Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19
Smethurst, Thomas, enlisted Fulham, 741252, Pte., died in India, 26 Jan
1918.
['Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19', Vol. 10, Part
76, Page 207, 25th (County of London) Battalion (Cyclists), pub. 1921 by
His Majesty's Stationary Office]
In Memory of
Private Thomas SMETHURST
741252, 25th Bn., London Regiment (Cyclists)
who died age 23 on 26 June 1918 in India
Remembered with honour KIRKEE 1914-1918
MEMORIAL. Face 10
Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Kirkee Memorial commemorates more than 1,800
servicemen who died in India during the First World War, who are buried in
civil and cantonment cemeteries in India and Pakistan* where their graves
can no longer be properly maintained. This total includes the names of 629
servicemen whose remains were brought from
Bombay
(Sewri) Cemetery for re-interment here in 1960.
Kirkee, also known as Khadki, is a Military
Cantonment adjoining the large university town of
Poona
on the Plateau above
Bombay
. It can be reached by train from
Bombay
to
Poona
or by long distance taxi service from Dada Taxi Stand,
Bombay . There are direct flights from
Bombay
,
Madras
and
Delhi
but these tend to be irregular. Taxis and Motor Rickshaws are available
from Poona Railway Station. To reach
Kirkee
War
Cemetery
, in which the memorial stands, one must ask for
Mula Road
along which the cemetery is located. One way is to cross the
Sangam
Bridge
and follow the road which has the River Mula on its right. The CWGC road
direction board is on a crossroads with the
Bombay Poona Road
. The cemetery is situated on the right hand side and backs onto the
river. From the railway station follow the way via Juna Bazar,
Sangam
Bridge
, past the Engineering college, over
Wakdewadi
Bridge , past Bajaj Kamal Nayan Udyan and onto Bhayawadi and Mula Roads.
From the airport, one reaches Ahmadnagar Road
which joins onto
Nagar Road
followed by
Deccan College Road
; over the
Holkar
Bridge
and, keeping left at the junction with Elphinson road, one enters
Mula Road
. The cemetery is a short distance away on the left hand side of the road.
The Commonwealth War Graves road direction sign is situated at the
junctions of Elphinson Road
and
Mula Road
, but it should be noted that this is often hidden from view by Market
Stalls.
[Courtesy of
Commonwealth War Graves Commission]
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