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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.
Air: Chennai has an airport with both domestic and
international terminals. Regular flights connect
Chennai with the
major cities within the country and also with countries like USA,
Singapore, U.K etc.
Rail: Chennai
is well connected by rail with the important towns and cities within and
beyond the state.
Road: State transport buses and private buses connect
Chennai with the
major towns and cities within the country. For local transportation local
trains, city buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are available.
Being the capital city of the state, Chennai is well equipped with various kinds of accommodation options, varying from economic class to luxurious ones.