Lost Graveyards of Gallipoli

[hollowi]

I have spent a bit of time researching my Great Uncle who died during the attack on hill 971 and one of the things that I looked at was the locations of the graveyards in the Arghyl Dere and Chaliak Dere areas. When I started to research these areas CWGC could give me no information on these graveyards.

All these graveyards were consolidated into the 7^th Ambulance or Embarkation Pier Cemeteries, so these graveyards exist in name only, but they are often mentioned on service records, particularly if a solider was originally buried in one of these graveyards.

From the soldiers service records the graveyards are:

• Bedford Ridge Graveyard — 2 M (3.21km) north-east (11.25⁰) of Anzac Cove.
• West Ham Gully Graveyard — 2¼ M (3.62km) north-east (11.25⁰) of Anzac Cove (off Australia Valley).
• Essex Graveyard — 2¾M (4.42km) north-north-east (56.25⁰) of Anzac Cove.
• Suffolk Graveyard — 2½M (4.02km) north-north-east (56.25⁰) of Anzac Cove.
• Hampshire Lane Graveyard — 2M (3.21km) north-east (11.25⁰) of Anzac Cove (which was an off-shoot of the Aghyl Dere on the northern side).
• Australia Valley Graveyard — 2¼ M (3.62km) north-north-east (56.25⁰) of Anzac Cove.
• Norfolk Graveyard — 2¼ M (3.62km) north-north-east (56.25⁰) of Anzac Cove (Kaiajik Dere).
• Chailak Dere Graveyard No2 — 1¾ M (4.42km) north-east (11.25⁰) of Anzac Cove.

While the locations in the service records are approximate only (you will notice some are the same location). Based on these directions and the locations of aid posts when the graveyards were established I have plotted the approximate locations on a map. The only graveyard that is totally correct is Suffolk as it was marked on a trench map.

Regards

gallipoli_map3a.pdf

[River97]

Bill,

Thanks for posting. That must have taken some effort in compiling.

Cheers Andy.

[gilly100]

Thanks Bill

I know a number of AIF casualties were evacuated to the 16th CCS and were buried closeby for the Hill 60 fighting in late August. Remembered on Lone Pine Memorial.

Nice work

Ian

[Pompey]

Thanks Bill,

an excellent piece of work and a lot of effort involved to produce. Well done mate!

Best Regards

Pompey

[hollowi]

Thanks for your comments. You will notice from the list and map that I have not been able to locate a possible site for the Australia Valley Graveyard. The Norfolk graveyard is where I’d expect to find it, so there were possibly two grave yards close to each other in this area. Of note also is the Norfolk graveyard was established on 8/8/1915 before any British regiment from Norfolk served in the area. So there is a possibility that the name is a corruption of “North Fork” describing its rough location within Australia Valley.

Regards