CWGC Gaza War Cemetery, Palestine.

Kath also sent me some general shots of the cemetery:

Approaching the Cemetery

 

Stone of Remembrance, Muselman and Indian Memorials

 

Entrance to and the Canadian plot

 

Jewish Graves

 

Damaged Headstone, Egyptian Labour and Tri-Lingual memorials

 

The 54th East Anglian Divisional War Memorial

 

Finally the lady (photographer) herself with Ibrahim the head groundkeeper who I'm sure you'll all agree recently got a well deserved MBE for looking after the cemetery for many years


http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/18/war-graves-gaza-city

 

Hi Andy,

Fantastic Photos.

Please pass on my sincere thanks.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Time to ask for a favour in return...Apparently she attracted some media attention whilst taking pictures and they want to interview her about this research so could you post up (if known) the circumstances of the mans death you are researching, the reason's why you have the interest and any back ground info you can share?

I think she's looking to add some detail to the chaps that are buried out there - She has a link to this thread and will read any updates posted.

Cheers chaps
Andy

 

Andy, Kath and Ibrahim,

I must apologise for this long handed thank you for the photos and to give further thanks that the final resting place of these brave men is still kept so well..

The three London Irishmen (LIR men) were killed at the Battle of Sheria (see below highlighted cut and paste) on 6th/7th November 1917. The LIR had 9 men killed over those two days - the other six are buried or memorialised at Beersheba and in Jersualem.

Sgt Guy Tyrrell, Age 26, (formerly RAMC) Born Battersea, Enlisted Chelmsford, Resided Chelmsford. Son of Arthur and Kate Tyrrell, of "Ivanhoe," Gordon Rd., Camberley, Surrey. His brother Arthur Tyrrell also fell, killed in Nov 1916 near the Somme.

Rfn Harold Norman Lloyd, Age 26, (formerly RAMC) Born Worcester, Enlisted Chelmsford, Resided Pleshey Essex. Son of John and E. Lloyd, of 7, St. John St., Bromsgrove, Worcs.

Rfn James Arthur Mackey. Born Dublin, Enlisted Duke of York’s HQ Chelsea, Resided Walworth.

I paste a link to a LIR narrative of the engagement...

http://www.londonirishrifles.com/history-2/first-world-war/signal-corporal/the-battle-of-sheria

Ernie May, who wrote the narrative, later recalled :
'I promised that if I ever got home again, the first thing I would do would be to go all over my house turning on all the taps - just for the pleasure of hearing the water running'.

thank you again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Third Battle of Gaza - The British Plan:
To break the deadlock, British War Office dispatched General Sir Edmund Allenby to take command in the region. Replacing Murray, Allenby opted to oversee military operations directly rather than delegating them to a subordinate. After reorganizing the troops under his command into three corps (XX Corps under Lieutenant General Philip Chetwode, XXI Corps under Lieutenant General Edward Bulfin, and the Desert Mounted Corps under Lieutenant General Henry Chauvel), Allenby began devising a scheme for breaking through the Turkish defenses. The basis for his plan was originally the brainchild of Chetwode, and called for a flank attack at Beersheba.

Third Battle of Gaza - Attack at Beersheba:
Situated 30 miles from the coast, at the extreme eastern end of the Turkish line, Beersheba was lightly defended as Ottomans believed that extreme desert conditions precluded major operations in the area. Seeing an opportunity, Allenby and Chetwode began quietly moving water forward, creating "water dumps" and refilling ancient Roman cisterns near Beersheba. To divert the Turks' attention, XXI Corps actively demonstrated against Gaza. This ruse achieved its desired effect as the Turks' German commander, General Kress von Kressenstein, became convinced that the city was Allenby's primary objective.

Allenby's plan called for turning the Turkish flank at Beersheba and moving to encircle the forces defending Gaza. It was believed that the attack would force the Turks to shift their reserves away from Gaza, allowing an assault to be made there after the attack on Beersheba. The key to the entire plan was the rapid capture of the town on the first day of the offensive. On October 29, XX Corps and the Desert Mounted Corps began movements toward Beersheba. XXI Corps' demonstration proved so effective that Kressenstein believed this to be a minor movement.

Beginning on October 31, infantry from XX Corps began attacking Beersheba from the west, while the troopers of the Desert Mounted Corps advanced from the south and east. While the infantry took its objective on schedule, the cavalry was delayed by fierce resistance at Tel el Saba, just east of Beersheba. With the dusk approaching, Chauvel ordered the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade to charge the Turkish positions. Under fire for four miles, the Australians succeeded in breaking the Turkish lines and forcing them to retreat. By nightfall, the town, and its wells, were secured.

Third Battle of Gaza - Striking Gaza:
Though the wells at Beersheba were taken, the water situation limited British actions and the mounted brigades could only operate away from the town for one day at a time. The delay imposed by this allowed the Turks to swing their line back from Hareira to Tel el Khuweilfe. Over the next four days, British mounted units rotated daily while attempting to take Tel el Khuweilfe. Though it would not be taken until November 8, the battle achieved the goal of drawing the Turkish reserves away from Gaza. On the night of November 2, Allenby began operations against Gaza with a night attack along the coast. Advancing two miles, the British were able to hold their gains against determined Turkish counterattacks.

The next assault came on the 6th, when Chetwode's XX Corps attacked the middle of the Turkish line near Sheria. Breaking through, Chetwode's men captured their objectives and were moving on the hill of Tel el Sheria when the Turks detonated a nearby ammunition dump, delaying their advance. The next day, XXI Corps captured Gaza, with the 52nd Division pursuing the retreating garrison up the coast. All along the British line Allenby's forces were advancing, however their efforts to encircle the retreating Turks were thwarted through series of sharp rearguard actions.


Third Battle of Gaza - Aftermath
In the fighting along the Gaza-Beersheba line, the British lost a total of 18,000 killed, wounded, and missing. Turkish casualties numbered around 25,000 killed, wounded, and captured. Allenby's successful breaking of the Gaza-Beersheba defenses opened the road to Jerusalem which he occupied on December 9, 1917.

 

Please pass on my thanks for the photos. Very much appreciated.

Mr Jeradeh and his Son are to be commended for their continuing care of this Cemetery.

Kind regards - Rob

 

What is the young lady's name, please, so I may credit her as the photographer?

 

Thanks both for the photo of Sapper Kane's grave, in terms of why I was after this one, a bit back I got hold of an old photo of the grave and other showing the cemetery - I posted these here http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/27214-original-cwgc-cemetery-photographs/page-4#entry536831 some interesting comparisons with the new photos of the gate and the 54th Div memorial which appears to have been moved, so it was a good (and unexpected) chance to get a then and now photo of the grave.

Thanks again

Alistair

 

Alistair, I hope you don't mind I've posted them onto this thread in case she can't see them? Any idea when they were taken?

 

Morning all,

Andy, many thanks to you and your colleague for the pics, absolutely fantastic !!

I am however struggling to find

William ADEY in Grave XXVII.G.13

hoping it is still in the camera !!!


Regarding 'my men', all were killed in action, I have only a pic of Gittins (incorrect on headstone as Gittans)




Fingers crossed re Adey,

Regards,

Graeme

 

Andy
Many thanks to your colleague for the pics of the headstone of Major Heron.

Like Graeme I can't see Dawson 10G5 or Ainger XC16 and hope they may also be still in the camera, however still immensely grateful as I did not think I would ever see anything from this cemetery.

As for Major Heron he served with 5th Battalion Essex Regiment which I believe was a Territorial Battalion . It would appear he may have been a career soldier as I have his name on attestation papers for another casualty.
He is listed on the War Memorial at Mistley, Essex and was (according to 1911 Census) born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordfshire in approximately 1880 and was an Analytical Chemist (Malster).
According to his MIC ( which I will post up later) he served at Gallipoli, and was awarded 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, which were forwarded to his widow, Annie Rose Heron (who he married in 1909).He was also the father of a seven year old daughter Rose Mary Georgia.

As for the circumstances of his death I have yet to find those out, but all three of them were all killed on the same day and served with the same unit.

Thanks to your colleague once again
Andy