A journey by boat in 1959
This is an interesting example of a settler who helped other family and friends from the same village to migrate and settle in the UK.
The picture was his wife, Parkasho Ram's, favourite picture. It was taken when was in England and sent to his wife in India,she brought it with her to England.
Personal Details
Name: Amritsiria
15th March 1927 - 9th July 1993
Place of Birth: Sandhwan, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Arrival Date in the UK :1959
This story has been put together from interviews with family members.
This story has been put together from interviews with family members.
Migration Story
What did you or your family do in your original country. e.g. student, professional, farmer, etc. ?
Amritsiria was born in a small village in Punjab in 1927. At the age of 16 he went to Singapore where he worked in a company supplying military equipment to the army.
He then came back to India to get married and then after a few days went back to work in Singapore, he later returned and stayed in India for six months.
Why did you or your family come to the UK ?
He came to England for work, at the time there was no immigration and a lot of job opportunities so it was a good place to come for work.
Describe your journey to the UK and method of travel e.g. boat plane etc. ?
He came to England from India in a ship, it took 30 days to arrive in England. It is thought the boat came to the Gravesend area as he stayed there first and had many friends from Erith.
The day you arrived. Describe the first day, arriving, the experience, first thoughts?
We don't know much about htis, but believe he stayed in the Erith area.
First few weeks – what did you do?
He lived in worked in the Gravesend area, but not much is known about this.
First job or settling what did you do where did you live?
By time I went to Townfield Secondary Schools in Hayes, I was fluent and spoke good English. In my school there a few Indians, but the majority of the schools was English. Everyone was nice and got on, I had a lot of English friends, later I also had some Indian friends, but everyone just got on.
First year what do you remember?
He had lots of different jobs in the Gravesend and later Southall area. He would work hard and send money back to family in India.
Life in the UK – Free section describe or add any comments you want here?
He lived in Southall for a while but then came to Gledwood Avenue Hayes in approximately 1962.
He organised for his brother to come to England to live and work, later he helped others from the same village to migrate to England.
Later he worked in a Concrete factory in Heston. He broke his arm there and was not working in March 1962 when his brother arrived from India.
There were other jobs at Vapsco in Wets Drayton for approximately 15 years.
His wife and daughter arrived in 1964, at the time his daughter was five years old.