Historical Information
The DELHI 1914-18 MEMORIAL stands in Delhi War Cemetery and commemorates 153 First World War casualties buried in Meerut Cantonment Cemetery whose graves were previously considered as unmaintable. The Commission is currently working to reinstate the original graves of the individuals commemorated here, and as a result their official commemoration location has now been reverted back to MEERUT CANTONMENT CEMETERY, although their names will still remain on the DELHI 1914-18 MEMORIAL for the foreseeable future.
DELHI WAR CEMETERY was created in 1951 when graves from many cemeteries in northern India were moved into the site to ensure their permanent maintenance. Among them are graves from cantonment cemeteries in Allahabad, Cawnpore, Dehra Dun and Lucknow. There are now 1,022 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War buried, or commemorated by special memorial, in this cemetery together with a number of war graves of other nationalities, mostly Dutch.
In 1966, 99 First World War burials were moved into the cemetery from Nicholson Cemetery, Kashmir Gate, Delhi, so that their permanent maintenance could be assured. A special memorial commemorates one casualty whose grave remains in Nicholson Cemetery.
The cemetery also contains the DELHI 1939-45 WAR MEMORIAL, commemorating more than 25,000 servicemen of the forces of undivided India who died during the Second World War in non-operational zones. Their remains were accorded the last rites and disposal required by their various religions and their names are commemorated at memorials in Delhi and Karachi. No names appear on the memorials but a Roll of Honour at each site, one in Hindi, the other in Urdu, record the names of those commemorated.
