Haifa day: Deterioration of memorial in Basra distresses families of martyrs
The Mysore Lancers, the armed force of the erstwhile Mysore princely State, was part of the Indian Expeditionary Force, which troops from other princely States were a part of.
The deterioration of the Basra War Memorial in Iraq has caused distress among families of fallen soldiers from the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I. The memorial, constructed for 40,500 Commonwealth service personnel who lost their lives in the conflict, did not accurately reflect the presence of many Indian soldiers, particularly those of the Mysore Imperial Lancers.
Known for their bravery in WWI, especially during the liberation of Haifa, the Mysore Lancers played a crucial role in overcoming Ottoman and German forces in Mesopotamia, Jerusalem, Gaza, and Haifa. However, recent reports from the United Kingdom reveal the destruction of at least 3,000 tombstones in Basra, prompting families of the deceased soldiers to seek public assistance in gathering further evidence of the memorial's destruction.
Journalist Anil Raje Urs, who recently published a book on the Mysore Lancers, highlighted the challenges faced by the Indian forces, who lacked modern weapons and relied on their courage to silence enemy machine guns in Haifa. Despite public recognition of their contributions, the memorial's inaccuracy in documenting Indian soldiers' sacrifices remains a concern, as the Commonwealth War Grave Commission acknowledges incomplete war records from the time.
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