Lions of the Great War

52°29′45″N 1°58′14″W

a bronze sculpture of man wearing a Sikh turban and carrying a rifle on his left side, set on a granite plinth on in a small plaza
Lions of the Great War sculpture in the High Street of Smethwick

The Lions of the Great War is a war memorial in Smethwick, in Sandwell in the West Midlands of England dedicated to the memory of the Sikh soldiers from the British Indian Army who fought in the First World War. It was unveiled on 4 November 2018 as part of the centenary of the end of the war. The bronze sculpture is a 10ft high depiction of a Sikh soldier of the First World War on a 5ft granite plinth; it was created by Luke Perry.[1][2][3][4][5]

The Sikh Soldiers

The Sikh soldiers contributed the most volunteers of any of the British holdings that had fought in that war. In 1919, India solely produced around 1 to 1.5 million troops for combat.  Among these troops, the Sikhs rallied in large numbers for the King, Empire, and the defence of Europe.[1]

Chattri

The Chattri is a war memorial similar to the Lions of the Great War which is located in the English city of Brighton and Hove. The Chattri was built on the site where Indian soldiers were cremated. The structure is classified as a Grade II listed status, reflecting its significance. [6]

References
  1. "Sandwell remembers | Sandwell Council". www.sandwell.gov.uk. October 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  2. Archer-Fox, Megan (4 November 2018). "UK's first statue of South Asian WW1 soldier unveiled in Smethwick". Express & Star. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  3. Makin, George (4 November 2018). "UK's first statue of South Asian WW1 soldier unveiled in the Midlands". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  4. "Industrial Heritage Stronghold". industrialheritagestronghold.com. Retrieved 26 September 2021. Search for Lions of the Great War under artwork
  5. "Lions of the Great War | Fields in Trust". www.fieldsintrust.org.
  6. Dale, Antony (1989). Brighton Churches. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-00863-8.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.