Invasions
Wars
Occupation
Military Presence
Introduction
The UK has a unique history of armed conflict and military presence in Iraq, a period that began in the age of cavalry and ended with guided missiles and jet aircraft.
With 3 invasions since 1914, 5 wars including the Arab Revolt, the UK has occupied Iraq for 30 years with 50 years of near-continuous military presence. No other country on earth has been subject to such a prolonged and recurring pattern of military engagement by the UK in the modern era.
Starting with the invasion of Ottoman Mesopotamia in 1914, the Arab Revolt 1918-1921, the British Colonial "Mandate" of 1920-1932, the Anglo-Iraqi War 1941 and the withdrawal of British forces in 1958. The Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003-2009. The total estimated cost of these military engagements in today's money is in excess of £20bn.
The UK's presence in Iraq has cost the lives of over 56,000 Commonwealth service men and women, 80% of them non-European (primarily Indian Forces but also Singaporean Chinese, West Indies and West African casualties). This makes Iraq the 5th largest Commonwealth country by casualties, representing 3% of total casualties globally, a fact few are aware of.
Top 10 CWGC Countries by Casualties (Middle East, Africa and Asia)
| Rank | Country / Region | Identified | Unidentified | Memorials | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iraq (Middle East) | 12,816 | 9,376 | 41,091 | 63,283 |
| 2 | India (Asia) | 10,995 | 521 | 51,150 | 62,666 |
| 3 | Tanzania (Africa) | 3,271 | 87 | 51,655 | 55,013 |
| 4 | Egypt (ME / Africa) | 24,651 | 1,335 | 27,803 | 53,789 |
| 5 | Turkey (ME / Europe) | 9,487 | 13,461 | 27,161 | 50,109 |
| 6 | Myanmar (Asia) | 10,945 | 1,107 | 26,902 | 38,954 |
| 7 | Singapore (Asia) | 4,458 | 858 | 24,675 | 29,991 |
| 8 | Israel & Palestine (ME) | 11,991 | 2,581 | 3,400 | 17,972 |
| 9 | Tunisia (Africa) | 7,750 | 810 | 1,954 | 10,514 |
| 10 | Libya (Africa) | 7,056 | 1,460 | 0 | 8,516 |
Iraq is the largest country where the majority of the casualties are Indian Army and constitutes an estimated 40-60% of all under-commemorated casualties (where the name is known but there is no physical monument) and an unknown proportion of the un-commemorated (where no record of the name exists) as many Indian army casualties were not properly recorded if at all during WW1 and many records such as Amara Left Bank cemetery have been lost.
| Cemetery | Unknown Burials |
|---|---|
| Alwiya (Baghdad) Cemetery | 450 |
| Amara Left Bank Indian Forces Cemetery | 4,991 |
| Baghdad Northgate Cemetery | 2,729 |
| Tanooma Memorial (Basra) | 227 (Singaporean Chinese) |
| Basra Indian Forces Cemetery | Unknown number of Indian Forces Burials |
| Mosul War Cemetery | 185 |
Table: Sites in Iraq by total unknown burials. Source: CWGC Iraq Roll of Honour
It remains unclear if the names of these unknown burials are known and they are counted as part of the Basra Memorial or not. This question has been put to the CWGC.
Basra Memorial to the Missing is the 3rd largest Commonwealth Memorial in the world. Only Menin Gate and Thiepval are larger, and it is the only one in the top 5 outside Europe.
| Memorial | Location | Casualties |
|---|---|---|
| Thiepval Memorial to the Missing | Somme, France | 72,246 |
| Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial | Ypres, Belgium | 54,896 |
| Basra Memorial to the Missing | Basra, Iraq | 40,640 |
| Arras Memorial to the Missing | Arras, France | 35,942 |
| Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing | Passchendaele, Belgium | 34,857 |
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) formally withdrew from Iraq in 1990. In the last 35 years, two small cemeteries (Kut and Habbaniya) have been renovated and over 500 new gravestones installed in Baghdad Northgate, representing less than 2% of all casualties, the majority of them European. To date nothing has been done to address the inequalities in commemoration.
3% of the 2023 budget at £80m would equate to £2.4m a year that should be spent in Iraq, or more if the inequalities in commemoration are to be rectified. This would be over £70m over 35 years with less than 0.1% of that actually spent there during this period.
The last visit by CWGC personnel to Iraq was in 2018 during what was termed a "historic return" and consisted of a few days in Basra. Any contractors working for the CWGC during this time have had no direct supervision and are required only to self-report on their work.
Summary: CWGC Sites in Iraq
Over 70% of total casualties are commemorated at a single location (Basra Memorial) and over 95% commemorated in the top 4 locations.
| # | Site | Est. Casualties | Known | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basra Memorial to the Missing | 40,640 | 10,640 | 0 |
| 2 | Baghdad Northgate Cemetery | 7,216 | 4,487 | 2,729 |
| 3 | Amara Indian Forces Cemetery | 4,992 | 9 | 5,001 |
| 4 | Amara British Cemetery | 4,629 | 3,704 | 925 |
| 5 | Basra War Cemetery | 3,029 | 2,890 | 74 |
| 6 | Khanaqin Cemetery | 542 | 542 | 0 |
| 7 | Alwiya Indian Forces Cemetery | 451 | 1 | 450 |
| 8 | Kut War Cemetery | 418 | 410 | 8 |
| 9 | Ma'Asker Al Rashid | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| 10 | Habbaniya RAF Cemetery | 279 | 173 | 0 |
| 11 | Basra Indian Forces Cemetery | Unknown | 280 | Unknown |
| 12 | Mosul War Cemetery | 337 | 152 | 185 |