London, August 01: Days after becoming one of the first Sikh guards at the Buckhingam palace, Signaller Simranjit Singh, says his proudest moment on duty was when Queen Elizabeth II gave him a wave.
“That was a good day,” he told newsmen modestly. “Things like that do matter to you as a soldier when you are doing your job protecting the Queen.”
26-year-old Signaler Singh and Lance Corporal Sarvjit Singh, 28, had become the first two Sikhs to join the fleet of royal guards at the Buckingham Palace.
Lnc Cpl Singh, 28, shares the same sense of pride in his job. The honour of being the first Sikh to take up the prestigious role fell to Signaller Singh, ‘Sim’ to his colleagues, earlier in May this year.
As a Buckingham Palace guard Signaller Singh said he has had to adjust to the rigours of ceremonial parade, and of course, standing motionless for up to two hours at a time while tourists do their very best to raise a smile.
“People do try to make me laugh,” the soldier said. “They have made me smile a couple of times but not laugh. I’m there to do my job and I try to do my best.”
Born in India, he came to Britain as a teenager and worked as a clerk in the National Health Service before joining the Army in 2006. He has uncles serving in the Indian Army and a grandfather who served with the British Army in Burma.
–Agencies