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FACTS
& FIGURES
Set up in : 1952
Location :Chennai (Madras)
Madras War Cemetery
The Madras War Cemetery, a tribute to the valiant men and women who laid down their lives in the Second World War, was set up in 1952 by the Imperial War Graves Commission, which is now known as the "Commonwealth War Graves Commission" (CWGC). The Cemetery is maintained by the CWGC in partnership with the Indian Government.
The Stone of Remembrance greets the visitor to the Madras War Cemetery with the words from the Book of Ecclesiasticus 'Their Name Liveth For Evermore'. Then there is the Cross of Sacrifice, which is set up on an octagonal base bearing a bronze sword upon its shaft. These two monuments are common to all large CWGC cemeteries.
The War Heroes
The Madras War Cemetery honors 855 men and women of the Commonwealth forces and one Polish airman who died during the war of 1939 - 1945. It has been a kind of second burial for these armed forces personnel, who died in the line of duty at different places while serving in various units during the war. Most of the graves were brought together from civil and cantonment cemeteries in the South and East of India. The Cemetery also has three non-world war graves.
Of the 857 war graves in the Madras War Cemetery, 659 served for the forces of United Kingdom, 110 served for the forces of West Africa, 49 for the forces of undivided India (India before partition), 17 for the forces of Canada, 14 for the forces of Australia, 5 served for the forces of New Zealand, one for Burma (Myanmar), one for Malaya and one for Poland.
Madras Memorial
There is also a memorial to soldiers, who died in the First World War (1914 - 1918).
It is known as the "Madras Memorial". The Madras Memorial has all the
1,039 men who died in the First World War inscribed on it. This was done,
because the permanent maintenance of the graves of these men in various civil
and cantonment cemeteries was not assured. The Madras Memorial honours 936 men
from the forces of United Kingdom and 103 from undivided India.
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