Basra War Cemetery

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The cemetery in 1951 prior to its destruction, showcasing Basra Plot 7 (WW2) and Plot 6 (WW1) (CWGC Archives) Basra Plot 7 (WW2) and Plot 6 (WW1) taken in 1951 (CWGC Archives).jpg
The cemetery in 1951 prior to its destruction, showcasing Basra Plot 7 (WW2) and Plot 6 (WW1) (CWGC Archives)
War Stone from Basra Cemetery Lest We Forget Monument remains.jpg
War Stone from Basra Cemetery

The Basra War Cemetery is a military cemetery in Basra, Iraq, originally a small civil cemetery it was greatly enlarged during WW1 and includes 2,890 graves the majority of which are Commonwealth casualties from WW1 killed during the Mesopotamian campaign in the First World War and in addition a small plot containing graves of Ottoman POW's and 8 Russian refugees from 1920-21. There are 364 WW2 graves and a dedicated RAF cemetery. A number of Soviet pilots are also buried there from a plane crash in 1942. The site is in very poor condition having not been maintained or renovated by the CWGC and the graves are unmarked with the field being used as a dump and for sports with the RAF section being used to grow vegetables.

Contents

History

In 1935 the site was cleared of gravestones due to their deterioration and a Memorial Screen Wall was installed with the names of the men buried there – none of which survive - when they were removed and by whom is unknown. Opposite lies the Indian Forces Cemetery. The combined two cemeteries contain the remains of almost 5,000 servicemen primarily from WW1, some civilian graves and a few from World War II.

During WW2 Basra was part of the Trans-Iranian transport route for the delivery of Lend-Lease to the USSR. Among the Soviet dead are included the crew from a plane crash in 08/05/1942:

Alexey Nikolaevich Ivanov, Senior Lieutenant, commander of the aviation unit, section 7, row G, grave 5;

Yuri Pavlovich Zaitsev, foreman, navigator, section 7/G/6.

Fragments of a British Army Soldiers Grave Basra War Cemetery Grave Fragments.jpg
Fragments of a British Army Soldiers Grave Basra War Cemetery

It was maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) until 2007. [1] [2] Those buried at the cemetery include Victoria Cross recipient George Godfrey Massy Wheeler, and Henry Howard, 19th Earl of Suffolk.[ citation needed ]

The Daily Telegraph reported on 10 November 2013 that the cemetery had been damaged, with a number of headstones knocked down and broken by looters and vandals. [1] The Commonwealth War Graves Commission subsequently cleared the site of all grave markers before abandoning the site, the cross of sacrifice and plinth. Local neighbors then started using the area as a football and games field.

Basra War Cemetery in 1997 prior to being cleared by the CWGC Basra War Cemetery 1997.pdf
Basra War Cemetery in 1997 prior to being cleared by the CWGC

The graves themselves remain undisturbed, and the sub-bases remain in place, making individual graves relatively easy to identify. As of July 2024 the CWGC has no plans to return to the country and renovate or maintain any of the cemeteries and monuments there.

In July 2024 a relative of a soldier buried there from 1941 visited the site and laid a new gravestone. The first new gravestone to be laid in over 80 years.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Iraq cemetery containing graves of British servicemen is destroyed". the Telegraph. 10 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Basra War Cemetery. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
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