Basra War Cemetery VR Walkthrough, Part 2
Basra War Cemetery (British) • 2 May 2026 • 3 min 46 sec
Full walkthrough film of Basra War Cemetery (British), Iraq, recorded on site during the Commonwealth war graves field survey. The footage records the condition of the headstones, memorial panels, grounds and boundary walls.
The film was recorded at Basra War Cemetery (British) as part of the independent field survey of Commonwealth war graves in Iraq. It is published here as a permanent visual record of the site for families, researchers and journalists who cannot travel to Iraq.
Full transcript of Basra War Cemetery VR Walkthrough, Part 2
This film was recorded on site without spoken narration. The transcript below is a descriptive, timecoded account of what the camera records in each section of the film, compiled from the field survey notes for this site.
- 00:00
Entrance and first view of the site. The film opens at Basra War Cemetery (British), Makina district of Basra, ~8 km northwest of the city centre. Basra War Cemetery began as a small civil burial ground and was greatly enlarged during the First World War.
- 00:45
Walk along the burial rows. The camera moves through the site, past the grave rows that hold 3,190 recorded burials, 2,560 from the First World War and 364 from the Second World War. Basra War Cemetery is located near the Shatt-Al-Arab river in the middle of a small, quiet, residential neighbourhood called Al Hakameia.
- 01:30
Close views of headstones and inscriptions. Closer views follow of individual headstones, panel faces and inscriptions, recording how legible the names and regimental badges still are. Many of the unknowns are Indian Army other ranks and other Commonwealth personnel whose graves were marked in wartime but could not be maintained.
- 02:16
Grounds, paths, planting and boundary walls. The camera records the paths, planting, boundary walls and general upkeep of the grounds. Recorded condition at the time of the survey: Derelict. **November 2025 Assessment:** The site is now bare earth with the memorial wall largely intact.
- 03:01
Closing wide view before the film ends. The film closes on a wide view of the site. 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.