Behind a high wall, amidst shrubs, bushes and rubble on a raise in the Army area near Mohammedia Lines near Golconda fort, is a red sandstone pillar that pays homage to the war heroes from Hyderabad who fought in World War-I.

Unseen, unsung and unheralded, the monument to the dead in the first Great War remains out of public memory, even as the world marks the 100th anniversary of the brutal phase of Battle of Somme on July 14.

“The Second Lancers Memorial is well maintained, but security is a concern. I don’t think the Army can afford to create a small enclave where people can come and pay homage to the dead,” says Anuradha Reddy, Intach coordinator of the Hyderabad chapter.

Ironically, though the memorial is close to the residential quarters of the solders’ families who fought in the war, most of them remain unaware of the legacy. “I know of one war memorial in the Mehdipatnam area (Basantar Memorial). I don’t think there is any structure like this,” said an armed soldier guarding the residential area when shown an archival image of the memorial.

Only a moulvi living in the area remembered the memorial and said it used to be an open area till the mid-90s. “Children used to play in the area just as they still do in Parade Grounds. Only in 1996 they raised a wall limiting the access of children in the area,” said Muhammad Ghouse, who leads prayers at the mosque in the area.

“I remember the hillock and the memorial as we used to travel to Shorapur where my father was posted. Last year, I persuaded Army officials to give me access and they were incredulous when they discovered the memorial.

“Now, the unit posted there is proud and its upkeep is very good. The unit (not being named for security reasons) saw action during World War I in Gallipoli and they have Turkish weapons as memorabilia,” informs Ms. Reddy.

The Second Lancers saw action in Egypt and Palestine, and was the first to enter Haifa.

Though, Hyderabad has forgotten its war dead, they live on in the words of Arthur Conan Doyle, who describes the cavalry charge on the Western Front at Highwood on the Somme on July 14, 1916: “A handful from the 7th Dragoon Guards and 20th Deccan Horse made an exhilarating but premature appearance on the right flank… two detachments of Deccan Horse and 7th Dragoon Guards galloped miles from the rear and held the position till nightfall. 40 Germans fell to lance and sabres.”

Ironically, it was Major General El Edroos of the Second Lancers, then leading the Hyderabad Army, who laid down arms and surrendered when the Indian Army reached the Parade Grounds on September 17 after Operation Polo.

Phone calls, emails and twitter messages to Army and Defence Ministry officials for this report elicited no response.