The first statue in the UK honouring the 1,500,000 Indian soldiers who fought in the First World War is being unveiled this weekend.

Internationally renowned Black Country artist Luke Perry’s striking sculpture of a Sikh WWI soldier will stand at 17 feet high in Smethwick, West Midlands.

More than 5,000 people are expected to descend on Smethwick to finally see a major public memorial to the Indian soldiers who fought and died in the industrial scale bloodbath of WWI.

The Lions of the Great War statue (Picture: Luke Perry)

The Lions of the Great War sculpture was the brainchild of Luke Perry, funded by Smethwick Guru Nanak Gurdwara and will stand in a new public space created by Sandwell Council.




Luke told Metro.co.uk: ‘When I realised more than 1.5 million Indian soldiers had been sent to WWI I just could not understand why their contribution had been ignored for so long in this country.

‘The names of those who died were not put on any special memorial over here and there was not the money over there (India) to build a memorial so it just got left.

Luke Perry with the completed Lions of India statue which is being installed today (Picture: Luke Perry)

‘And now we seem to be in a place where the British are ashamed of the Empire so it is not a subject that is raised often but that does not alter the fact that these men deserve recognition.’

He added: ‘It is galling they have been overlooked by history.

Caption: Indian soldiers who were wounded fighting at Flanders recuperating at Bournemouth in 1917 (Picture: Getty)

An Indian soldier is stretchered to hospital during World War I in 1916 (Picture: Getty)

‘I started thinking about some ideas for a sculpture which could capture their bravery and dignity and then I started thinking about more practical concerns like funding and where it would go.

‘I was delighted when Smethwick’s Guru Nanak Gurdwara agreed to donate £20,000 for the sculpture and then Sandwell Council spent a lot of money creating a new public space for it to go in the middle of the town.

Luke creating the sculpture in his Mushroom Green industrial workshop in Cradley (Picture: Luke Perry)

The statue, which will be in the centre of a square with seating and special lighting, will stand on a granite plinth with inscriptions that name the regiments in which South Asian soldiers served.

The Indian soldiers came from modern day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Luke specialises in making statues and sculptures which mark historic events or people.

He built a 16-foot high replica of the Titanic’s anchor and pulled it through Dudley as part of Channel 4’s Titanic: The Mission series in 2010.

To build his latest creation he used granite and brass.

Indians in the First World War More than 1,500,000 Indian troops served overseas in WWI 74,187 died and another 67,000 were wounded. Indians fought the Germans in East Africa, the Western Front, the Italians in Galipoli and Eypgt, and the Ottomans in Mesopotamia India included modern day Pakistan and Bangladesh Indian troops won 11 Victoria Crosses for their outstanding bravery Field-Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from 1942 said: ‘The British couldn’t have come through both world wars if they hadn’t had the Indian Army.’

He said: ‘We have been putting in 12 hour days and all sorts of new techniques to ensure he was finished by Armistice Sunday, but as it is the 100th anniversary there was no question that it wouldn’t be finished on time.’

A brand new swimming pool is being built for the 2020 Birmingham Commonwealth Games in Smethwick and visitors will see the giant Sikh soldier when they leave Rolfe Street Train Station.

Mr Perry said: ‘Indians of all religions fought in the war and we are such a diverse multicultural country in part because of the sacrifices they made so this is a wonderful statement which will be perfect for the Commonwealth Games and everything they represent.’

The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh temple in Smethwick, West Midlands (Picture: Rex)

President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick Jatinder Singh said: ‘The memorial opposite Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick will honour the sacrifice of all those brave men who travelled thousands of miles to fight for a country that wasn’t their own.



‘These men volunteered to serve and fought to defend the freedoms we enjoy today. The memorial will ensure that this part is never forgotten. So I am delighted Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick is commissioning the statue and will ensure its success.’

Working by hand Luke painstakingly made the Lions of The Great War statue (Picture: LP)

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Steve Eling said: ‘I am very proud that Smethwick, a place where many people from the Indian subcontinent have made their home, is paying such a striking tribute to the very important role played by South Asian service personnel during times of conflict.

‘I hope this contributes to the growing recognition of the sacrifices that servicemen from Commonwealth countries have made for our country.’

The unveiling of the Lions of the Great War statue, opposite Guru Nanak Gurdwara, High Street, Smethwick, is from 10am on Sunday.

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