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UK adds names of 33,000 Indian soldiers missing from Basra Memorial in Iraq via digital panels
Digital name panels have been launched for the Basra Memorial in Iraq to include the names of 33,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in World War I and were previously missing from the memorial. The update places these names alongside more than 46,000 other Commonwealth service personnel in a digital format.
Why It Matters
The move addresses long-standing gaps in how Indian soldiers are commemorated and provides a way for people to engage with their stories even when they cannot visit the site in person.
Timeline
1 Event
Digital panels launched for Basra Memorial to include 33,000 Indian Army soldiers
April 2026
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission launched new digital name panels for the Basra Memorial in Iraq to commemorate the 33,000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the First World War and were previously missing from the memorial. The digital memorial now presents these Indian names together with more than 46,000 other Commonwealth service personnel. A CWGC official noted that digital memorials complement physical sites and help reverse what has been described as historical inequality in commemoration. The update was chosen as a digital solution because a physical update to the site in Iraq was not feasible due to safety concerns.