Grave Locations - Sri Lanka
Total Australian commemorations in Sri Lanka: 71 + 1 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 4th July 2007
| Cemetery/Memorial | No. |
Type |
Volunteer | Status |
| COLOMBO (KANATTE) GENERAL CEMETERY | 55 |
WWI & WW2
|
Kevin Lambie | Complete |
| COLOMBO (LIVERAMENTU) CEMETERY | 14 |
WW2
|
Kevin Lambie | Complete |
| TRINCOMALEE WAR CEMETERY | 2 |
WW2
|
Kevin Lambie | Complete |
- |
||||
| Australians serving in other Allied Units | ||||
| COLOMBO (KANATTE) GENERAL CEMETERY | 1 |
WW2 |
Kevin Lambie | Complete |
CEMETERY DETAILS
COLOMBO (KANATTE) GENERAL CEMETERY, Sri Lanka
Location:
The Commonwealth War Graves plot is situated in the right hand section of this large general cemetery at Borella, an important road junction in the city of Colombo, Kanatte Road. One can easily be taken to the cemetery by any taxi driver. The Cross of Sacrifice is situated in a separate section a short distance from the War Graves plot, and there are numerous other Commission graves scattered throughout the civilian cemetery.
Historical Information:
The cemetery, at Borella, belongs to the Municipality of Colombo. It contains War Graves (including those of a German soldier, a German merchant seaman, a German interned civilian and an Austrian nursing sister); and a War Cross is erected. The Military Hospital at Colombo received cases of sickness from the troops on the land, or from passing transports. The island, though visited for a short time by the 1st/4th King's Shropshire Light Inf., was garrisoned by the local defence units. There are now over 60, 1914-1918 and nearly 300, 1939-1945 Commonwealth war casualties commemorated in this site. 1 casualty of the 1914-1918, and 3 casualties of the 1939-1945 war are unidentified.
COLOMBO (LIVERAMENTU) CEMETERY, Sri Lanka
Location:
Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, is on the south-west coast of the island. Colombo (Liveramentu) Cemetery is a large park-like municipal cemetery about 1.5 kilometres from the centre of the city in the direction of Jawatte on Torrington Avenue. The Commonwealth War Graves plot will be found in the left hand corner of the cemetery.
Historical Information:
The entrance to the cemetery incorporates the Memorial Tablets commemorating over 300 men who died while serving in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), whose graves either could not be found or, if found, could neither be permanently maintained nor (for religious or other reasons) moved to cemeteries where their maintenance for all time would be assured. The Liveramentu Cremation Memorial also stands within this cemetery and commemorates over 150 men of the Hindu faith who died while serving in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), and who were accorded the last rite required by their religion - committal to fire.
TRINCOMALEE WAR CEMETERY, Sri Lanka
Location:
The War Cemetery is outside the town of Trincomalee, on the Nilaveli road. From the main road to Trincomalee, at the junction before the town, turn left, signposted to Nilaveli Beach Hotel. This is the Nilaveli Road. The cemetery is approximately 6 kilometres along this road, situated on the right hand side of the road.
Historical Information:
Trincomalee is a seaport on the north-eastern coast of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and was formerly a naval station. After the fall of Singapore it became a naval base of importance to our command of shipping in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The cemetery was originally the Combined Services Cemetery, but was taken over by the Admiralty from the military authorities in April 1948 for use as a permanent naval cemetery. On the withdrawal of United Kingdom Forces from Ceylon it became the property of the Ceylon Government who have granted the Commission security of tenure in perpetuity. Save for a few post-war and non-war graves it is purely a war cemetery, and service war graves were transferred to it from Trincomalee (St. Mary) Churchyard; Trincomalee (St. Stephen's) Cemetery, Kottadi Cemetery, Jaffna; and Vavuiyna Combined Cemetery. A special memorial commemorates a naval man buried in Trincomalee (St. Stephen's) Cemetery whose grave could not be found. The non-war graves are those of men of the Merchant Navy whose death was not due to war service, and of civilians, of whom some were employees of the Admiralty; while the post-war graves were dependents of servicemen, civilian employees of the Admiralty and dependents of such employees.
Please contact the Archive Director for details and photographic requirements
australianwargraves@bigpond.com