Ramleh Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

Ramleh Cemetery
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Used for those deceased 1917–1948
Established	1917
Location	31°55′47″N 34°53′08″E / 31.92972°N 34.88556°ECoordinates: 31°55′47″N 34°53′08″E / 31.92972°N 34.88556°E near Ramla, Israel
Total burials	3,300 (World War I) 1,168 (World War II) 525 (Mandatory Palestine)
Unknown burials	964 (World War I)
Burials by nation
Allies of World War I: United Kingdom 3,608 India 528 Poland 272 New Zealand 94 France 77 Australia 71 High Commission Territories 58 Italy 41 Africa 41 South Africa 35 British West Indies 23 Arab 12 Yugoslavia 11 Czechoslovakia 7 Belgium 3 Seychelles 2 Norway 2 Canada 2 Central Powers: Ottoman Empire 416 Germany 31 Austria 2

Ramleh Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing is for personnel of both World Wars and the period of Mandatory Palestine. It is located in the town of Ramla in Israel.

The cemetery grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by the municipality of Ramla in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Palestine during the war. It is the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in Israel.

Location

The cemetery lies on a plain looking towards the hills of Judea in the general direction of Jerusalem. The location is close to the site of the Battle of Junction Station (13 to 14 November 1917). The cemetery was in use throughout the period of Mandatory Palestine, including the World War II, up to the start of May 1948. British burials of the few troops who stayed until end of June 1948 in order to finish the evacuation are buried in Khayat Beach War Cemetery in Haifa.

Noted burials

One notable grave from the World War I period is that of politician and soldier Neil Primrose. Among those buried in the cemetery are the two British sergeants, Mervyn Paice and Clifford Martin, who were hanged by the Irgun in 1947 in response to the death sentences carried out on three of their members by the British Mandate authorities.

In 2010, the grave of a British soldier named Harry Potter was listed on the Ramle's tourism website after becoming a popular tourist spot following the worldwide fame of the fictional wizard with the same name.^[1][2]

References

1. "Visiting Harry Potter’s grave in Israel?". International Business Times. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
2. Pvt Harry Potter at Find a Grave

External links

• Cemetery Details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
• Ramleh War Cemetery at Find a Grave
• Ramleh 1914–18 Memorial at Find a Grave
• Ramleh 1939–1945 Memorial at Find a Grave