Over 56,000 Commonwealth service men and women have died in service in Iraq, the exact number will never be known. Of these, 24% are buried in known graves, almost exclusively European casualties. 40,682 have no known grave and are commemorated on the Basra Memorial, of which only 7,385 are mentioned by name (European soldiers of all ranks and Indian Officers only; the remaining 33,256 Indian Army casualties are recorded only by unit totals). A further 8,582 (almost exclusively non-European) are buried in CWGC cemeteries but are unknown, and more were simply not recorded.
This makes Mesopotamia/Iraq one of the most extreme theatres in the entire CWGC system for loss of both graves and identities, exceeding even Gallipoli in proportional terms.
Iraq is the 5th largest Commonwealth country by casualties, representing 3% of total casualties globally. The Basra Memorial to the Missing is the 3rd largest Commonwealth Memorial in the world and the largest outside Europe. Only the Menin Gate and Thiepval are larger.
3% of the 2023 Commonwealth War Graves Commission budget of £80m is £2.4m. If allocated fairly by casualty rate, this is the minimum sum that should have been spent in Iraq annually over the last 35 years. The actual spend is estimated to be less than 0.1% of this.
CWGC cemeteries across the country hold the remains of casualties from at least 15 different nationalities including those from pre-partition India, Poland, Singaporean Chinese, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Iraq, Burma, Holland, Russia, Turkey, the West Indies and West Africa. Over 80% of all casualties were non-European.
Conducted between 21 October and 11 November 2025, this report is a firsthand account of these sites. It presents the findings of a comprehensive, independent, and self-funded assessment of Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries and memorials in Iraq. It is the first full public survey of these sites in more than a century since Lieut-Col F. R. Durham's report to the IWGC in 1924.
Major Findings
Major findings include severe deterioration across the majority of sites caused by long-term underinvestment, a lack of maintenance, poor quality remedial work, and lack of CWGC supervision. There is clear evidence of continuing inequity in the commemoration of Indian Army and other non-European casualties and the cemeteries and memorials in which they are commemorated.
Families of those who have fallen, and who are buried in Iraq, have repeatedly contacted the CWGC seeking information regarding the upkeep of the graves. The excuses and reasons for lack of action include security, insurance, and the possibility of sites being damaged. Many public and private organisations operate successfully in Iraq with appropriate security and insurance, and so there is no reason why the CWGC cannot operate in the country.
Other high-profile sites such as the grave of Gertrude Bell and Christian, Turkish, and German cemeteries are all secured and remain undamaged. There appears to be no evidence supporting the risk of damage to the war graves and memorials.
It should also be noted that the 2024-25 Non-Commemoration Programme Annual Review makes no mention of Iraq. Iraq is not even listed as a Research Area; there is a need to rectify this serious omission and to fully recognise the contribution of all who died in Iraq regardless of their country of origin.
Summary Recommendations
- 1
Commit annual funding in the CWGC budget for Iraq at a minimum commensurate with its volume of casualties (3% of casualties) £2.4m a year
- 2
Form an Iraq Advisory Panel with experience of operating in Iraq to provide appropriate guidance and oversight of Iraq operations
- 3
Appointing a CWGC Iraq Country Manager
- 4
Reviewing the suitability of existing contractors for the work involved in stabilisation, renovation and maintenance of these sites
- 5
Setting up mechanisms for the independent auditing of local contractors and contractor work
- 6
Reviewing CWGC policies regarding travel to Iraq and taking into consideration the unequal application of these policies in other countries so that regular site visits can be resumed
- 7
Proactive outreach and relationship building with local communities, local and federal government, other relevant Embassies not exclusively the UK Embassy and international companies active in the country such as BP
- 8
Developing a 5 year plan for renovations and commemoration at all locations to ensure a long-term sustainable solution and to ensure that the men and women who gave their lives in service of their country are remembered and honored with appropriate dignity
- 9
Authorising and overseeing small scale renovation works at key at risk sites to signal ownership and demonstrate proactive management
- 10
Undertake immediate action to secure the Amara Left Bank Indian Cemetery, Khanaqin and the Basra Indian Cemetery to prevent further encroachment, total loss of the sites and where possible to reclaim cemetery land
- 11
Expand the Non-Commemoration Project to include the estimated 40,000 un-commemorated and under-commemorated Indian Army, Chinese, African and other nationalities and ensure that this historical and ongoing inequality is properly addressed
- 12
Update and correct the CWGC website as regards factual information regarding sites in Iraq (Karbala, Ma'Asker and Amara Left Bank as examples) including cemetery maps all of which are out of date and inaccurate
Issues Requiring Immediate Attention
Note: Immediate action has been defined as a grave danger to the integrity of the site or a risk to visitors or local communities.
| Location | Required Action |
|---|---|
| Alwiya Indian Forces Cemetery | Main Indian Army cemetery in Baghdad. The site is used intermittently as a parking lot for heavy machinery. Fence is in poor condition, its gate is broken. The site is overgrown and obviously untended. The nearest cemetery to the UK Embassy with it being a 10 minute drive away. The site needs to be secured immediately. |
| Amara War Cemetery (Indian) | The largest Indian Army cemetery in Iraq if not the world. Approximately 30% of the site has been fenced off and built on by a fun fair. The remainder of the site is unmarked, without any signage and only the remains of two pedestals from memorials remain. Site needs to be secured, fenced and signed and negotiated with the owner of the fun fair initiated. |
| Basra War Cemetery | The site is used as a gathering place for illegal drug and alcohol use at night; a woman's body was recently discovered in the grounds. The local community fears the site at night creating a blight on what is a small tight knit residential neighbourhood. It's unacceptable that a site meant to be under the ownership of the CWGC should be used like this. Securing the site to prevent such use is easily and economically achievable. |
| Basra Indian Forces Cemetery & Cremation Memorial | The back boundary fence has been completely removed and local houses are now built into the cemetery itself. Large amounts of construction waste is dumped there and overgrown. Two gatehouses at risk of structural integrity loss. The site needs to be secured and negotiations with local residents initiated to remove them from the site. |
| Khanaqin War Cemetery | No map of the cemetery is on the CWGC site and no mention of the site on the website. There is no boundary fence, no sign which states this is a location of war graves. The site is protected only by the goodwill of the local museum. Urgent action is required to protect and recognise this site. |
| Basra Memorial | Local military and police are now not allowing cars to stop on the road on which Basra Memorial is located due to there being water and oil pipelines nearby. This has resulted in visitors to the site (including me) being detained and threatened by local security forces. Liaison with the local authorities and security services required to ensure access to the memorial for visitors. |
That it is possible to maintain these sites in Iraq cost efficiently and at a reasonable standard is evidenced by the German and Ottoman cemeteries from the same period and the work done by the local guardian at Amara British Cemetery with very limited money, resources or support from the CWGC.