An exhibition which aims to challenge the perception of British military history opens at the Sangat Centre today.

The exhibition, entitled We Were There, chronicles the contribution of ethnic minorities to the fighting strength of the British Army.

It runs until Monday, with the centre open from 9am to 5pm, and entry is free.

It will be very special for some Keighley families who themselves made a military contribution to the British Army.

Noor Dad, 81, from Devonshire Street in Keighley, joined the British Army in 1939 and was part of the Signals Regiment.

He was stationed in Penang in Singapore, in what was Malaysia.

In 1942 he was taken to Changi Prison as a Japanese prisoner of war in Singapore.

He spent three years as a prisoner of war and says: "Life was very hard at the prison. We were given no food and had to survive on grass and roots."

When he was freed he was transferred and later joined the Pakistan army.

His family and friends will be visiting the We Were There exhibition, as they are proud of Mr Dad's bravery and contribution to the war effort.

Zamir Qureshi, 74, of Aireworth Road, Keighley, was also an active member of the then British Indian Army.

In an army career spanning 24 years Mr Qureshi earned ten medals, six for his service with the British Indian Army and four for his work in the Pakistan Army.

He joined the British Indian Army Medical Corps in 1940 and was posted to hospital ship Tairea 35, Bombay, where he helped the casualties of the war.

Mr Qureshi witnessed the heavy fighting in Italian Somaliland and recalls the horror of seeing another hospital ship attacked.

He says: "A bomb fell on the hospital ship Talumba and it took 28 minutes to go down.

"The ship was in blackout. All staff and patients had gone down and only one major was alive."

He helped to tend the wounded of the battle of Monte Casino in Italy, where thousands of Allied troops were killed.

Mr Qureshi realises how lucky he was to survive such tragedy, but says that he enjoyed his time in the army and was honoured to receive his medals. He was posted to Pakistan in 1947.

He is proud to have had the highest recognition of his service from both the Queen and from the country of Pakistan.

Other British Indian Army veterans include Abdul Karim, 90, from Redcliffe Street in Keighley, who joined in 1941.

He earned two medals for his service with the military transport corps. He travelled all over India to Multan, Madras, Kohima, and in 1942 spent a year in Rangoon Central Jail.