- Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu unveiled an Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain, 200 km from Paris, on November 9, 2018 to highlight the contribution of the Indian soldiers to the freedom of France in the Great War.
- This is the first national memorial for the Indian soldiers who died in France during the First World War and features the Ashoka emblem.
- Shri Naidu also laid wreath and paid homage to the Indian soldiers who fought selflessly and heroically during World War 1 and made the supreme sacrifice. The Mayor of Villers Guislain, Mr. Gerard Allart, the Ambassador of India to France, Mr Vinay Kwatra, Members of the Indian Community and others were present at the venue.
- The memorial, constructed by the Government of India through the USI, is distinct from the Indian memorial at Neuve Chapple, which was built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- It was almost 100 years back on this same soil that the Indian Cavalry comprising of the Deccan Horse, Hodson’s Horse, Poona Horse, Central India Horse and 18 Cavalry had charged at German positions during the Battle.
- Nearly 1.3 Million Indian soldiers fought with valour and distinction during World War I. A designated Indian Expeditionary Force ‘A’, the Indian Corps that served in France and Belgium from Sep 1914 consisted of two Infantry and two Cavalry Divisions. Nearly 1,40,000 Indian Soldiers took part in World War 1 in France and Belgium. 9300 of them made supreme sacrifice and are buried in 168 cemeteries in France and Belgium.
- The Battle of Cambrai was fought on this very piece of land that you are standing upon today from the morning of November 20, 1917 till December 4, 1917. Over 40,000 soldiers had died during that battle, including many Indians.
- The land in Villers-Guislain was donated by the French government to the Government of India for constructing a memorial recognising the sacrifices of Indian soldiers during during the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.
