KIRECHKOI-HORTAKOI MILITARY CEMETERY

[Sue L]

I realise this is a big ask as Salonika is probably not visited very much, but if anyone could get me a photos from this cemetery I would be delighted.

I am specifically looking for a general overview photo plus a picture of the grave of Harry Ainsley - see below

Many thanks

Sue L

Name:

AINSLEY, HARRY

Initials:

H

Nationality:

United Kingdom

Rank:

Corporal

Regiment/Service:

Army Service Corps

Unit Text:

1061st Coy.

Age:

27

Date of Death:

29/08/1918

Service No:

TS/4592

Grave/Memorial Reference:

50.

[apwright]

I like the personal inscription at the bottom "Sometime We'll Understand".

When, I wonder...

Link to above photo on Flickr, where you should be able to download a higher resolution: http://flic.kr/p/bVtPn2

(by clicking on the photo, then "View all Sizes", then choosing the largest available)

A couple of cemetery views:

http://flic.kr/p/bVtNMH

http://flic.kr/p/bVtNUt

Or in winter:

http://flic.kr/p/bVtP8H

Hope these are OK. If not, drop me a PM. The cemetery is only about 15 mins from home!

Adrian

[Kate Wills]

It is interesting that the cemeteries in and around Thessaloniki have the classic tablet headstones, whereas the up-country cemeteries have the 'dutch-stool' variety.

I always understood this was to cope with extremes of weather and earthquakes. I wonder why the variation in the same geographraphical area?

[apwright]

Hi Kate,

One of the reasons I've heard is that the topsoil is thicker round the city than on the hillsides of Doiran or Karasouli, so you don't need to cut into the bedrock here to get sufficient purchase for upright stones.

But that wouldn't be true of the fertile plains of the Struma and Sarigol, which also have the pedestal style.

And, I don't know how the upright stones used to be erected, but the recent renovations at Mikra over the couple of years consisted of uprooting the old stones, digging a trench about 30cm deep along the whole plot row, pouring about 25cm of concrete into wooden moulds designed to leave a 10-15cm slot at the top, then simply slotting the stones back in and covering it up with 5 cm of soil. I should think that would be perfectly feasible farther afield too, at least in this day and age.

I suspect the main reasons were the logistics and/or cost of moving thousands of full-size headstones up-country in 1920s Greece.

An upright headstone (including its underground "root") is, say, 120x50x8 cm, while a plaque for a "Dutch stool" pedestal is about 30x20x2. You could probably transport at least 40 plaques for the same weight/rail freight cost/manpower/mulepower as would be required for a single upright stone. And then perhaps there's the cost/logistics of stone-cutting equipment for the bedrock to add on to that.

Adrian

[michaeldr]

I don't know how the upright stones used to be erected, but the recent renovations at Mikra over the couple of years consisted of uprooting the old stones, digging a trench about 30cm deep along the whole plot row, pouring about 25cm of concrete into wooden moulds designed to leave a 10-15cm slot at the top, then simply slotting the stones back in and covering it up with 5 cm of soil. I should think that would be perfectly feasible farther afield too, at least in this day and age.

Adrian

Adrian,

That seems to be the approved method these days

see post #1 here http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19265&hl=ramleh

and photographs from Ramleh in 2004

regards

Michael

[Sue L]

Hi Adrian

Thank you so much for this. My original message was my first post on the forum and it is great to get a reply so quickly.

How do I send you a PM - I would like to do this re the flickr photos

Sue L

[tinacw59]

Hi there I have just joined this site as my Great Uncle is buried at the Kirechkoi-Hortakoi Military Cemetery. My sister and myself are hoping to get over there next year and visit the grave. I was really impressed how Adrian "apwright" got a photograph of a grave to Sue L.

I wonder if it would be possible Adrian if you could kindly take a photograph of my uncles grave for me please. I would be ever so grateful.

Thanking you in anticipation

Kind Regards

Tina Williams

The details are:-

OSWALD GLOVER

Rank: Private Service No: 174857 Date of Death: 09/10/1918 Age: 31 Regiment/Service: Machine Gun Corps 83rd Coy. Grave Reference: 273. Cemetery: KIRECHKOI-HORTAKOI MILITARY CEMETERY Additional Information: Husband of Hannah Glover, of 10, Scout Bottom, Mytholmroyd, Yorks.

[Guest Thanos Takis]

Even though, almost two years passed, a wish is a wish. And as long as i don't know if you finally managed to visit the cemetery, today, as soon as i read your above post, i went up there to take a picture for you.

As it seems, there are extensive renovations on site, realignment of tombstones, new grass and flowers and others.

All the best, dear TIna.

Thanos Takis

A friend from Greece.