Lascar Shamsuddin Sona Royal Indian Marine

[Will O'Brien]

As per CWGC

Name: SHAMSUDDIN SONA

Nationality: Indian

Rank: Lascar

Regiment: Royal Indian Marine

Date of Death: 14/01/1918

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Memorial: NEUVE-CHAPELLE (ZEHRENSDORF INDIAN CEMETERY) MEMORIAL

[Will O'Brien]

& the memorial info

Cemetery: NEUVE-CHAPELLE (ZEHRENSDORF INDIAN CEMETERY) MEMORIAL

Country: France

Locality: Pas de Calais

Location Information: The village of Neuve Chapelle is some 5 kilometres north of La Bassee and 20 kilometres west-south-west of Lille. The Neuve-Chapelle Memorial, incorporating the Neuve-Chapelle (Zehrensdorf Indian Cemetery) Memorial, is situated 800 metres south-west of the village on the east side of the road from La Bassee to Estaires. In 1964 a Special Bronze Panel was designed to add to the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial the names of 206 servicemen of undivided India who died during the 1914-1918 war, whose graves at Zehrensdorf Indian Cemetery, East Germany, were unmaintainable. The following inscription is also engraved on the panel of the Neuve-Chapelle (Zehrensdorf Cem) Memorial: IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THESE MEN WHO DIED IN CAPTIVITY AND WERE BURIED AT ZEHRENSDORF NEAR BERLIN The Neuve-Chapell Memorial takes the form of a circular enclosure, in the foreground of which is a column nearly 15 metres high, recalling the pillars of Asokar, surmounted by a Lotus capital, the Star of India and the Imperial Crown. On either side of the column two carved tigers guard this temple of the dead. The Memorial commemorates over 4,700 soldiers of the Indian Army who died during the 1914-1918 war. Also to be found at this site is the Neuve-Chapelle 1939-1945 Cremation Memorial. In 1964 the remains of 8 Indian soldiers (including 2 unidentified) were exhumed from Sarrebourg French Military Cemetery Extension and Cremated. The names of the 6 identified soldiers are engraved on panels at the Neuve Chapelle Memorial.

Historical Information: Zehrensdorf is a village in the Kummersdorf Forest, about 40 kilometres South of Berlin. At Zossen, three miles to the North-West, was a large camp of Indian and other Asiatic Prisoners of War. The Cemetery, which was a little North of the village, was part of a larger Prisoners of War Cemetery.

No. of Identified Casualties: 206

[Terry Denham]

Note that the memorial mentioned on the CWGC website is now defunct.

The formerly abandoned graves of these PoWs have been 'repossessed' from the German forest site which was a former East German military location and the cemetery restored to its proper state. The renovated cemetery was re-opened in 2005.

The correct commemoration location in CWGC's database is now as stated in 'Remembering Today'.

[Will O'Brien]

Note that the memorial mentioned on the CWGC website is now defunct.

The formerly abandoned graves of these PoWs have been 'repossessed' from the German forest site which was a former East German military location and the cemetery restored to its proper state. The renovated cemetery was re-opened in 2005.

The correct commemoration location in CWGC's database is now as stated in 'Remembering Today'.

I assume the website will be corrected the next time it is updated from the database - I'm aware this only happens periodically - do you know when the next one will occur?

[Terry Denham]

Yes, Will. It will be so updated.

The last update was on 11.07.05.

There is unlikely to be an update for a while yet as CWGC is testing out its new database system and no amendments are currently even being made to the 'live' system. All amendments are being stockpiled until the new system is given the 'all clear'.