated)
Oldest Asian Faith Based Voluntary Organisation in the UK; Established 1861Zartoshty Brothers Hall, Zoroastrian Centre, 440 Alexandra Avenue, Harrow, HA2 9TL, UKReligious and Cultural Centre of the Parsi & Irani Zoroastrian CommunityTel: +44 20 8866 0765 Mob: +44 78 2570 5810Email: secretary@ztfe.com Website: http://www.ztfe.comRegistered Charity No: 277185 Company Limited by Guarantee Reg No: 1403266
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