‘They deserve better’: WWI Indian cavalry memorial at Somme site sparks ridicule (PHOTOS)

A unique memorial to the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade of the Indian Army, which fought at the Somme in WWI, has left people utterly baffled because of its cartoonish depictions of war heroes.

“It’s disappointingly poor. And yet done with such good intentions. What a shame,” wrote military historian Jeremy Banning, of the newly installed memorial at Longueval windmill on the famous battle ground.

The stunted statues were apparently unveiled over the weekend, having reportedly been crafted in Mumbai and shipped all the way to France. 

“Just speechless at how something as comical and amateurish as this can be conceived, commissioned, shipped and installed without someone stopping it. Embarrassing,” the chair of the UK Punjab Heritage Association, Amandeep Madra, said on Twitter.

“Comical, is the best description I can devise for this. No one can accept this as a memorial. It should be pulled down ASAP,” Gurdip Singh Sandher added.

Exactly who commissioned it and who made it remains a mystery, but the prevailing consensus online appears to be ‘good intentions, bad execution.’ 

“First glance and only a photo but that looks terrible to me. Another in an increasing number of terrible memorials in France and Flanders,” wrote one dissappointed commenter.

“As my Grandma would politely say ‘it’s not what I would choose’,” was another cutting reaction.

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