Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ayoub Bahadur Khan (Q194573); an Ahmadiyya Muslim, was born in 1899 (or 1897) in Brisbane. Ayoub Khan was a son of Indian immigrants from the village Tatta Pani in Kashmir. Ayoub lived with Miranda and a son, Kemel at Logan Road, Holland Park where the mosque was located. He was a mattress maker and store manager and with Ayoub Ally B. Khan, ran A. B, Khan and Son mattress manufacturer, at Galway Street, Grcenslopes – ‘a firm which was doing good business’. On 16 August 1932, Ayoub (127496) enlisted in the 26th Battalion for training between January and June, 1912, then he left the training. In 1934, it was recorded that he served in Machine Gun Section of the 23rd Battalion. Ayoub (Q9239) also previously joined the AMF in 6 February 1939 then enlisted in 1940 and served in the Royal Australian Army as part of the Ordinance Depot, Head Office, holding the rank of Lance Corporal. During the war, there was a need for an experienced store man and a trained recruit, leading to Ayoub joining the Army. He was among those Australian-born Muslims who completed their military training in Australia several years before the outbreak of the war. While serving in the AIF in his 40s, Ayoub never ‘shirked’ his duty by leaving his family and his thriving business behind. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was proud of his contribution. L Cpl Ayoub Bahadur Khan ‘is a finest example of a soldier with British Indian heritage who served his country during its darkest hour’, stated community members.


From the book:

Dzavid Haveric, ‘A History of the Muslims in the Australian Military from 1885 to 1945: Loyalty, Patriotism, Contribution’, Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2024.