| Madras War Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 Madras War Cemetery | |
 Interactive map of Madras War Cemetery | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1952; 74 years ago (1952) |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Coordinates | 13°00′51″N80°11′40″E / 13.0143°N 80.1944°E /13.0143; 80.1944 |
| Owned by | Commonwealth War Graves Commission Government of India |
| No. of graves | 856 |
Madras War Cemetery is located inNandambakkam,Madras (Chennai),Tamil Nadu, India. It was created to receiveSecond World War graves from civil and cantonment cemeteries in the south and east of India where their permanent maintenance could not be assured.
Madras War Cemetery is located on Mount-Poonamallee Road,Nandambakkam, about 5 km (3.1 miles) from the airport and 1 km (0.62 miles) fromSt. Thomas Mount. The cemetery is open to the public.
The cemetery occupies 2.75 acres (1.11 hectares)[1] and contains the graves of 856 Commonwealth service people who died in the Second World War. It was established in 1952 by the Imperial War Graves Commission, which is now known as theCommonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), to pay tribute to the people of theCommonwealth nations who died in military service. The cemetery is maintained by the CWGC in partnership withGovernment of India.[2] The cemetery is given to the CWGC under perpetual lease by the Defence Ministry.[1]
The cemetery also includes Madras 1914–1918 War Memorial, which is situated at the rear of the site and is styled on the lines of a lawn cemetery. The memorial, which does not contain any bodies, bears plaques with the names of British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in both World Wars and the inscription; "Their name liveth for evermore". It bears the names of more than 1,039 servicemen who died during theFirst World War and whose remains lie in many civil and cantonment cemeteries across India, where it is not possible to maintain their graves in perpetuity.[1] Commonwealth nationals whose remains were buried include 14 Australians and 5 New Zealanders.[3]
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