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Abandoned war graves in Iraq spark calls for Commonwealth action
This Remembrance Sunday, Ben Soppitt will stand alone at Basra War Cemetery in Iraq, honoring his grandfather among nearly 3,000 unmarked graves-a stark contrast to London's Cenotaph ceremonies and Europe's meticulously maintained war memorials. He accuses the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) of a "catastrophic failure" to uphold its duty, leaving the fallen soldiers' sacrifices unrecognized in the desert.
Decades of neglect in Mesopotamia
Over 50,000 British and Commonwealth troops perished in Iraq during both World Wars, primarily in the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I against Ottoman forces. The majority were Indian nationals. Soppitt's grandfather, Gunner Joseph Soppitt, died of dysentery in 1941 during a brief World War II engagement. His grave, like thousands of others at Basra, lacks any official marker.
Among the unmarked dead are Victoria Cross recipient George Wheeler and Sapper Harris Johnson Rampling, grandfather of actress Charlotte Rampling. The CWGC removed all headstones decades ago, citing vandalism and decay. Security concerns forced its withdrawal from Iraq in the 1990s, leaving sites like Basra War Cemetery to deteriorate into rubbish-strewn wastelands, repurposed by locals for football or dumping.
Unequal commemoration under scrutiny
The nearby Basra War Memorial-the world's third-largest-remains largely intact, listing 40,000 soldiers. Yet only British personnel and Indian officers are named individually; 3,256 Indian rank-and-file troops appear solely by unit and number. The CWGC has acknowledged this "inequality in commemoration" but has yet to address it fully. Soppitt argues that rectifying this disparity is essential to restoring dignity to the fallen.
"This historical wrong cannot be completed without addressing the Indian casualties in Iraq. It's another compelling reason to resume work there," Soppitt stated.
Campaign gains traction amid security hurdles
Over the past two weeks, Soppitt has documented the decay of CWGC sites across Iraq, sharing his findings on social media. In Mosul, he found only crumbling pedestals and scattered stones. "If my opinion of the CWGC was low before, it's reached a new depth," he posted. The Commission claims it has "detailed plans" for restoration but cites security risks-aligning with the UK Foreign Office's travel advisory-as a barrier to immediate action.
Frustration extends beyond Soppitt. Baroness Emma Nicholson, who visited Basra in 2007, urged the CWGC to "do more," despite acknowledging its obligation to follow government guidance. "As a government body, they must heed Foreign Office advice," she said, "but the current state is unacceptable."
A personal fight against fading memory
For Soppitt, the campaign is deeply personal. He had hoped to visit his grandfather's grave with his father, who has since passed away. "I don't intend to pass this burden to my sons," he said. "I'm doing everything I can to ensure these men and women are properly commemorated before I'm gone."
The CWGC maintains it has conducted "some renovation work" and monitors conditions via its website. Yet critics argue that delayed action risks erasing the sacrifices of thousands-leaving families like Soppitt's to fight for recognition in the shifting sands of Iraq.
