First World War Memorial in Galle (ගාල්ල පළමුවන ලෝක යුද්ධ ස්මාරකය)

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As a part of the British Empire, Sri Lanka, then Ceylon too had its share of both World Wars with British nationals serving on the island as state servants, in the estate sector and in companies dedicated themselves to military service. At the end of the First World War, there were a number of monuments built in Sri Lanka celebrating the returning heroes and those who sacrificed their lives serving those regions. The main war memorial of Sri Lanka stood at Galle Face known as the Victory Tower which was subsequently moved to a land next to Vihara Maha Devi Park in Colombo.

At the entrance of the Galle Fort stands a granite obelisk, serving as a war memorial. On February 28, 1921, Mr. R.B. Hellings, Government Agent of the Southern Province, unveiled this memorial. It was erected to honour the servicemen from the Galle District who sacrificed their lives during World War I (1914-1919), with their names engraved upon it.

As per the records, the Galle War Memorial was initiated by the District Planters’ Association. The Chairman of the Municipal Council of Galle, in his Annual Report for 1920, mentioned that “the Council on the application of Galle District Planters’ Association granted the portion of the ground opposite the New Gate as the site for the obelisk to be erected as a public memorial to those from the Southern Province who fell in the Great War.”

The granite war memorial sits atop a multi-stepped base, with four of its bases featuring inscriptions of various sizes. Standing at approximately 3 meters in height, the monument is surrounded by a square-shaped low wall. While it may have appeared more impressive in the past, its view has been somewhat obstructed by the recent development of a Cricket Stadium, which now blocks the vista of the area from the fort’s esplanade.

The first and second bases of the monument appear to have had letters crafted from metal affixed to the panel, evident now only by the drilled holes where they once were. In contrast, the inscriptions on the other two bases are engraved directly into the stone. Although seven names are mentioned in the monument, only six of these names are decipherable at present.

1914–1918
IN MEMORIAM
THIS
MONUMENT
WAS ERECTED BY
PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION
IN MEMORY OF THE
BRAVE MEN
OF THE GALLE DISTRICT
WHO
LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES
IN THE
GREAT WAR

(On the base )

THEIR MEMORY LIVETH
FOR EVERMORE
R.C. BROUN C.A. MACGREGOR
G.B. BURRIDGE G. MIDDLEMISS
C.H. KALE R.B. WATERHOUSE
G.H. WHITFIELD

References

Perera, K.N. (2023) ‘ War Memorials In Sri Lanka – Boer War (1899 -1902), First World War (1914 – 1918) And Second World War (1939 – 1945)’. Colombo: Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association.
Wisumperuma , D. (no date) First World War Memorial at Galle, Sri Lanka, Western Front Association. Available at: https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/first-world-war-memorial-at-galle-sri-lanka/ (Accessed: 28 April 2024).

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Map of War Memorial in Galle

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Travel Directions to the First World War Memorial in Galle

Directions from Galle Railway Station to First World War Memorial in Galle

Via:
Distance: 400 meters
Travel Time: 8 minutes (walking)
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References

Also See

Map of War Memorial in Galle

Travel Directions to the First World War Memorial in Galle

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