Basra War Cemetery (British)
Basra War Cemetery began as a small civil burial ground and was greatly enlarged during the First World War. It became one of the principal Commonwealth cemeteries in southern Iraq, reflecting evacuations from the Tigris–Euphrates fronts, base-hospital deaths in Basra, and later interwar/WWII burials including an RAF/civilian plot.
Quick Information
Makina district of Basra, ~8 km northwest of the city centre
Commemorated
Total casualties estimated >3,190
Periods: WW1, Interwar Period and WW2
WW1 & Interwar:
~2,560 WW1 casualties
WW2:
~364 casualties
RAF/Civilian Section:
71 total (46 RAF, 9 RN, 3 British Army, 5 Indian Army, 8 civilians)
Other:
~266 non-war burials, some Ottoman POW graves
Status
Last Updated
25 October 2025
Historical Context
Basra War Cemetery reflects the entire sweep of British military presence in southern Mesopotamia from 1914 through the end of WWII. The cemetery grew from a small civil plot into a major Commonwealth burial ground as Basra became the principal medical and logistical hub for operations along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
During WWI, Basra served as the main evacuation port for casualties from the front lines. Wounded from the battles at Qurna, Shaiba, the advance to Ctesiphon, the Siege of Kut, and the subsequent relief attempts were brought downriver to Basra's hospitals. Many who succumbed to their wounds or to disease were buried here.
The New Extension was added in August 1917 to accommodate the continued flow of casualties. After the war, graves from smaller sites were concentrated here, and in 1935, salt-damaged headstones were removed and names transferred to screen walls.
**Chinese Labour Corps Memorial:** The original Basra (Tanooma Chinese) Memorial was located in the Tanooma Chinese Cemetery (in Tannumah City east of Basra, on the southern side of the Shatt al Arab river) and commemorated 227 unidentified casualties of the Chinese Labour Corps who were attached to the Inland Water Transport during World War I. When the graves could no longer be maintained, a commemorative panel was added to the screen wall of Basra War Cemetery. However, this panel is now missing along with all other panels, though the CWGC website incorrectly states it is still present.
Significance
As one of the three largest Commonwealth cemeteries in Iraq (alongside Baghdad North Gate and Amara), Basra War Cemetery is a testament to the scale of the Mesopotamian Campaign and the heavy toll it exacted. The cemetery also documents the interwar RAF presence and WWII PAIFORCE operations, making it a layered memorial spanning three decades of British military involvement in Iraq.
Current Condition
The cemetery has suffered from decades of conflict, vandalism, and environmental degradation. The harsh environmental conditions in southern Iraq—extreme heat, salt-laden soil, and periodic flooding—accelerated the decay of grave markers throughout the 20th century.
Basra War Cemetery was in a poor state at the end of the 1990s with many gravestones broken or missing, but the Sword of Sacrifice was still there (British soldiers could see it from their vantage point during the second Gulf War occupation as well—where the site was apparently used to fire mortars at them) as was the War Stone. The site was cleared by the CWGC at some point in the 2000s, presumably in advance of a renovation which never came. The Sword of Sacrifice is gone, leaving just the pedestal, and the War Stone was moved off its base to the edge of the site where it lies on its side, very damaged. Only a few fragments of gravestones remain as of July 2024. The RAF Peace Cemetery is now someone's vegetable patch. Ironically, the Civilian Cemetery is in the best condition, as the CWGC did not bother to clear it.
It is not known when or by whom the panels were removed. Other sites like Amara Cemetery which is not too far still has these intact. Unlike most of the other sites in Iraq there is no local guardian for Basra War Cemetery/Indian Forces Cemetery - the reasons for this are unknown.
How They Came Here
1914–15: Capture of Basra and Early Operations
In November 1914, British Indian forces captured Basra, securing the oil fields and establishing a base for further operations. Early casualties from the battles at Qurna (Dec 1914) and Shaiba (Apr 1915) were evacuated to Basra's hospitals; those who died were buried in what became Basra War Cemetery.
1915–16: Ctesiphon, Kut, and the Relief Attempts
The advance to Ctesiphon in November 1915 ended in costly defeat and retreat to Kut-al-Amara. The subsequent five-month Siege of Kut (Dec 1915–Apr 1916) and the failed relief attempts at Hanna, Dujaila, and Sannaiyat generated thousands of casualties. Wounded evacuated downriver to Basra filled the hospitals; many died and were buried here.
1917–18: Recapture and Advance
After the fall of Kut and the capture of Baghdad in March 1917, operations continued up the rivers. Basra's role as the main medical base continued, and casualties from the northern campaigns were still sent south for treatment. The cemetery's New Extension was opened in August 1917 to accommodate the continued flow.
1941–45: WWII and PAIFORCE
During the Anglo-Iraqi War (May 1941), Basra was secured by Indian troops and became a key node for the Persian Corridor—the Allied supply route to the Soviet Union. WWII burials reflect disease, accidents, and air operations during this period. The RAF/civilian section contains personnel who died supporting these logistics operations.
Notable Burials
Major George Godfrey Massy Wheeler
Major, 7th Hariana Lancers
Killed in action at the Battle of Shaiba
Victoria Cross recipient for extraordinary bravery at Shaiba
Major Wheeler was killed during the Battle of Shaiba on 13 April 1915 while leading a cavalry charge against Turkish positions. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his exceptional gallantry and leadership during the action.
Major Henry Molyneux Paget Howard
Major, Wiltshire Battery, 3rd Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
Killed by shrapnel at the Battle of Istabulat while commanding a battery
Died of wounds through the heart while in command. 19th Earl of Suffolk and 11th Earl of Berkshire.
Major Howard, the 19th Earl of Suffolk, was struck by shrapnel through the heart while commanding his battery during the Battle of Istabulat on 21 April 1917. He died instantly while directing artillery fire against Turkish positions. As a member of the British nobility serving on the front lines, his death was widely mourned.
Sister Florence D'Oyly Compton
Sister, QAIMNSR
Died in Tigris launch collision
One of four nurses who died when their launch collided on the Tigris
Sister Compton drowned on 15 January 1918 when the motor launch carrying her and three fellow nurses collided with another vessel on the Tigris River. All four nurses perished in the accident, which occurred while they were being transported between hospitals.
Sister Alice Welford
Sister, QAIMNSR
Died in Tigris launch collision
Died alongside three fellow nurses in the same tragic accident
Sister Welford drowned alongside Sisters Compton, Tindall, and VAD Faithfull when their motor launch collided on the Tigris. The four nurses are buried in adjacent plots, their graves serving as a memorial to the dangers faced by medical personnel in the campaign.
Sister Fanny Tindall
Sister, QAIMNS
Died in Tigris launch collision
Commemorated with her fellow nurses in adjacent plots
Sister Tindall perished in the motor launch collision on the Tigris River on 15 January 1918. She was one of four nurses who died together in the accident, highlighting the risks faced by medical staff serving in the Mesopotamian theatre.
VAD Florence Mary Faithfull
VAD, Voluntary Aid Detachment
Died in Tigris launch collision
Fourth nurse buried side-by-side with her colleagues
VAD Faithfull, a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse, drowned in the Tigris launch collision on 15 January 1918. As the youngest of the four nurses who died, she was just 23 years old. Their four graves stand together as a poignant memorial to nursing service.
Sapper Horace Johnson Rampling
Sapper, Royal Engineers (Inland Water Transport)
English engineer and soldier, service number 208318. Born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, he worked as a costumer and tradesman before enlisting. Father of Colonel Godfrey Rampling, Olympic gold medallist and British Army officer, and grandfather of actress Charlotte Rampling.
Sapper Rampling died of heatstroke while on active duty in Mesopotamia on 17 July 1917. He served with the Royal Engineers Inland Water Transport, which operated vital river transport along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to supply British forces throughout the campaign.
Visual Documentation
Still Photography
Video Photography
Video Documentation Coming Soon
Comprehensive video documentation of the memorial is being prepared and will be added shortly.
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Cemetery Plan
Historical cemetery plan showing the layout of Plots I-IX, including the RAF Peace Cemetery, Civil Cemetery, and the relative positions of different burial sections. The main entrance is on Makina Railway Station Road (Shatt Al Arab). Plots VII, VIII, and IX contain 1939-45 burials.
Related Articles & Content
Soviet and Russian Burials in Basra War Cemetery
VisitThis article explores the little-known story of Soviet and Russian burials within the British War Cemetery in Basra. It highlights five Soviet airmen who died during World War II—two in a 1942 plane crash—and eight earlier Russian refugees from 1920–1921. Their presence reflects Iraq's unexpected role in the Allied war effort through the Persian (Iraq–Persian) Corridor, a crucial supply route that moved millions of tons of Lend-Lease aid from Basra's ports through Iran into the Soviet Union. The article places these graves in the broader context of the Anglo-Iraqi and Anglo-Soviet campaigns of 1941, when control of Iraq and Iran secured vital oil fields, transport links, and ultimately the survival of the Eastern Front.
Source: Iraq War Graves
Basra RAF Peace Cemetery Documentation
VisitThe page describes the Basra RAF Peace Cemetery, a section in the north corner of the Basra War Cemetery in Iraq, which contains 63 servicemen and 8 civilians who died in the interwar period. It notes that, despite the name, the burials include personnel from RAF, Royal Navy, British Army, Indian Army, and civilians. The author provides detailed maps and a searchable database (with names, dates, units, graves, and causes of death) of the 71 burials.
Source: Steve Buster Johnson
The Forgotten Dead from a Forgotten War and a Very Modern Problem
VisitThe article highlights how Britain has invaded Iraq multiple times yet done little to properly commemorate those who died, especially in the WWI Mesopotamia campaign. The author draws attention to the neglected Basra War Cemetery, which holds thousands of anonymous Commonwealth war dead. He also recounts his personal mission to restore his grandfather's grave there—pointing to broader issues of remembrance, neglect, and the politics of memory in war's aftermath.
Source: Ben Soppitt (Medium)