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2 clusters · 5 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

Destruction of Commonwealth war graves in Basra

Overview

Investigations have revealed that the British Army destroyed Commonwealth war graves in Basra, Iraq, during the early years of the Iraq War. In 2003, military personnel removed nearly 800 First- and Second-World War headstones and 80 slate panels from the Basra War Cemetery to prevent vandalism. Rather than being reinstalled, these markers were crushed into gravel by 2005 to serve as drainage fill for the Shaibah Logistics Base.

The destruction, which left approximately 3,000 graves unmarked, came to light through Freedom of Information requests. This has led to legal action and public outcry. Families of the deceased have accused the Ministry of Defence of a cover-up, and high-profile figures, including actress Charlotte Rampling, have condemned the incident. There are ongoing calls from former military leaders for the Ministry of Defence to restore the cemetery or establish a new memorial.

Entities

British Army · Basra · Charlotte Rampling · Commonwealth War Graves Commission · Ministry of Defence (UK)

Timeline

  1. 8 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Charlotte Rampling condemns destruction of grandfather's grave in Iraq

    Actress Charlotte Rampling has condemned the British Army's destruction of her grandfather's WWI grave in Basra, Iraq, after headstones were crushed for use as military drainage gravel.

  2. 15 days ago

    [CULTURE] 3 sources
    British Army crushes Basra war graves into gravel

    The British Army removed and crushed nearly 800 WWI/WWII Commonwealth gravestones and 80 panels from Basra War Cemetery, using the rubble as drainage fill; FOI disclosures prompted a legal challenge by families

Sources

ca.sports.yahoo.com · dailymail.co.uk · festival-de-cannes.parismatch.com · monkshighschool.com · voici.fr