About War Cemetery
The Gaza family tending World War graves for 100 years
... " The Gaza War Cemetery is one of two belonging to the CWGC in this tiny Palestinian territory...
Remains of WW2 pilot buried 78 years after fatal flight
... He was buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery in the Netherlands...
World War Two soldier massacre anniversary marked
... The bodies of 111 identified soldiers killed in the massacre or fighting nearby, as well as four members of the RAF and another 40 unidentified bodies, lie in the War Cemetery in Le Paradis...
Marking the memories of a million soldiers
... However, the Commission has recently managed to restore hundreds of graves at Habbaniya War Cemetery, west of Baghdad in Iraq...
World War Two graves of Allied dead restored in Iraq
...Before: Workers prepare the ground for nearly 300 new headstones at Habbaniya War Cemetery Nearly 200 damaged World War Two graves in the Iraqi desert have been restored after decades of conflict prevented their upkeep...
Battle of Arnhem: Mass parachute drop to mark WW2 assault
... Meanwhile, the southern Dutch town of Brunssum has bestowed honorary citizenship on 328 British soldiers buried in its War Cemetery in recognition of their sacrifice to help liberate the Netherlands...
D-Day anniversary events in northern France
... D-Day veterans, some of them approaching 100 years old, made the pilgrimage to Normandy to remember their fallen comrades Veteran David Edwards was among those who attended Dennis Thompson, 96, was photographed enjoying a cigar in his original uniform In Bayeux, the first city to be liberated by the D-Day invasion, veteran John Quinn met George Sayer, aged six A service of remembrance was held at the city s cathedral, with Tony Cash among the veterans to attend Bishop Jean-Claude Boulanger led the service, which included a two-minute silence held in memory of those who died Those present included Prime Minister Theresa May, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall After the service, the commemorations continued at Bayeux War Cemetery D-Day veteran Reginald Perkins was among those who attended the service There was a flypast of aircraft from the period over Bayeux War Cemetery Earlier in the day Theresa May was at Ver-sur-Mer, where British forces landed on the morning of 6 June 1944, for the unveiling of a new British Normandy Memorial The monument features a statue showing three British soldiers fighting their way up the beach Mrs May and French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to British soldiers killed and injured in the fighting, before laying a wreath together In Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump joined veterans for a French-US ceremony The pair watched a dramatic flypast over the Normandy American Cemetery, along with Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended the D-Day commemorations in Normandy In Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy, visitors took to the beach Vehicles from the war era were on display as part of the commemorations And crowds were treated to the acrobatic aerial skills of Patrouille de France The day s commemorations were started by a lone piper playing on the Mulberry harbour in Arromanches-les-Bains, marking the exact moment the first British soldier landed on Gold Beach, 75 years ago In the UK, Prince Harry met veterans at the annual Founder s Day parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London The annual parade marks the founding of the Royal Hospital by King Charles II in 1682...
D-Day: Veterans and world leaders mark 75th anniversary
... The service was followed by a ceremony at Bayeux War Cemetery, where many of the fallen are buried...
World War Two graves of Allied dead restored in Iraq
Before: Workers prepare the ground for nearly 300 new headstones at Habbaniya War Cemetery
Nearly 200 damaged World War Two Graves in the Iraqi desert have been restored After decades of conflict prevented their upkeep.
Habbaniya War Cemetery , 60 Miles west of Baghdad, is The Burial place of 173 WWII Allied casualties.
It is also The Final resting place of a further 117 men who died in battles in the late 1940s and 1950s.
The Graves gradually deteriorated over time due to The High salt content of the earth in Iraq.
If the stonework is not properly maintained it dries out and crumbles.
Since 1990 war and political instability in the country meant that it was unsafe for staff at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to manage The Site .
Safety concerns led to the CWGC placing its operations in the country on hold for decades, save for brief periods where repairs were possible.
After : The newly restored gravesBut following recent improvements in the security situation, stonemasons at the CWGC's operations base in Beaurains, France, made nearly 300 white Portland stone headstones to transport to Iraq.
Local contractors started work on the ground in March and all of The Stones have now been installed.
Among The Soldiers buried there is Lance Corporal William Kirby , born in Liverpool, who died aged 22.
The Son of a general labourer And One of eight children, he joined the army at the outbreak of World War Two and was stationed in India.
He died fighting for Fallujah on 22 May 1941
Lance Corporal William Kirby is buried at The SiteHe was part of a detachment of 350 men of The King 's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) who were airlifted to Iraq to reinforce The British garrison at RAF Habbaniya.
The garrison was under threat from Iraqi nationalist forces who had been encouraged by The Nazis to destabilise the Allies in the region.
On 19 May 1941 a fierce battle began to secure The Town of Fallujah, an important strategic Crossing Point of the Euphrates River on The Road to Baghdad.
British forces, fighting against tanks and mortar fire, were eventually able to drive back the Iraqis.
Lance Corporal Kirby was one of 18 men from his regiment killed on the same day.
The CWGC maintains 23,000 memorial and cemetery sites around The World , helping to commemorate 1. 7 million Commonwealth war dead.
Iraq represents its fifth largest commitment, where 51,000 casualties from World War One and 3,000 from World War Two are commemorated.
iraq, baghdad, world war two
Source of news: bbc.com
