Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial
| Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial | |
|---|---|
Army of India | |
| Unveiled | 7 October 1927 |
| Location | 50°34′31.31″N 02°46′29.21″E / 50.5753639°N 2.7747806°E |
| Designed by | Sir Herbert Baker and Charles Wheeler |
English: To the honour of the Army of India which fought in France and Belgium, 1914–1918, and in perpetual remembrance of those of their dead whose names are here recorded and who have no known grave [1][2] French: En honneur de l'Armee de l'Inde qui a combattu en France et en Belgique 1914–1918, et pour perpetuer le souvenir de ses morts aux tombes inconnues dont les noms sont ici graves.[3] | |
| Official name | Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, vi |
| Designated | 2023 (45th session) |
| Reference no. | 1567-PC01 |
| Statistics source: Cemetery details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. | |
The Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial is a
History
The memorial, designed by Sir
The memorial was unveiled by
Foch's speech included the following addressed to them:Return to your homes in the distant, sun-bathed East and proclaim how your countrymen drenched with their blood the cold northern land of France and Flanders, how they delivered it by their ardent spirit from the firm grip of a determined enemy; tell all India that we shall watch over their graves with the devotion due to all our dead. We shall cherish above all the memory of their example. They showed us the way, they made the first steps towards the final victory.
— Marshal Ferdinand Foch, 7 October 1927[4]
Later additions to the memorials commemorated other Indian Army dead of both World Wars.
There are two recipients of the
Prime ministerial visit
The memorial was the site for commemorations during the First World War centenary years, including a visit in April 2015 by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The Indian national anthem was played, a silence held, and a wreath laid. Modi wrote in the visitor's book:
I am honoured to pay homage to the Indian soldiers here at the Indian Memorial at Neuve Chappelle. Our soldiers who fought in foreign lands in the Great War, have won the admiration of the world for dedication, loyalty, courage and sacrifice. I salute them.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 11 April 2015[6]
Footnotes and references
- ^ Neuve-Chapelle Memorial, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed 14 January 2010
- ^ "The Neuve-Chapelle Memorial". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ a b c Sikhs And The Great War In France, United Sikhs, accessed 14 January 2010
- ^ Taken from Sikhs And The Great War In France, which states that this extract was taken from Neuve Chappelle - India's Memorial in France 1914–1918, (London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1927)
- ^ Names of VC Holders on Memorials in France Archived 12 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine, www.victoriacross.org.uk, accessed 14 January 2010
- ^ "Modi in France: Prime Minister visits Airbus facility, pays homage to Indian soldiers". Hindustan Times. 11 April 2015. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
External links
- Details of the Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
- Details of the Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial on the WW1 Cemeteries website
- Battle of Neuve-Chapelle, picture of memorial at time of construction and close-ups of architectural details, on the World War One Battlefields website
- The Indian Memorial at Neuve-Chapelle on the National Archives website
- Sikhs And The Great War In France, on the United Sikhs website