We had posted an entry (Dec 12, 2008) on the abandoned graves of two British soldiers who lost their lives in the 1921 Revolt. We had ended with the hope that an agency like the Commonwealth Graves Commission would take care of these graves to prevent possible desecration.
We were pleasantly surprised to receive a communication from the eminent British author ('The Great Hedge of India' and 'Tea - Addiction, Exploitation and Empire', among others) and a great friend of Malabar,
Roy Moxham, about his efforts to take up the issue with the War Graves Commission and their reply.
We reproduce below their reply in order to demonstrate the great care they take of their dead and the practical difficulties in looking after scattered graves of British dead. It also gently reminds us that Government of India had, in 1950, given 'assurances that these sites would be respected and remain undisturbed.' Are we in default of this?
Thank you for your e-mail of 15th December 2008.
Firstly I must apologise for the delay in my reply but we are currently working to clear a large back log of enquiries. Please find below all the details that we hold for Private Ely and Private Hutchings, this being the information provided by the relevant service authority after the war.
Their names are commemorated on Madras memorial because their graves at Tirurangadi could not be maintained. Please see our Historical notes/explanation below.
Private ELEY , F M
Unit: 2nd Bn.
Regiment: Dorsetshire Regiment
Service No: 5718896
Date of Death: 30 August 1921
Commemoration: MADRAS 1914-1918 WAR MEMORIAL, CHENNAI
India
Face 17.
Additional Information: Buried in Tirurangadi Graves.
Private HUTCHINGS , H C
Unit: 2nd Bn.
Regiment: Dorsetshire Regiment
Service No: 5718762
Date of Death: 20 August 1921
Commemoration: MADRAS 1914-1918 WAR MEMORIAL, CHENNAI
India
Face 17.
Additional Information: Buried in Tirurangadi Graves.
Location: Madras War Cemetery is about 5 kilometres from the airport and 14 kilometres from the central railway station. The GST Road (Great Southern Trunk Road) leads from the airport past Trident Hotel to Kathipara roundabout. The way is via Mount Poonamall Road, passing at the foot of St.Thomas Mount. The cemetery can easily be located on the right hand side of the road 1 kilometre from St. Thomas Mount. From Madras Central Railway Station the route is up Mount Road (Anna Salai) and over the bridge which crosses the River Cooun. The route passes St. Mary's Cemetery on Pallawan Road and is via LIC building (Life Insurance Corporation Building) situated on Mount Road, which leads to Anna Flyover and to Kathipara Junction.
Visiting: The memorial stands in Madras War Cemetery. The cemetery is open daily, including Sundays (excluding public holidays) between 08:00am and 18:00pm. Outside of these times, access can be gained via two other gates which are always open as they lead to the resident manager's living quarters within the cemetery.
Historical: The MADRAS 1914-1918 MEMORIAL is situated at the rear of the cemetery. It bears the names of more than 1,000 service who died during the First World War who lie in many civil and cantonment cemeteries* in various parts of India where it is not possible to maintain their graves in perpetuity. The memorial stands in MADRAS WAR CEMETERY which was created to receive Second World War graves from many civil and cantonment cemeteries in the south and east of India where their permanent maintenance could not be assured.
The cemetery contains 856 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
* Agra Cantonment; Aligarh Civil; Allahabad New Cantonment; Arogyavaram Pothapole Union Mission Sanitorium; Bangalore Cantoment (Kulpully); Bangalore (Hosur Road); Bantra, Howrah; Bareilly; Barkacha Military Grave; Barrackpore New; Bellary Military; Benares Cantonment; Bettiah; Bezwa Eurpean; Bolarum Cavalry Barracks, Secunderbad; Calcutta (Entally); Calcutta (Lower Circular Road); Calicut New Beach; Cannanore General; Cawnpore Cantonment New; Chakrata; Chaubattia; Chikmagalur; Cuddapah European; Dehra Dun; Dinapore No 3; Dum Dum New; Fatehgarh Cantonment Open; Fyzabad Cantonment; Gaya New; Jamalpur Railway; Jhajha; Jhansi Cantonment; Kailana, Chakrata; Kala Khan, Naini Tal; Kataphar New, Jalapahar; Kharagpur; Kohima; Kotwa Military Grave; Kydganj New, Allahabad; Landour General; Lebong Cantonment; Lucknow Cantonment Military; Madras (Kilpauk); Madras (St Andrew's); Madras (St George's) Cathedral; Madras (St Patrick's); Madras Wesleyan; Madura R.C.; Malappuram (Christ Church); Mussoorie General; Muttra; Narayan Guda Hyderbad Government; Ootacamund (St Thomas); Poonamallee; Port Blair; Puri; Purna R.C.; Raichur Railwa Ramandrug; Rangamati; Rhanikhet New; Roorkee; Sadiya; Saharanpur; St Thomas's Mount Church; Secunderbad; Secunderbad European R.C.; Shahjahanpur Cantontoment; Sillong; Tirurangadi; Trimulgherry Cantonment; Wellington Garrison.
In 1950, after the British withdrawal from India, it was announced in Parliament that the continued maintenance of the cemeteries could not be undertaken by the Governments of India and Pakistan.They did however, give assurances that these sites would be respected and remain undisturbed.
It was obviously not possible for the Commission to endeavour to maintain a few war graves in a cemetery otherwise unmaintained. It was, therefore, decided that a permament commemoration of the war dead buried in these cemeteries should be on memorials at Madras, Kirkee, Karachi and Delhi.
I hope that this information is helpful to you.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs J Williams
Enquiries Section