The World battle I Memorial is a battle memorial created in honour of the Trichinopoly soldiers and is situated in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, across from Gandhi Market.
History
A total of 302 soldiers from Trichinopoly served in the British Indian Army during World War I, of whom 41 lost their lives in action. The previous administration erected a memorial with a massive clock inside to honour those soldiers.
Maintenance
The monument, which was also known as the “Clock Tower,” was neglected and deteriorating. Around 25 traders, including Burmese refugees, set up shop and started to occupy the areas around the monument during this period, which if left unchecked became a barrier to viewing and visiting the memorial. After waiting for many years, the city corporation finally decided to redesign the building on February 27, 2013, in response to repeated requests from ex-service members and other service organisations. They did this by cancelling the licence and demolishing the surrounding buildings, with the exception of the stores run by Burmese refugees.