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| Almost in the centre of the picture |
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
They shall grow not old
I suppose it is natural for us in England to think almost exclusively of British servicemen killed in the trenches of Flanders and the Somme during the First World War, but it would be wrong for us to overlook those men from the colonies and dominions who came to fight for us. Many of them were Indians and it so happens that the Royal Pavilion and the Dome in Brighton, those pastiche Indian constructions, were turned into hospitals for Indian soldiers who were wounded on the Western front. The funeral pyres for those whose religion required that their bodies pass through the flames were built on the Downs north of the town. After the war, a memorial, known as the Chattri, was built on the site of the funeral pyres.
It was only a few years ago that the names of those soldiers were discovered and engraved on a new memorial stone.
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2 comments:
Good post, BP. It was right that the memorial was erected - and considering the times, perhaps impressive - for these men who died so far away from home, possibly for reasons they did not relate to. I'm glad their names have been remembered at last too - we shouldn't judge too easily the events of yesterday with the eyes of today.
Yesterday I read a blog where the blogger had posted Wilfred Owens poem Dulce Et Decorum Est in memory of the very real horror that was WW1.
Today is about remembering all of those who died. A time to show our respect, give our thanks and hope for peace.
I'm glad these men have been remembered.
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