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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