| Historical
Information: |
Port
Said, at the northern outlet of the Suez Canal, was an important
hospital centre during the First World War. From May-November 1915, it
received wounded from Gallipoli and later from operations in Egypt and
Palestine. In February 1916, Port Said contained No 31 General Hospital,
No 15 Stationary Hospital and No 26 Casualty Clearing Station. The New
Zealand Stationary Hospital and No 14 Australian General Hospital came
later.
The cemetery was begun in October 1914
and was slightly increased after the Armistice when graves were brought
in from other cemeteries. The burials include 15 unidentified from the
crew of the oil tanker "Tatarax" which was torpedoed in August
1918. During the Second World War, Port Said was a sector headquarters
for the fighter defence of the canal.
Most of the burials from this period
were made from the hospitals and a transit camp in the area, but later
on, some graves were moved in from other cemeteries where permanent
maintenance could not be assured.
The cemetery now contains 544
Commonwealth burials of the First World War and
111 from the Second World War. There are also 430 war graves of other
nationalities and 7 non war burials.
|