Grave Locations - Syria
Total Australian commemorations in Syria: 407 + 1 Australian in Ohter 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 12th March 2008
| Cemetery/Memorial | No.
|
Type
|
Volunteer | Status |
ALEPPO WAR CEMETERY
|
10
|
WW2
|
The Fraser Family - Simon, Holly and James
|
Complete
|
DAMASCUS COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY
|
312 (Known 307, Unknown 5)
|
WWI & WW2
|
Oren J. (of Canada) |
137 of 307 Complete
|
DAMASCUS COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY
|
WWI & WW2
|
Sally Chao |
170 of 307 Complete
|
|
-
|
||||
Australian serving in Other Allied Units
|
||||
DAMASCUS COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY
|
1
|
WWI
|
Sally Chao
|
Complete
|
CEMETERY DETAILS
ALEPPO WAR CEMETERY, Syria
Location:
The cemetery is 2.5 kilometres directly north of the city centre in an area of Christian cemeteries. It is to the west side of the railway line which runs north/south through Aleppo and is located directly opposite the railway engineering workshops on Sharia Hittin, just 100 metres from its junction with the road towards Medin (known as Christian Cemetery Street). Visitors would best reach the cemetery by private car or taxi.
Visiting Information:
The cemetery is constructed approximately 2 metres below the level of the main road, with access being down one steep flight of steps. Just inside the Cemetery gates there is a dual language sign in Arabic and English which indicates the Cemetery opening hours. There is also an 'out of hours' telephone number to assist visitors in obtaining the key so that they may enter even when the gardener is not at the Cemetery.
Historical Information:
The cemetery was created in 1941 by the British military authorities. In addition to the original burials, the dead were brought in from scattered graves in areas where the fighting occured, and from two French cemeteries - Aleppo French Military Cemetery and Deir ez Zor French Military Cemetery. Aleppo War Cemetery also contains a memorial, in the form of a seat with dedicatory panels to over 120 Indian soldiers killed during the 1914-1918 War who were buried at the time in two Indian cemeteries in Aleppo which no longer exist. There are now 127 Commonwealth casualties of the 1914-1918 war, 36 of which are unidentified, buried or commemorated here. There are 114 of the 1939-1945 war, 8 of which are unidentified, commemorated in this site. There are also 12 Greek and 1 Czechoslovakian Foreign National burials here. The cemetery is protected by high stone walls on three sides. On the fourth is a lower wall built of stone which once formed the walls of two Indian cemeteries, and in this is a wrought iron entrance gate.
DAMASCUS COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY, Syria
Location:
The cemetery is approximately 5 kilometres south-west of the city centre in an area known as Sabara (Arabic for prickly pear). The cemetery is amongst an area of prickly pear plants, which is located behind apartment blocks and therefore is not easily viewed from any main roads. However, visitors can best reach the cemetery by private car or taxi. From the large roundabout on the west side of Damascus, known as Al Umawiyeen Square, visitors pass the entrance of the Sheraton Hotel on the main dual carriage way, towards the Australian Embassy, and should take the side road 40 metres on the left, then turn immediately right. The Cemetery will be found on the left.
Visiting Information:
The staff at Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery finish work each day at 2.00 pm and the gates are locked from that time. Arrangements are in hand for a spare set of keys to be kept nearby and a sign erected on the gates informing visitors of the locality.
Historical Information:
The cemetery dates from the 1914-1918 War, when Damascus was entered by the British on October 1st, 1918, the first British medical unit arriving the next day. They found the Turkish hospitals crowded with sick and wounded, and a few days later an epidemic of influenza and cholera broke out. The 1914-1918 burials in this cemetery were mostly from these hospitals. The 1939-1945 War burials began in 1941, during the operations against the Vichy French, and later on casualties were moved into the cemetery from civilian burial grounds, Deraa French Military Cemetery, and from scattered graves in the areas where the fighting occured. The first burials were in a tree belt between the cemetery boundaries and the low wall of hammer-dressed stone which enclosed the plots of existing graves. Adjoining land to the west, known as "The Cypresses", was acquired by the military authorities when it became necessary to enlarge the cemetery. There are now 661 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war, 74 of which are unidentified, and 504 of the 1939-1945 war, 14 of which are unidentified, commemorated in this site. In the new part of the cemetery, special memorials are erected to 6 soldiers of the Indian army who were buried in Damascus Indian War Cemetery but whose graves are now lost. There are also 7 Foreign National burials here, 2 of which are unidentified. Also wothin this cemetery is the Damascus 1939-45 Memorial. This memorial commemorates ten Arab soldiers, casualties of the 1939-1945 War, whose graves in Syria, Lebanon and Israel are so situated that permanent maintenance is not possible. It is in the form of a simple screen wall of local stone with four Portland stone panels. On the two central panels are engraved the names of those whom it honours. The two outer panels bear a dedicatory inscription in English and Arabic. The English version reads:. THE SOLDIERS WHOSE NAMES ARE HONOURED HERE SERVED AND DIED DURING THE WAR OF 1939-1945 AND WERE BURIED IN NEIGHBOURING LANDS.
(Information: Commonwealth War Graves Commission)
Please contact the Archive Director for details and photographic requirements
australianwargraves@bigpond.com