Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget
British Legion
The Royal British Legion

SUEZ WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY, CAIRO, EGYPT

Photographs Copyright © Michael Booker 2005

The Cemetery is open 07.30 to 14.30 Saturday to Thursday and is situated on the western outskirt of the town, about 7 kilometres from the centre. Starting from the Shell petrol station on the right hand side of Cairo/Suez Road., continue past the Suez main check point, the railway lines, and another check point until you reach a large square. Turn left at the square and along this road until the traffic lights. Turn left at the lights and at the end of this road a Mosque will be found. At the roundabout, take a right turn and continue down this road until you come across a sign for Suez African Indian War Memorial Cemetery - the cemetery is on the left hand side of this road.

Suez was an important hospital centre during the First World War with two Indian general hospitals, two stationary hospitals and casualty clearing stations based there at various times. Initially, burials took place in a special plot in the Protestant cemetery but the War Memorial Cemetery was established nearby in 1918 and these graves were transferred there, together with some from other burial grounds. Later, the adjoining Arbain Indian Cemetery was also absorbed into it. The Second World War burials were from the large garrison based in and around Suez. There are now 513 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War and 377 from the Second World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. A few, known to have been buried here or elsewhere but whose graves could not be located, are commemorated by special memorial. The cemetery also contains war graves of other nationalities and non war graves. The graves of those in the original Arbain Indian Cemetery are not marked by headstones, their names are recorded on Screen Wall panels in front of the burials


 

We tend to think of the CWGC as the keeper of graves but sometimes those who look after the dead also give their lives. This is a memorial to a CWGC staff member, Ahmed Mohamed Kinawi, who was killed in the CWGC Cemetery in Suez during an air raid by the Israelis on 29th June 1970.

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War Memorials Trust
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