Tag: commonwealth war graves

By Yumnam Rajeshwor Singh

‘In January 1917 the Secretary of State for India informed the Viceroy that 50,000 “South African kaffirs” were being send to France and asked if he could supply an equal number of labourers. While other local governments remained noncommittal, Archdale Earle, Chief Commissioner of assam, offered ‘eight to ten thousand able- bodied hill –men. Quite remarkably, this labour was being offered from the most sparsely populated tracts of Assam- the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia hills and down along the Assam Burma frontier, the Naga hills, the mountainous tracts of Manipur Princely State and the Lushai hills’(Radhika Singha).

In April 1917, a group of 2000 recruits for the Labour Corps assembled in Imphal. They underwent a short period (around three weeks) of rigorous intensive physical training and on basic warfare knowledge. The leaders of the various contingents were as follows:

1. Porachao and Angom Porom Singh of Phayeng led the Meitei contingent;
2. R.S.Ruichumhao led the 1200 strong Tangkhul contingent;
3. Teba Kurong led the Kom contingent; and
4. Thomsong.Ngulhao, a Kuki Christian evangelist was the leader for the 500 Kuki recruits. (Pratap Chetri)
‘His Highness Maharajah Churchand Singh of Manipur State offered the Manipur Double Company and Manipur Labour corps which rendered distinguished service during the war. The Maharajah contributed an aeroplane and four motor ambulances amounted to Rs 51,300, Rs. 14670 to various relief funds, comfort funds and memorials, Rs 40,830 towards the expenses of the Double Company and Rs 3044 towards the expenses of the Corps’ (Budheswar Pati)

Recorded in The Gazette (London Gazette), issue 12680, 4 December 1917, His Highness Raja Chura Chand Singh, Raja of Manipur was appointed by the King of England to the Most Excellent order of the British Empire (CBE) for services in connection with the 1^st World War. Later again as recorded  in The Gazette ( London Gazette), page 4 , 1^st January 1934,  His Highness was  appointed  by the King of England as Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI).

Many Manipuries who went to participate the First World War must have died in various part of the world. After almost 96 years of the end of First World War, 87 numbers of Graves and Memorials belonging to Manipuries were discovered during my research in various cemeteries and memorials of France, Italy, Yemen and Egypt. The memorials and Graves belong to five different companies of Manipur Labour Corps. They are the 39^th Manipuri Labour Coy, 40^th Manipuri Labour Coy, 65^th Manipuri Labour Coy, 66^th Manipur Labour coy and the 22^nd Manipuri Labour Coy.

The names with their corresponding cemetery/ Memorials with the country of the cemetery/ Memorial of the 87 graves are listed below:

Sl No	Name	Country	Cemetery/Memorial
1	AHEI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
2	AKHILL PUKHINI	France	BARLY FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY
3	ANGAD SEN	Egypt	HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL
4	APHUN	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
5	AREILA	France	MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY, MARSEILLES
6	ARIJI SHIVA	France	HAUTE-AVESNES BRITISH CEMETERY
7	ASUASH KAISHO	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
8	BABULAL KURMI	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
9	BULKHAUR	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
10	CHANDA THAKUR	Egypt	HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL
11	CHING YAM	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
12	CHUNGYANG	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
13	DALAI HEM	Egypt	HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL
14	HRANGA	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
15	JAITEH	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
16	JHANGPU	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
17	JHIGADAI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
18	JHONGTON	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
19	JOLKA HEMBRON	France	MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY, MARSEILLES
20	JONGAI	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
21	KACHAO WANG	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
22	KAHAOSAN	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
23	KAHRAI DAILI	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
24	KAPANI ASHIO	France	LA CHAPELETTE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY, PERONNE
25	KHAMBEL KUKI	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
26	KHUTHANG	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
27	KUISUM	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
28	KURI HEL JADEL	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
29	KWELL YIN	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
30	LAL THAPU	France	ST. GERMAIN-AU-MONT-D’OR COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
31	LARRO PUNI	France	MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY, MARSEILLES
32	LEISHISHAN	Yemen	MAALA CEMETERY
33	LONODON KA MA	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
34	LOWAN	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
35	LUANG PHANG	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
36	LUISHI	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
37	LUNGSHIN	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
38	MAHARSING SARKI	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
39	MAIKU	Egypt	HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL
40	MAIPHUPA	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
41	MAKATHI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
42	MAKHALI TANGKHUL	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
43	MALEN-TUNG	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
44	MANAO	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
45	MANGEITHONG	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
46	MANGUEKUKI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
47	MANKHUKAN	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
48	MASHANGAM	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
49	MASON	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
50	MAUNG MYIN	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
51	MAUNG SANG PE	Egypt	HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL
52	MIKLING	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
53	MINGNGA	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
54	MOKTOL KUKI	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
55	MOLIENG	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
56	NGAISHI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
57	NGAL KHUTHONG	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
58	PAOLUNG	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
59	PAOTIMLAN	France	MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY, MARSEILLES
60	PUNSHI	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
61	PUTANLENG	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
62	RAIZU JHARO	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
63	RAMA SARIS	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
64	RAZA CHU	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
65	RHAMBA	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
66	SAHJADA	Egypt	HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL
67	SAKAF	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
68	SALKHUKAM KUKI	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
69	SANGAI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
70	SANGTINGTA	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
71	SASHOI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
72	SENGGUR	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
73	SHEKATHAN	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
74	SHOIPHUNGA	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
75	SHOSHI LIMU	France	LA CHAPELETTE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY, PERONNE
76	SIPAI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
77	SUHAL	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
78	THAN DE YI	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
79	THICHING	France	NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL
80	THISAN	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
81	THURM VUNG	France	LA CHAPELETTE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY, PERONNE
82	TOURO	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
83	VAREISU	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
84	VEMGAI	Italy	TARANTO TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
85	YAMKIELA	France	ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
86	YANGTON	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
87	YARMGAI	France	BLARGIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION

 

Out of these 87 Manipuries, two families had come forward to claim the photographs of the grave. Putanleng was originally from Tangkhul Hundung. His nephew is still today alive and lives in Litan.  Putanleng is buried in ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, in Rouen, France. Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war. They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross, one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever.  So it can be concluded that Putanleng died in a hospital due to illness or by a wound from a battle. There is a possibility of Putanleng’s death in one of the above Hospitals after a battle injury. The German offensive had started one month before he died.

Another laborer’s grave picture was also handed over to his grandson, Mr Lohro from Mao, Manipur. The Grave of Akhill Pukhini is also located in France in the Barly French Military Cemetery. Barly is a village and commune in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, some 25 kilometres south-west of Arras. Pukhini did not die in Barly. His remains were brought from isolated burials in France along with eight other Indians after the end of 1^st world war to be reburied in this Cemetery.

Manipur has no memorial dedicated to those who participated the Great War. It’s time now the present generation carves the name of those brave forgotten Manipuries, so that the future generation will cherish the memories of their forefather.

References :-

1. Radhika Singha. ‘The recruiter’s eye on “the primitive: to France in the Indian Labour Corps, and back, 1917-1918’.                                                            
2. Pratap Chetri. ‘North East and the first world war’ , Eastern Panorama
3. The London Gazette
4. Budheswar Pati . ‘India and the first world war’
5. Records of Commonwealth War Graves Commission

This article was sent for publication by Yumnam Rajeshwor Singh. The author can be contacted through  his email id yrs001(at)gmail(dot)com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/11/87-brave-manipuries-of-the-first-world-war/