Community leaders joined together at the invitation of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick to welcome recent work on the iconic Lions of the Great War statue that’s keeping the memorial looking its best.
Black Country sculptor Luke Perry has given the 10-foot high bronze statue of a Sikh solider a wax recoating – and it’s timed just ahead of the 110th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.
Representatives of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick and Sandwell Council, together with Preet Kaur Gill MP and councillors, met at the memorial earlier today at an event led by the Gurdwara to mark the completion of the work, which helps to protect it for the future.
Lions of the Great War became the first full statue of a South Asian First World War soldier in the UK when it was unveiled in November 2018 – 100 years on from the end of the First World War.
The Gurdwara commissioned Luke Perry to create the statue to honour the sacrifices made by South Asian service personnel of all faiths from the Indian subcontinent who fought for Britain in the Great War and other conflicts. Millions of men from the Indian subcontinent fought in the two world wars, serving in the British Indian Army. Most never visited the country they were fighting for, yet many sacrificed their lives on the battlefield or afterwards.
Back in 2018, Sandwell Council worked with the Gurdwara to create a paved public space with seating and lighting as well as improving an adjoining green space. The site gained its Community Green Flag status in 2020 and volunteers from the Gurdwara help to keep it clean and tidy.
Kuldeep Singh Deol, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, said: “The Lions of the Great War statue is a beautiful memorial, and we are fortunate to have it at Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick. On behalf of the congregation and the management committee, I extend our heartfelt thanks to Luke Perry for his work in creating and refurbishing this statue.
“We also want to express our gratitude to Sandwell Council for their continued support. Additionally, we are deeply indebted to our generous congregation and volunteers, who consistently provide invaluable support and help maintain the Lions of the Great War site.”
Luke Perry said: “It’s important to regularly maintain the bronze, otherwise it can go green, which would then make it more time-consuming and costly to repair. To avoid this, the wax needs to be recoated every five or six years, so it was the perfect time to carry out this work at Lions of the Great War.
“We rigged up scaffolding and spent time stripping back any dirt, insects and the remainder of old wax without damaging the colour. The next step was more exciting and required one of us to use a high flame setting of propane to heat the metal of the bronze to 300 degrees whereupon our other worker would brush wax into the sculpture which was then absorbed. This then protects the patina and brings back a beautiful shine to the piece.”
Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Sandwell Council Leader, said: “We are very proud to have Lions of the Great War in Sandwell. Many people from the Indian subcontinent have made Smethwick their home, and it’s important we remember the sacrifices that people from South Asia and across the Commonwealth made for our country during the First World War and other conflicts.
“We are now approaching the 110th anniversary of the start of the First World War and I am really pleased to see this memorial being so well looked after.”