Backdrop installed at 'beautiful' memorial to fallen Sikh soldiers

The eight-metre steel plate depicting a mountain range and strategic outposts will form part of Wolverhampton's new Saragarhi Monument, which will stand on land in Well Lane in Wednesfield.

Black Country sculptor Luke Perry is creating the memorial, which has been commissioned by Guru Nanak Gurdwara and is the first monument in the UK specifically honouring the fallen soldiers.

Members of the congregation have undertaken a £100,000 fundraising programme for the monument, with donations made by the temple and the project supported by the community.

Wolverhampton Council has also contributed £35,000 towards the memorial after it agreed to transfer land to the Gurdwara on a 99-year lease.

The completed sculpture will include the steel plate with commemorative wording as well as the bronze figure of a Sikh solider.

The memorial commemorates the Battle of Saragarhi, a conflict which took place on September 12 1897 and saw 21 soldiers from the 36th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army fight against thousands of Afghan tribesmen.

The battle centered on an outpost in Saragarhi which was surrounded and attacked by the tribesmen, with the soldiers choosing to fight to the death rather than surrender.

A further man, believed to be a Muslim cook who was not enrolled as a solider, also died after choosing to join the battle to defend the outpost.

The conflict is considered by military historians to be one of the greatest last stands in history. Saragarhi Day is commemorated by the Indian Army's 4th battalion of the Sikh regiment every year on September 12.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for city assets and housing at Wolverhampton Council and ward member for Wednesfield South, has worked closely with the Gurdwara to develop plans for the memorial.

He said: "I am delighted to be here to see the steel plate being craned carefully into place. As the memorial progresses, it becomes easier to see what a remarkable and beautiful tribute this will be to those who fought so bravely.

"The steel plate represents the hills and mountains of Saragarhi which formed the backdrop to a truly courageous sacrifice and I know the completed memorial will be very important to a large number of people - in Wednesfield, in Wolverhampton and across the world.

"The battle is recognised as a famous last stand and I hope this wonderful memorial will encourage more people to learn about what happened and the brotherhood and sense of loyalty shared by those men who fought to the end."

The statue is set to be officially unveiled at a ceremony on Sunday, September 12.