12 replies to this topic

[Bill Woerlee]

Mates

I have come across a trooper in the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 933 Private Herbert George May who went missing on the night of 26/27 March 1917 around the Gaza area during that first battle.

When looking at his records I found this:

 37a.jpg   39.21K   26 downloads

Not a problem - except for May - he dies of dysentry and is burried at Nidge in the Kia Bache Cemetery in an unmarked grave.

So far so good.

Cheers

Bill

[Bill Woerlee]

Mates

Just carrying the story on from Post #1 [Space shortage]

Then I found this document:

 60a.jpg   69.54K   19 downloads

It states quite clearly that the fellow has his grave - I am not sure if that is where he is buried - at Baghdad.

This was confirmed by the CWGC site.

 60b1.jpg   24.31K   17 downloads

I am wondering why they moved the remains from Anatolia to Baghdad?

Maybe there is someone out there who can give an explanation.

Cheers

Bill

[Doug Johnson]

Bill,

If you click on the cemetery at the botom of the war graves page there is a full explanation there.

Doug

[Owen D]

Here is that explanation from CWGC.

"The North Gate Cemetery was begun In April 1917 and has been greatly enlarged since the end of the First World War by graves brought in from other burial grounds in Baghdad and northern Iraq, and from battlefields and cemeteries in Anatolia where Commonwealth prisoners of war were buried by the Turks. "

[Bill Woerlee]

Doug

G'day mate

If you click on the cemetery at the botom of the war graves page there is a full explanation there.

Thanks for that.

As luck would have it, I had read the note which says:

The North Gate Cemetery was begun In April 1917 and has been greatly enlarged since the end of the First World War by graves brought in from other burial grounds in Baghdad and northern Iraq, and from battlefields and cemeteries in Anatolia where Commonwealth prisoners of war were buried by the Turks. At present, 4,160 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War are commemorated by name in the cemetery, many of them on special memorials.

While it tells me what the above notes say in my previous posts, it doesn't give me any information as to the why. There doesn't seem to be a distinct policy here unless by treaty, the Turks would not have foreign military cemeteries on  the Anatolian heartland because they exist at Gallipoli. Even if we looked at Anatolia as a descrete unit, it doesn't explain why there are 3,236 French graves at Morto Bay, inland from S Beach and within cooee of the Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial.

You can see what I am getting at - more the reason why Baghdad was picked for an Australian who was picked up at Gaza and possibly would be best returned there - that would be logical. At the moment, the reasoning still defies my understanding.

Cheers

Bill

[Bill Woerlee]

Owen

G'day mate

I didn't realise that we had crossed posts. Thanks for the insert. I appreciate you taking the time to go to the CWGC site to copy and paste the relevant section. I think we were doing it simultaneously. It is a case of great minds think alike ...

Cheers

Bill

[stevebecker]

Mate,

As you are aware at the end of the war there were many scattered grave sites all over the world.

These were then condenced into larger cemeteries for easy of looking after them.

This happened on every battle front and the reason that many aussie graves are not were they died and were buried.

Cheers

S.B

[Bill Woerlee]

Steve

Thanks mate. I am not clear why they sent May to Baghdad rather than to Gaza - it just made more sense.

Cheers

Bill

[Doug Johnson]

Bill,

I suspect that you may never know for sure but it looks like Gaza was used to collect the temporary scattered graves from the battlefield but not the more substantial grave sites.  Bahgdad was later used as a consolidation site where these more substantial but still relatively small cemetaries were re-located.

Doug

[Bill Woerlee]

Doug

G'day mate

Thanks for that mate. Makes sense. In view of Steve's reply and yours, I have rapidly come to the conclusion that your comments cannot be bettered. It will be one of those Marie Celeste problems that sail on knowing no home.

Cheers

Bill

[stevebecker]

Bill,

There were I believe a number of Camel Corps soldiers in the area of his death, as the POW statement shows.

We lost a number of men there to illness and cruel treatment and negelat.

Now my understanding is that this POW camp was on the rail line from Anatonlan Turkey to Baghdad, our men were used to maintain that rail link as well as other tasks.

So the transport of remains at the end of the war was easier to condence to Baghdad then Gaza.

Cheers

S.B

[Bill Woerlee]

Steve

G'day mate

That makes sense mate - the rail link. Of course.

Cheers

Bill

[Geoff Smart]

I am a great nephew of Private Herbert George May, & was very interested to recently read this discussion forum from 2006. I am going to Turkey this year, & would be interested to know where I can find more information about the location of Bor POW camp, in which my great uncle was held, & also the hospital in Nigde in which he died, as well as the location of the cemetery in Nigde where he was originally buried. I would appreciate the help of anyone who can steer me in the right direction.

I will be interested to see if I get any replies.

Thanks for the opportunity,

Geoff Smart.