Grave Locations - Libya
Total Australian commemorations in the Libya: 936 + 13 Other Allied Units
RED - this indicates those cemeteries that have been completed.
BLUE - this indicates those cemeteries that have been offered for completion
BLACK - this indicates those cemeteries that have yet to be completed.
Status Current as of the 5th July 2007
| Cemetery/Memorial
|
No.
|
Volunteer
|
Status
|
| BENGHAZI WAR CEMETERY
|
55 (Known 48, Unknown 7)
|
||
| KNIGHTSBRIDGE WAR CEMETERY, ACROMA
|
303 (Known 240, Unknown 63)
|
||
| TOBRUK WAR CEMETERY
|
559
|
||
| TRIPOLI WAR CEMETERY
|
19 (Known 9, Unknown 10)
|
Adam Craig
|
Done
|
- |
|||
Australians serving in Other Allied Units |
|||
| KNIGHTSBRIDGE WAR CEMETERY, ACROMA - OTHER UNITS
|
10
|
||
| TOBRUK WAR CEMETERY - OTHER UNITS
|
1
|
||
| TRIPOLI WAR CEMETERY - OTHER UNITS
|
2
|
Adam Craig
|
Done
|
BENGHAZI WAR CEMETERY, Libya
Location:
Benghazi is a seaport on the Mediterranean. The cemetery is about 7 kilometres south-south-east of Benghazi. To reach it take the main western road as far as the Ring road. The cemetery is about 1 kilometre along this road on the right-hand side.
Historical Information:
Benghazi was an important goal for both Allies and Axis forces during the Western Desert campaigns of 1942 and 1943. There are now 1,214 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated in Benghazi War Cemetery. 163 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate two casualties buried in Barce War Cemetery, whose graves could not be located.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE WAR CEMETERY, ACROMA, Libya
Location:
Knightsbridge War Cemetery is 25 kilometres west of Tobruk, in open country south of the main road from Tobruk to Derna and Benghazi. A rough track from the main road leads to the cemetery and then south to the area in which was fought the battle of the Knightsbridge "box". There is no tarmac on the rough track but it is suitable for vehicles.
Historical Information:
The defence against Rommel's drive across Cyrenaica towards Suez consisted of a number of irregularly spaced strong points or 'boxes' linked by deep minefields. Those nearest the Axis forces were held by infantry, while those further back served as reserve static positions and as bases from which the armour could operate. The chief 'box', known as Knightsbridge, was round a junction of tracks about 20 kilometres west of Tobruk and 16 kilometres south of Acroma, commanding all the tracks by which supplies came up to the front. The Eighth Army's advance fuelling stations and airfields were at Acroma, El Adem, El Duda, Sidi Rezegh and Gambut, while by February 1941, Gazala aerodrome, taken from the Italians early in the campaign, housed two Commonwealth squadrons. Knightsbridge was thus a key position, and the pivot on which the armour manoeuvred during the heavy fighting which commenced in late May 1941. Fierce actions were fought at all these places, and a battlefield cemetery was created at each for the burial of the dead. The graves of many of those who gave their lives during the campaign in Libya were later gathered into Knightsbridge War Cemetery from the battlefield burial grounds and from scattered desert sites. The men who fought and died with them, but have no known grave, are commemorated on The Alamein Memorial which stands in El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt. There are now 3,651 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated in Knightsbridge War Cemetery. 993 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them.
TOBRUK WAR CEMETERY, Libya
Location:
Tobruk is a sea port on the Mediterranean coast and Tobruk War Cemetery is 7 kilometres inland, on the El Adem-Alexandria road.
Historical Information:
Tobruk is a Mediterranean port with an excellent deep water harbour. During the war it was important to Allied and Axis forces alike, for the reception of supplies and reinforcements. In January 1941, it was taken from the Italians by General Wavell's forces, and after the clearance of the demolitions in the harbour the port was usable and proved invaluable. When Rommel commenced his drive across Cyrenaica towards Suez it was deemed essential that Tobruk be held, and the resulting siege lasted from 11 April to 10 December 1941, when the Axis forces were driven back. They recovered far more quickly than was expected and by early February 1942, it was the Allies turn to fall back towards a line running southwards from Gazala to Bir Hakeim. Again orders were given to hold Tobruk, but it fell to Rommel on 21 June. It was retaken five months later by the Eighth Army in their final sweep along the North African coast into Tunisia. Tobruk War Cemetery incorporates the burial ground used during the siege and the memorial erected there at the time by the Australians has been replaced by a permanent memorial of similar design. Many battlefield graves in the desert have been brought into the cemetery. There are now 2,282 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated in Tobruk War Cemetery. 171 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them. The cemetery also contains 171 war graves of other nationalities, most of them Polish.
TRIPOLI WAR CEMETERY, Libya
Location:
Tripoli War Cemetery is in the Mansura district of Tripoli, 2.5 kilometres west of the city centre. It is located off the western end of Sharia Jamahuriya, close to the major roundabout at Bab Gargaresh. The War Cemetery is about 365 metres off the main road, and is adjacent to the now disused Italian Municipal Christian cemetery. Part of this cemetery is used as a garden nursery. The entrance to the War Cemetery is found by entering through the main gate of the Christian cemetery. Walk straight on for about 100 metres and then turn left (east).
Historical Information:
During the North African campaign, Tripoli was an important Axis base until taken by Montgomery's forces on 23 January 1943. It then became a hospital centre, and the burials in the war cemetery were almost entirely from the hospitals, which included Nos 2, 48 and 133 General Hospitals from March 1943, and No 89 General Hospital from April 1944. Tripoli War Cemetery contains 1,369 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 133 of them unidentified.
(Information: Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)
Please contact the Archive Director for details and photographic requirements
australianwargraves@bigpond.com