Basra War Cemetery

During the First World War, Basra was occupied by the 6th (Poona) Division in November 1914, from which date the town became the base of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. A number of cemeteries were used by the MEF in and around Basra; Makina Masus Old Cemetery was used from December 1914 to October 1916 and the Makina Masus New Extension was begun alongside the old cemetery in August 1917. These two sites formed the basis of the war cemetery. The site was significantly enlarged after the war when over 1000 graves were brought in from various sites. The cemetery contains 2,560 burials of the First World War, of which 76 are unidentified and 10 are non-commonwealth casualties (mostly Russian refugees). In addition, 6 casualties whose graves could not be found during the reburial phase were commemorated on special memorial headstones.