Basra Memorial

The Basra Memorial is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission war memorial near Zubayr, Iraq. The memorial commemorates 40,682 Commonwealth forces (99% Indians) members who died during the Mesopotamian Campaign, from the Autumn of 1914 to the end of August 1921, and whose graves are not known. The memorial was designed by Edward Prioleau Warren. It was unveiled by Gilbert Clayton on 27 March 1929.[1] Originally located eight kilometers north of Basra, near the Shatt al-Arab River, it was moved southwest in 1997 to a battleground from the much more recent Gulf War.

Basra Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
For First World War missing, presumed dead from the Mesopotamia campaign and have no known grave.
Unveiled27 March 1929
Location30°24′41.9″N 47°32′45.0″E 38R QU 44571 67122
near 
Zubayr, Iraq
Designed byEdward Prioleau Warren
Commemorated40682
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND TO THE HONOURED MEMORY
OF THESE OFFICERS AND MEN
OF THE ARMIES OF
THE BRITISH EMPIRE
WHO FELL IN THE IRAQ CAMPAIGN
IN THE YEARS 1914–1921
AND WHOSE GRAVES
ARE NOT KNOWN
Statistics source: Cemetery details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Telegraph reported on the 10 November 2013 that the memorial had suffered deliberate sabotage, with some of the its items missing which include the Cross of Remembrance and the bronze plaques from the Wall of Remembrance, carrying the names of the fallen.[2]

The BBC reported that Colin Kerr, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission publicity director, said that a total of 30,000 Indian soldiers are not named on the Basra memorial, despite fallen British soldiers being named, only Indian officers are accorded with the honor. The deaths of the non-commissioned men are commemorated by regiment but simply as "and 258 other Indian soldiers" or "and 272 other Indian soldiers." Kerr added that the commission knows their identities and has launched a project to find ways to publicize them both in India and in Britain.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Basra Memorial". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  2. "Iraq cemetery containing graves of British servicemen is destroyed". the Telegraph. 10 November 2013.
  3. "Why India needs to remember 'forgotten' fallen of world wars". BBC. 17 July 2016.
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