The Bombay Engineering Group and Centre (BEG&C) of the Indian Army is set to unveil a revamped war memorial in commemoration of its centenary year. The iconic monument, situated on the parade ground at Kirkee and originally constructed in 1924, is undergoing renovations to enhance its historical significance.
“All the names of the martyred soldiers will be engraved on the newly constructed pillars. It will be unveiled at the BEG centre on February 1,” disclosed a senior army officer to TOI on Saturday.
The war memorial stands as a poignant tribute at the entrance of the parade ground, honoring the officers and men who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War. Col BB Russel, a British Army officer who served as the center’s commandant from 1905-09, laid the foundation stone on February 17, 1923. The memorial was then unveiled by the Governor of Bombay on September 10, 1924.
Constructed by the sappers of the Corps of Engineers, the monument features a stone cenotaph with inscriptions in English, Urdu, Gurmukhi, and Marathi, as documented in the records of the Bombay Sappers.
Over the years, the memorial has undergone expansions to commemorate various operations. In 1979, the base was expanded, and four satellite structures with marble faces were incorporated to inscribe operation names. The most recent expansion in 2023 added walls adorned with the names of fallen heroes, marking a century of existence for the memorial.
The commemorative parade on February 1 will not only unveil the renovated war memorial but also feature the release of the emblem of the Bombay Sappers. Brigadier MJ Kumar (retd), former commandant of the BEG, emphasized the significance of war memorials, stating, “A war memorial provides an opportunity for visitors to develop a conscious connection with the institution and people in whose memory the structure is built.”
