War Graves North Africa(western Desert)

[Kieron Hill]

Hi all,

The following pictures are taken from a
photo album that I purchased with some
medals. This album contains 162 pictures
of various subjects and interests of the
campaign in North Africa.

1st photo: Graves at Tobruk

2nd photo: Church at Tobruk (windows blown out)

3rd photo: El Daba grave yard (note the German helmet on the memorial)

4th & 5th photo's: Graves at Mersa Matruh (it maybe hard to see from the scanned photo but there are shells round one of the graves, a large machine gun
(any ideas what type of machine gun) laying on top anthoer and some propellars standing up on some others).

I hope you like photo,s and honour, respect and appreciate the sacrifice that
these men on both sides gave for their countries.

regards
Kieron

[Paul Reed]

Great photos - thanks for sharing them. I particularly liked the one of the cemetery where shells and aerial bombs are being used as features on the graves! I wonder if they were de-activated or not!!??

[Faugh A Ballagh!]

Kieron,

Do you know the name of the original owner of the album and the unit with which he served? His service mirrors that of my late father who was a Gunner with 25 HAA Battery. I have some photos that are similar to those you displayed.

Faugh A Ballagh!

[Kieron Hill]

Hi Faugh A Ballagh,

The album belonged to Gunner R Bowtle who served
with the 100th Light Anti Aircraft battery Royal Artillery
Middle East Forces attached to the 56th London Division.
A few more of his photos can be view on my website
at www.eightharmy.ww2site.com

regards
Kieron

[Kieron Hill]

A few more battlfield graves from North Africa
which came from a recent collection I 've come
across.

Photo 1 = German grave note the artillery shells

Photo2 = This one is very interesting, its of a pilot and his plane has been intomb
as well you can see the fuselage sticking out at the back and the remains of the
engine at the front.

Photo 3 = A Polish pilots grave

Photo 4 = A Polish memorial

Photo 5 = The remains of a crashed plane with the grave of the pilot in front

Photo 6 = German piolts grave

Photo 7 = Graves at Tobruk you can make out who the two front graves belong to. So I did a search on the CWGC with the name Mansa Ram thinking that it was an unusual name...think again! thousands. I couldn't believe how many Indian's
lost their lives during WW2. The other name was T Newal 6917446 something rifles
unfortunately nothing came up.

Photo 8 = German grave with the Afrika Corps sign made out of stones.

Photo 9 = Cemetery at Capuzzo near to Fort Capuzzo

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Lest we forget."

[Kiwiwriter]

Fascinating shots. Thanks for sharing.

[harribobs]

Great photos, i have some similiar ones taken by my father, including a shot of the Polish Memorial ( at Tobruk, I believe)

I have posted a couple of the others under a new thread to try to get a little more information

[salientpoints]

Its always great to see such good photos thanks for sharing

[Kiwiwriter]

Originally posted by harribobs@Jan 27 2005, 05:00 AM
Great photos, i have some similiar ones taken by my father, including a shot of the Polish Memorial ( at Tobruk, I believe)

I have posted a couple of the others under a new thread to try to get a little more information

Quoted post

That would likely be Tobruk. The Polish Carpathian Brigade was committed to action to relieve Australian troops at Tobruk when the 9th Australians were withdrawn from the besieged port in favor of the 70th British Division. The Poles initially did not honor the two-hour truce at Tobruk that the Aussies had with the Germans, to collect wounded and bring up water, as they hated the Germans for occupying their country. But the Poles soon realized the value to that gesture, and the two-hour truces resumed.

[harribobs]

Hi Kiwi

interesting!

i admit my information came from a little bit more first hand

my fathers comments on the back of the photo!

cheers

chris