The year was 1780; the British in their swelling colonial conquest were restless.
The year was 1780; the British in their swelling colonial conquest were restless. They went eastwards to Burma, Malaya, China and Ceylon; they wandered westwards to Iran and Iraq. All through their journeys they made sure they were accompanied by men who were as brave as they were efficient. The Madras Engineer Group was formed as a forerunner to the army, these brave armed men cleared the toughest of hurdles building bridges, digging trenches and saps, clearing hedges, paving pathways, many a times sacrificing their own lives.
The Madras Sappers Museum and Archives lucidly showcases the glorious history of the sappers through the years. Its repository archives intriguing drawings, photographic records, gallery of sapper generals, medals, period sapper dresses and even memorabilia brought back from assignments of the sappers across the globe. Since the museum comprehensively chronicles the history of the sappers from 1761, the displays contain valuables that are antique and rare, some even dating back to the 18th and 19th century.
Of the museum's displays the Chockalingam medal is a unique honour that was earned by Havildar Chokalingam, for the bravery he demonstrated in Coorg, 1834. This was the first medal that was specifically crafted to be awarded to an individual.
Another noteworthy medal is the George Cross, the highest award in the British army given for an act of bravery, not in the face of an enemy. Subedar Subramanium from the Madras Sappers was the first Indian to be honoured with the blue ribboned medal. In the Battle of Britain, Sub Subramanium in an effort to save Lance Naik Sigamani who had stepped on a mine, threw himself over the mine, neutralising the force of the explosion and saving lance naik.
The museum has history literally written on its walls. Beginning with the title of the corps, the expeditions, works and achievements of the sappers is documented on its walls with accompanying sepia toned pictures. The write up on the Battle of Meanee explains the unique trademark hats of the sappers. The 'doopta' can be traced back to this 1834 action at Meanee, when the sappers themselves joined the charge of another regiment that was so impressed by the them that they exchanged their caps, the shako, a cylindrical peaked hat with a plume. This head dress the doopta still remains in its tailored version.
The expedition memorabilia includes an intricately carved Peking bronze bell and a beautifully painted porcelain china bowl brought after the Boxer rebellion. The fascinating display of the old sapper outfits includes world war attire and a body suit worn by sappers on their Antarctica expedition.
Tucked away in MEG's lush campus is also the Madras Sappers War Memorial built of Mysore granite that was erected near the Ulsoor Lake in 1923. But with the city's stifling growth, it was relocated stone by stone into the serene campus. The memorial is surrounded by three ubiquitous symbols of the sappers; two sculptures each of the elephant, the sphinx and the dragon. The elephant is a reminder of the honour awarded to the sappers in the battle of Assaye, the sphinx is reminiscent of the expedition to Egypt in 1801 and the dragon represents the golden dragon honour bestowed on the Madras sappers in the first Chinese war of 1840.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}