Here are some fascinating pictures, that were taken on the 17/8/2017 at the Amara War Cemetery in Southern Iraq. The monument lists the names of the British men who died in the Mesopotamia campaign during the First World War.
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Amara contains 4,621 burials from World War One, more than 3,000 of whom were brought into the cemetery after Armistice, whilst 925 of the graves remain unidentified.
Due to the current climate of political instability, the situation has made it challenging for the CWGC to maintain its cemeteries within Iraq and alternative arrangements for commemoration have been implemented.
Who is buried in Amara?
One of the people buried at the Amara War Cemetery is Arthur Meadwell, who was born in Melton Mowbray and who worked as a tailor on West Road in Oakham before the war.
He was married to Charlotte, the daughter of the caretaker of the Oakham Institute, a well known organisation at the time. He served in the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, part of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force and died on the 18th February 1917, aged 29.
Charles Albert Smith was born in 1871 in Bungay, Suffolk and died on 12th June 1916 . When WW1 started in 1914, Charles was 43 and his final resting place is also the Amara Cemetery.
By 1891, Charles had left home and by 1901, had taken a job in Beeston as a domestic groom. Charles was the eldest son of Harry and Matilda. In 1881, the family, which then included Charles’ younger siblings Elsie, Edmond and Beatrice, were living at 2 Julian Street, Beighton in Norwich.
Amara and the Greater Manchester Connection
Another person buried in the Amara Cemetery is Handel Kent, who was born along with his twin sister Hannah in Royton, Oldham in 1897 and died aged 19 on 09/01/1917.
According to the 1911 census, Handel Kents family were living at 186 West End Street, where a thirteen year old Handel was employed as a piecer at the Kent Mill in Chadderton. By 1916, Handel had progressed to being a joiner and on June 1st 1916, had joined the army.
Henry Dickinson was born in Newton Heath in Manchester in 1887 and was only 29 years of age when he died on the 08/05/1916.
Now buried in the Amara Cemetery, Henry’s parents were Thomas and Agnes Dickinson. Thomas had a job as a fireman at the Medlock Valley Bleachworks. Out of his eight siblings, Harry followed in his father’s footsteps and also worked as a Fireman at the same Bleachworks as his father.
Hussein Al-alak is the editor of Iraq Solidarity News (Al-Thawra)
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