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Remembered Today:

Turkish WW1 Cemetery on the Western Front?


Hedley Malloch

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A remark by Paul Guthrie in the Brookwood thread recalled something I read a few years ago; that is, there was a Turkish WW1 cemetery on the Western Front. I cannot remember where it was, but I think it was cleared in the 1950s. Does anyone have any information on this?

Of course if there was such a cemetery, then there must have been some form of Turkish involvement on the Front, but I have never read anything about this.

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There is a Turkish war grave plot at Brookwood Cemetery (not Brookwood Military Cemetery) but these are air force personnel from WW2.

There are also some Turkish graves in the care of CWGC on the Isle of Man (interned civilians)

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There is a Turkish war grave plot at Brookwood Cemetery ... (snip) ... There are also some Turkish graves in the care of CWGC on the Isle of Man (interned civilians)

Terry

The Turkish cemetery in question was in France, I'm sure. I will have to wade through a pile of mags to find it.

Regards

Hedley

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I never read about Turks fighting on the Western Front, although one of my German friends has a picture showing unidentified officers in German trenches IIRC in the Vosges (he says they're possibly Turks, but isn't sure either).

Jan

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There are also some Turkish graves in the care of CWGC on the Isle of Man (interned civilians)

Terry,

Margery West wrote about these 7 Turks in the Winter 1994 edition of 'The Gallipolian' and said that they had been amongst 115 Turkish internees held on the Isle of Man, 14 in Douglas Camp and 101 in Knockaloe Camp. They are buried in Patrick Churchyard which is directly opposite where the Knockaloe Camp was sited. The first died 17 Nov 16 and the last 15 July 18. Since 1972 the graves have been in the care of the CWGC under an arrangement with Turkey.

Patrick Churchyard used to hold about 200 prisoners graves, however in 1962 the German authorities were allowed to exhume their dead and rebury them with their comrades at Cannock Chase. Today, apart from the 7 Turks, Patrick holds only 2 German (Jewish) war graves and a number of British servicemen who died while on duty at the camp.

Regards

Michael D.R.

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